The Team | GrantLab

Team

Since starting the GrantLab, I've been lucky to work with talented, energetic, and passionate people from different backgrounds. We all share the goal of improving care for vulnerable populations.

Shakira J. Grant, MBBS, MSCR

About Dr. Grant | PubMed | Contact

Principal Investigator | GrantLab

Geriatric Hematologist-Oncologist

Health Disparities Researcher

YouTube Content Creator- Faith-based themes

Research Methods: Qualitative and Community-Based Participatory Research

Featured Alumni of the GrantLab

Community outreach and engagement specialist

Jiona Mills

My name is Jiona and I am an alumna of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where I graduated with an MPH in Health Behavior in 2023 and a BSPH in Health Policy and Management in 2021. I joined Grant Lab in September 2021 and have had the opportunity to listen and learn from many patients and care partners through conducting interviews for our studies. I am passionate about working alongside communities to develop strategies for improving health education, healthcare access, and overall health and well-being. In my free time, I enjoy trying new restaurants, watching TikTok's, and playing with my pup, King. Lab Contributions: Participant Recruitment, Qualitative Methods (Data Collection and Analysis)

Graduate Research Assistants

Yavin Bizarretty

Howdy! I’m Yavin- I am a blooming public health professional studying Global Health as an MPH student at UNC Chapel Hill. I studied cell and molecular biology along with history at the University of South Florida and realized a passion for identifying (and hopefully addressing) inequalities in health and healthcare access. In March of 2023, I was given the opportunity to join the Grant Lab team! With the Grant Lab I hope to gain a wealth of experience in research and using data to effect positive change for cancer patients and caregivers. I am a big fan of almost any kind of music, love books about history, museums, and love plants, gardening, and horticulture.

Esther Wang

Hello! I am Esther, an MPH candidate in the Public Health Leadership Program at UNC Chapel Hill. Before coming to UNC, I was a care partner for my beloved grandparents. Being in that key role was both inspiring and demanding, and eventually led my way to Grant Lab. Public health work around life independence and prosperity among older adults is my all-time passion; I am also fond of empowering public health workforce to build aging friendly society. Lab Contributions: Project Management and Execution, Educational Media

Lauren Bates-Fraser

Hello, I'm Lauren, currently pursuing my doctoral degree! I have a background as a graduate research assistant in the GrantLab, where I played a pivotal role as the primary research staff on the PaCE-MM study. My responsibilities encompassed participant recruitment, project management, and conducting both qualitative and quantitative data analysis. Building on my experiences in the GrantLab, I proudly serve as the lead author for a qualitative manuscript shedding light on the functional and quality of life impacts of multiple myeloma on patient-caregiver dyads. You can read more about this study which was led by Dr. Grant here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37326501/

Abhigna Rao

Hi! My name is Abhigna, and I am an MPH student at UNC in the Health Behavior program at the Gillings School of Global Public Health. I am pursuing a career in health intervention and implementation and am particularly interested in exploring education as a determinant of health outcomes, specifically as a way to address inequities and health stigmas. I started working with the Grant Lab in March 2023, and I hope to learn a lot about creating positive changes in underrepresented communities through our projects. In my free time, I love rewatching medical dramas and learning embroidery. Lab Contributions: Web Design, Educational Multimedia, Data Diagramming

Team

Shakira J. Grant, MBBS, MSCR

Featured Alumni of the GrantLab

Community outreach and engagement specialist

Graduate Research Assistants

For a complete list of my publications, click below: