Principal Investigator

Joshua Jeong, ScD, ScM

Dr. Jeong is the Rollins Distinguished Assistant Professor in Global Health at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University. He is a developmental scientist focused on understanding how parents influence early child development in low-resource settings. He applies his expertise in mixed-methods, intervention research, and implementation science to design father-inclusive and gender-transformative parenting interventions that strengthen family caregiving dynamics and support children’s early development. His projects are primarily based in Tanzania and Kenya and conducted in collaboration with local and international NGOs. He completed his BS in human development at Cornell University and his ScM, ScD, and postdoctoral fellowship in global health at Harvard University. During his graduate studies, he was a multi-year recipient of a Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) fellowship in Swahili and was awarded a dissertation fellowship from the Harvard Center on the Developing Child. He has received several early career scientific awards for his research on parenting and ECD, including from NIH, Society for Research in Child Development, and the Jacobs Foundation. His last name is pronounced “Jung” (one syllable), like the first part of “jungle.”

Research Staff

Alina Bhojani, ScM

Research Associate

Alina Bhojani is a Research Associate at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University. Her work, focused on early child development, employs mixed-methods research and implementation science. Her research interests include monitoring and evaluation of parenting programs, enhancing early childhood care and education, and conducting costing analyses of parenting interventions. Alina completed her BS in Public Health at the University of Texas at Austin and her ScM. in Global Health and Population at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Nathan Yang, MPH

Project Coordinator

Nathan Yang is a Project Coordinator at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University. His work involves supporting data collection, qualitative analysis, and coordinating program activities. He earned his BA in Human Health from Emory University and his MPH in Global Health from Rollins School of Public Health.

Graduate Students

Valencia Lambert

Valencia is a first-year Ph.D candidate in Global Health and Development. During her time as a data analyst in the lab, she contributed to the revision of the parenting intervention curriculum, coordinated monitoring and evaluation activities, and conducted mixed-methods analyses. Valencia was born and raised in Tanzania, and has earned her BSc in Global and Public Health Sciences from Cornell University, and her ScM in Global Health and Population from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Kaushiki Ravi

Kaushiki is a second-year MPH student in the Department of Behavioral, Social, & Health Education Sciences who holds a bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology and Psychology at Emory. At the lab, she works on qualitative coding and analysis.

Hyelim Shin

Hyelim Shin is a second-year MPH student in the Department of Epidemiology. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and has research experience in social and developmental psychology. Her research interests focus on human and early childhood development, with an emphasis on applying epidemiologic and data science methods, including quantitative analysis using R and SAS, to support evidence-based interventions for child and family well-being.

Undergraduate Students

Khushi Agarwal

Khushi is a third-year undergraduate student at Emory University double majoring in Biology and Psychology. She is passionate about public health and developmental psychology, with a focus on biological and social factors of health and behavior. In the lab, she contributes to qualitative coding and data management and analysis.

Anusha Gupta

Anusha is a third-year undergraduate student on the pre-med track with a concentration on chemistry and psychology. She has been analyzing data and summarizing interviews.

Suan Jeong

Suan is a third-year undergraduate student at Emory University studying nursing. Her research interests include cultural competency in healthcare and health equity. In the lab, she helps with qualitative coding and data analysis.

Avi Kumar

Avi is a fourth-year undergraduate student at Emory University, majoring in Anthropology and Human Biology. In the lab, Avi has been working on qualitative coding and analysis.

Becki M’mari

Becki is a fourth-year undergraduate student at Emory University majoring in Human Health and African Studies on the pre-med track. She is passionate about global health, health equity, and culturally grounded care as they relate to women’s and children’s health and social determinants that shape well-being. As a research assistant in the lab, Becki works on qualitative data analysis.