Staff

Dr. Derek Chapman was named Center Director in September 2025. Prior to this he served for 11 years as the Center's Associate Director and Interim Director. At the Center Dr. Chapman leads user-oriented research on the root cause of health disparities directed at delivering actionable and policy-relevant findings in accessible formats. Chapman also brings extensive experience computing small-area population health metrics – including life expectancy and premature mortality – for cities and counties across the United States. He has been a faculty member at VCU since 2004 where he is a Professor in the Department of Epidemiology in the VCU School of Public Health. Dr. Chapman’s scholarly work on maternal and child health epidemiology, and youth violence prevention is complemented by his 14 years of experience working in state health departments, where he conducted applied public health research to inform programs and policy.   

Steven Woolf directed the Center from its founding in 2007 through March 2018. As Director Emeritus, he continues to play a pivotal role at the Center, with a concentration on public policy issues, writing, and partnerships with colleagues and institutions devoted to population health and social justice. Dr. Woolf, a Professor of Family Medicine and Population Health, has focused his career on raising public awareness about the social, economic, and environmental conditions that shape health and produce inequities. He has edited three books and published more than 200 articles. In addition to scientific publications, he works to address these issues through outreach to policymakers and the public, including testimony before Congress, consulting, editorials in major newspapers and social media, and speeches. Dr. Woolf trained in family medicine and public health and devoted his early career to health services research and the promotion of evidence-based strategies to prevent disease and promote public health.

Emily Zimmerman is a sociologist and member of the Engaging Richmond community-university research team. Her research focuses on the health and well being of vulnerable populations. She has expertise in quantitative data collection and analysis (including survey research, complex datasets, multivariate and multilevel analysis), qualitative data collection and analysis, mixed methods research, and community-based participatory research.

John Lee is a research epidemiologist for the Center. He holds a Ph.D. in Epidemiology from Virginia Commonwealth University. His dissertation focused on the spatial variation in "Deaths of Despair (DoD)" and its contributory county-level social determinants of health (SDoH) across the United States. As a multidisciplinary explorer, his research interests center around the intersection of epidemiology (especially mortality and chronic disease), spatial analysis, and GIS. Dr. Lee's research focuses on developing and applying spatial statistical methods in public health. His efforts focus on identifying health disparities and quantifying spatial variation for improved exposure assessment and for models characterizing spatial variation risk as a function of determinants of health. Much of his current work involves assessing and translating spatial analysis methods, including spatial data and statistics, for building research capacity in a broad range of public health applications.

Leah Gregory is a resident of the East End community and has been a part of the Engaging Richmond team since 2016. Leah is a recent graduate of MPH/MSW dual degree program at Virginia Commonwealth University. As a social worker, she understands the complex challenges of underserved populations and the health disparities they experience. She is interested in social justice advocacy for health care issues such as HIV/STD prevention, sexual and relationship health, community planning, healthy food security and access, and global community health issues.  She hopes to contribute to new and innovative ways to increase health and wellness in communities, especially those impacted by these issues. Her past experience includes work with individuals experiencing homelessness/housing policy, free clinics, in-home counseling/mental health support, individuals living with HIV, survivors of sexual assault/domestic violence, and individuals experiencing substance abuse. Having worked hard to fund her own undergraduate and graduate education, Leah is aware of the many challenges facing others.  She is inspired to be an advocate for social change and community involvement, including being an active member of her sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. In her free time, she likes to cook, travel to new places, meet new people, listen to music, exercise through yoga and Zumba, and watch her spouse play soccer.

Chimere Miles is a resident of the East End Community and founding member of Engaging Richmond when the group formed in 2011. Chimere is passionate about opportunities for children and has volunteered with many groups and organizations, including Richmond Public Schools Early Head Start/ Head Start as the Policy Council Chairperson, the Richmond Public School Truancy Committee, and Richmond Promise Neighborhood. She also serves as a facilitator and participated in training for mental health first aide. She has also done work with Perter Paul Development Center with the Strengthening Families Program.  Chimere has an Associate’s Degree in Allied Health and Science, and her previous work experience includes patient care work and medical administrative duties. One of her favorite characteristics of the East End is how neighbors feel like family. In her spare time, Chimere enjoys baking and spending time with her family.

Lucy is passionate about trauma-informed design, narrative change, and creative teamwork to translate data insights into action. She seeks to approach community partners through a lens of humility and empathy, with the goal of mutual benefit. She is also trained as a Recovery Ally and in Mental Health First Aid. In her free time, Lucy loves gardening, letter-writing, and watching Korean dramas.

Brittany Bady is a public health professional with experience supporting addiction research, initiatives that promote healthier, more resilient communities, with compassion, empathy, and unwavering commitment to serving her community. While serving at VCU Center on Society Health as Community Research Assistant Brittany understands the importance of meeting people where they are, expanding access through evidence-based research, and the results when you have a genuine desire to help others strengthen their communities. Her work in public health began at Virginia Union University where she obtained a bachelor of Biology, and she later earned a master’s in Public Health from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2024. Throughout her career, Brittany has embraced opportunities to learn, collaborate, and grow. Whether contributing to research projects, participating in interdisciplinary discussions, or pursuing professional development, she is driven by being able to identify and relate to the underserved and unprivileged communities and changing those narratives with the help of lived experiences. She is inspired by opportunities to connect research with real-world practice and to help build healthier, more compassionate communities for everyone.

Marva Mallory-McRae is a health professional with expertise in public health and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). She is passionate about improving the health and well-being of individuals and communities and is dedicated to providing compassionate, holistic care that nurtures the mind, body, and spirit. Her professional experience includes formative and community-based participatory research, program development, community outreach, and the integration of holistic TCM therapies to support healing and promote whole-person wellness. Outside of her professional work, she enjoys spending time with family, connecting with nature, reading, and traveling. 

Diane is dedicated to applying epidemiologic methods that balance scientific rigor with the practical realities of conducting research in community settings. She enjoys collaborating across disciplines to design and implement studies that generate meaningful, actionable evidence to improve public health. Diane earned her MPH from Virginia Commonwealth University and is currently pursuing a part-time PhD in Epidemiology at VCU, where her emerging research focuses on the role of social determinants of health in Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family, playing video games, and taking long walks with her dog. 

Jadine supports a variety of public health research projects through data visualization, GIS mapping, and data analysis. She is especially interested in the intersection of place and health and how data can be used to better understand and address health disparities. She earned a B.A. in Health Studies with a minor in Geography from the University of Richmond and is currently pursuing a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology at Virginia Commonwealth University. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, trying new hobbies, and exploring new places.

Anabeel is committed to learning about the social drivers of health and advancing community engaged research to understand how social and structural factors shape health outcomes. He completed his medical education from the University of Dhaka in Bangladesh and an M.P.H in Leadership in Practice from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Epidemiology at VCU, where his research examines the impact of place based social determinants on diabetes-related emergency department visits. In his free time, Anabeel enjoys listening to music, playing the bass guitar and soccer and following Manchester United.

Aninda is a Graduate Research Assistant and doctoral student at VCU where he applies epidemiologic principals and advanced statistical methodology for improving access to care and health outcomes among elderly age-groups across Virginia and the US. He is interested in exploring affordable, non-pharmaceutical, easy to follow health interventions that prevent or delay the onset of neurodegenerative conditions among older adults. Prior to arriving at VCU he trained as a physician in Bangladesh before completing his MPH from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. In his free time Aninda likes to go on long walks in parks and nature trails, or visit historic landmarks to learn more about major events from years past.

Aibike Artykbaeva is an M.D., M.P.H., and Ph.D. student in Epidemiology at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Public Health. Her research interests include infectious disease epidemiology, environmental epidemiology, and health disparities. Prior to joining VCU, she worked in global public health, providing technical assistance to the national tuberculosis program and state epidemiological service in tuberculosis surveillance, monitoring and evaluation, and digital health. She earned her M.D. from Kyrgyz State Medical Academy and her dual M.P.H. from the University of Oviedo (Spain) and the University of Nicosia (Cyprus). Outside of work, Aibike enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, and learning new languages.

Leanne Naramore is a project manager and communications professional who enjoys bringing public health and social justice projects to life online. She manages website projects from planning through launch, coordinates with cross-functional teams, and develops digital content that makes complex research more accessible, engaging, and useful for a broad audience. Her work spans website management, content strategy, writing, editing, social media, and digital communications, with a focus on helping organizations connect with the people they serve. Outside of work, Leanne enjoys watching soccer, exploring new cities, and listening to comedy podcasts.