Who We Are
Roshanak Mehdipanah
Roshanak (she/her/hers) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Health Behavior and Health Education in the School of Public Health. She completed her PhD at the University of Pompeu Fabra, Spain and her MS from the School of Public Health and Health Systems at the University of Waterloo, Canada. Her research focuses on how urban policies, particularly related to the built environment, impact health and health inequities of individuals, neighborhoods and cities. Dr. Mehdipanah has brought particular attention to how housing policies and real estate markets shape health inequities among individuals and across neighborhoods. Through community-based participatory research that is supported through grants from the NIH, the WHO, and foundations, she has developed an understanding of how housing is a determinant in health, and has established how housing instability exacerbates health risks.
Director
Melika Belhaj
Melika (she/her/hers) is an urban planning and public health researcher focused on healthy cities. At the University of Michigan School of Public Health, I manage various research projects that try to better understand how housing ecosystems, the built environment, and policy influence individual and community wellbeing. I am passionate about bridging research and action. True in both my life and my work, I value deep and meaningful relationships, collaboration and commitment, and working with hope, passion, and love towards collective social change.
Program Manager
Farozan Ansari
Farozan (she/her/hers) is currently pursuing a Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) at Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning. She holds degrees in Architecture and Planning with a specialization in Housing from institutions in India. Farozan brings professional experience in community-based residential planning and design, participatory research, and spatial analysis, with a focus on equitable access to housing, health, and urban services. Her work is grounded in a commitment to co-creating inclusive and resilient environments that reflect the needs and aspirations of underserved communities. She addresses complex urban challenges through a systems-thinking lens, bridging urban planning, public health, and social justice to advance sustainable and equitable community development.
Research Assistant
Melany Puente
Melany (she/her/hers) is a Chang Health Equity Fellow currently pursuing a master's of public health in Health Behavior and Health Equity at the School of Public Health. She holds degrees in Global Health and International Comparative Studies from Duke University. Melany brings a background in health promotion and community partnership through experience in the Peace Corps, USAID community health programs, and nonprofit work.
Research Assistant
Cyrena Matingou
Cyrena (she/her/hers) is currently pursuing a Master of Public Health in Health Behavior and Health Equity at the School of Public Health. She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Virginia in Global Studies with a concentration in Global Public Health. Cyrena is driven by the belief that all people deserve to live in healthy environments and to have access to health-promoting resources. From public policy to clinical settings, she is committed to advancing equitable health programs and policies. With prior work experience in program evaluation, she is excited to contribute to qualitative analyses and expand her skillset.
Research Assistant
Melina Rodriguez
Melina (she/her/hers), MPH, is a doctoral student in the Department of Health Behavior and Health Equity at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. Her research interests center on immigrant health, community resilience and sustainability, and policy-driven health disparities. She draws on over eight years of community organizing experience to bridge theory and practice, ensuring that her research is responsive to community needs and grounded in lived experience. Her previous work includes examining the health and safety of day laborers and domestic workers responding to climate-related disasters in California, and exploring the impacts of COVID-19 on Southeast Asian American communities in Los Angeles.