Current Scholars

Elizette Benicya Lakouetene

Elizette Benicya Lakouetene is a Hunter College alumna with a degree in Biochemistry and a minor in Psychology. She has conducted research on breast cancer in the Black community at Weill Cornell Medicine and examined the environmental quality of life and climate-related health impacts in New York City.

Currently a research fellow at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, she investigates how physicians, clinicians, and patients perceive the use of artificial intelligence in healthcare.

Her clinical experience includes serving as a receptionist and physician care assistant in the Department of Geriatric Psychiatry, volunteering in vascular surgery and general surgery clinics, and shadowing multiple specialties in the operating room. Passionate about surgery, Elizette is preparing to apply to medical school, with aspirations to advance patient care through both clinical practice and research.

Fun Fact: Elizette loves to sprint and clean in her free time. 

Kenny Escobar

Kenny Escobar brings a deep passion for advancing universal health —with a special focus on expanding access to healthy food—to the 2024–2025 TRACS Program. Over the past five years, Kenny has been deeply engaged in health related work throughout the Bronx, building partnerships with neighborhoods, faith-based, and civic organizations to address challneges affecting populations.

Kenny’s public health journey began in his senior year of college, when a course on healthcare challenges shifted his career path. “I’m glad I found out that public health was my path,” he reflects. He went on to earn his Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) from Cornell University, where he honed the communication and stakeholder engagement skills he now puts into action every day.

Currently, Kenny serves as a Project Coordinator with the Archdiocese of New York Drug Abuse Prevention Program (ADAPP), where he leads a Bronx-based urban coalition focused on preventing drug, alcohol, and tobacco use among youth. He collaborates with a broad network of stakeholders, including the NYPD, Bronx District Attorney’s Office, schools, neighborhood boards, food pantries, and parent groups. Whether he’s writing grants, designing focus group questions, or mentoring student advisors, Kenny is driven by a desire to make real change in public health.

Through the TRACS Program, Kenny is preparing for the next phase of his journey—doctoral studies in public health—and we’re thrilled to support his continued growth as a health leader.

Fun fact: Kenny is a proud foodie and loves to travel!

Valerie Chateau

Valerie Chateau's education was at Long Island University, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.S. in Health Science as a HOPE Scholar. There she grew an interest in biomedicine and public health. She was a 2-year intern at the Brooklyn-Queens-Long Island Area Health Education Center (BQLI-AHEC). She broadened her understanding of healthcare complexities by engaging in interdisciplinary work and contributing to neighborhood-based initiatives in areas throughout NYC. Notably, she was involved with the Commission on the Public Health System (CPHS) in designing and implementing the "Collecting the Invisible Experiences During COVID-19" survey to address health challenges and advocate for policy changes. As a SPRINTER Student at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, she worked on research to correlate stress levels with educational attainment; shedding light on the intricate relationship between social determinants and health outcomes. Her current TRACS study is focused on advancing health in clinical practice by implementing competencies and working with CERCA. She is working under the guidance of Dr. Carla Boutin-Foster, and Dr. Margaret Salisu.

What do you look forward to gaining from the TRANSPORT TRACS program? 

"From the TRANSPORT TRACS program, I look forward to enhancing my research capacity, contributing to scientific publications, and strengthening my foundation in public health and clinical settings. These skills and opportunities would align perfectly with my aspiration to become a well-rounded physician."

Cordero McCall

Cordero McCall is a third-year medical student at the Medical College of Wisconsin. He earned both his Bachelor of Science and Master of Public Health degrees at SUNY Albany. In later years, he earned Master of Business at Saint Louis University in hopes of utilizing both his MBA and MPH during his medical endeavors.

McCall is a Nth dimensions scholar, research fellow, and member of the esteemed Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated. He is also a proud alumnus of Northwestern University's Health Research Training Program, Northwestern University's Uterine Leiomyoma Research Center Lab Immersion Program, and Rothman's Orthopaedic Summer Immersion Research Program.

His research interests are largely focused on creating environments for advancing health. His projects are mostly focused on basic, translational, clinical, and population science. His current research projects include colorectal health, prostate cancer, orthopaedics, chronic diseases, and global health. He is currently working in Dr. Camacho Rivera's research lab.

What do you look forward to gaining from the TRANSPORT TRACS program?

"I am eager to collaborate with you and your team to better understand how to conduct research at a high level, better develop myself as a growing professional, and meet and retain lifelong mentors. Ultimately, my goal is to become an orthopaedic surgeon and to return to New York so that I can address many of the health challenges that I experienced as a child growing up in Brooklyn, NY. I have spent over 10 years working in the medical field in several entry-level and mid-level positions to be able to better address my neighborhood. After becoming a medical student, I began to understand that working towards improving health reducing health challenges seen in Brooklyn neighborhoods. With this program, leadership, and dedicated faculty and staff, I know that I will become the physician that I’ve always dreamed of becoming."

Tobi Somorin

Tobi Somorin is a rising 4th-year MD/MPH candidate at SUNY Downstate College of Medicine.

A lifelong New Yorker, Tobi was born in the Bronx and raised in Middletown, New York. He earned his degree in Biochemistry from Stony Brook University, where he worked with the National Cancer Institute to research cancer health challenges. Tobi's passion for addressing institutional-level public health led him to pursue a combined MD/MPH degree with a focus on Health Policy and Healthcare Administration.

Tobi is spending his research year serving as the Craniofacial and Pediatric Plastic Surgery Research Fellow at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, and a Transition to Academic Careers (TRACS) Scholar.

As a research fellow, Tobi is excited to research advancements in pediatric plastic surgery, cleft and craniofacial conditions, and the integrations of imaging and machine learning under the mentorship of Dr. Jesse Goldstein. Tobi is also committed to developing interventions that promote health on a systems level through his involvement as a TRACS scholar under the guidance of Dr. Marlene Camaco-Rivera.

What do you look forward to gaining from the TRANSPORT TRACS program?

"I’m eager to delve into the complexities of health in our country and research policy-level solutions. The TRANSPORT TRACS program stands out above other programs because it embraces the importance of researching institutional challeneges while seeking ways to address it. There has been a thorough discourse on healthcare challeneges, but unfortunately a paucity of proposed solutions to this issue. I am excited to add more solutions to the table this year and throughout my career as an academic surgeon."

Dr. José E. Diaz

José E. Diaz is a Research Assistant Professor in the STAR Program and Department of Medicine at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University. Dr. Diaz’s research centers on contextualizing health challenges, including HIV and substance use, among  populations, with an emphasis on care/treatment access. His recent work examined how intersectional stigma and resilience are linked to past-year substance use treatment utilization among those who use stimulants (i.e., cocaine, methamphetamine). He has collaborated on studies exploring the feasibility of home blood/urine specimen collection for laboratory testing of relevant health indicators (e.g., HIV viral load, recent substance use) to potentially support treatment. Lastly, Dr. Diaz recently completed work on a longitudinal study seeking to examine how neighborhood contexts and social networks impact HIV care outcomes among those who live in New York City. His primary mentor is Dr. Sabina Hirshfield.

What do you look forward to gaining from the Junior Faculty program?

"My participation in the TRANSPORT Junior Faculty PRIDE Program comes at a critical juncture in my career. As part of the program, I am looking forward to further building my capacity as an independent researcher by working towards and securing additional NIH funding, growing content expertise that supports the expansion of my research portfolio, and receiving guidance and mentorship that will shape me into a stronger mentor as well."

Zoe Neale

Dr. Zoe Neale is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University. She earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University, where her NIAAA F31-funded research focused on integrating genetics into alcohol use prevention for youth. Her T32 postdoctoral fellowship at Boston University and the VA Boston Healthcare System afforded specialized clinical and research training in stress, with an emphasis on neurobiological correlates and dementia risk in veterans. Dr. Neale's current research explores the intersections of severe stress, genetics, and neurodevelopment, with a particular emphasis on alcohol use, PTSD, and brain health (e.g., neural functioning, dementia) across the lifespan. Dr. Neale is also committed to conducting research that expands understanding of genetics, with the goal of promoting health and advancing precision medicine for individuals from all backgrounds. Her primary mentor is Dr. Jacquelyn Meyers.

What do you look forward to gaining from the Junior Faculty program?

"I am excited about the TRANSPORT Junior Faculty program as it provides an invaluable opportunity to advance my research and grantsmanship skills, particularly in the context of health challenges. I very much look forward to connecting with fellow scholars and mentors who share a passion for addressing these critical issues. Through this program, I hope to gain deeper insights into translational research and further refine my work on the genomics of severe stress, alcohol, and aging, with the goal of informing interventions that promote brain health and resilience in populations."