Current Fellows

Nicolle L. Arthun is a Dine’ Nurse-Midwife from the Navajo Nation with over 18 years of experience practicing in rural hospitals and community birth settings in New Mexico. In 2015, she founded the Changing Woman Initiative to empower indigenous communities by protecting cultural birth resiliency and advocating for reproductive health, dignity, and justice. She is widely recognized for her leadership and innovative contributions to this mission, making a significant impact in the field of Native American maternal health.

Ms. Arthun earned both her BSN and master’s degrees in Nurse-Midwifery from the University of New Mexico. She is internationally renowned as a leading Native American maternal health expert, using her extensive knowledge, skills, and wisdom as a nurse-midwife and healer to drive innovative changes in maternal health, policy, and community wellness. Her expertise is sought after globally, with over a decade of experience serving on community-led birth center boards, as President and Vice President. Ms. Arthun's comprehensive background in organizational development, fundraising, and leadership led her to become the CEO of Transcending Strategies LLC, focusing on systems change in maternal and reproductive health, personal leadership development, and Native American health policy reform. She was recently acknowledged as a 2024 fellow of ACNM for demonstrating outstanding leadership and professional achievement. She was acknowledged as 15 Remarkable Women of Color by Colorlines and received an Outstanding Alumni Award from the Native American Alumni Chapter of UNM.

Ms. Arthun’s thought leadership and innovative work in Native American maternal health are foundational to the movement of reclaiming traditional birth practices and advocating for Indigenous midwifery rights. Her writings have been featured in American Indian Health and Nursing, and Varney’s Midwifery 6th Edition on Indigenous Midwifery. She is a sought-after speaker and educator, providing cultural education and training on Native American maternal health, traditional medicine, policy reform, and organizational design.

Shamie Das is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, GA. As an Attending at the Emory University Hospital Emergency Department, he delivers team-based emergency care to a high acuity patient population, including transplant, oncology, and advanced heart failure. He serves on system-level committees to improve sepsis care and opioid stewardship. He has held numerous academic leadership roles, including Co-Director of the Emergency Medicine Quality Improvement Curriculum. Dr. Das has a strong background in quality improvement and medical education.

Dr. Das has over a decade of experience in the development of health policy. He has authored and co-authored numerous policies to ensure patient access to emergency care. He is passionate about health reform that improves access and affordability through solutions that improve transparency, competition and choice in the healthcare marketplace. Leveraging his experience as a frontline physician working in the safety net of American healthcare, Dr. Das offers a unique insight into the implications of current health policy.

Dr. Das earned his BS from Emory University, majoring in Biology and Sociology. During college, he also worked as a Paramedic in Ohio. Recognizing the importance of population health and prevention, he earned his MPH from Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University. Dr. Das was selected for the Boonshoft Physician Leadership Development Program Scholarship at Wright State University, where he earned a combined Doctor of Medicine and master’s in business administration. He returned to Emory to complete his Emergency Medicine Residency and is a board-certified emergency physician. He has been recognized with awards such as the Senior Physician distinction in clinical service by Emory School of Medicine and Medical Student Instructor of the Year in Emergency Medicine.

Rani Elwy is passionate about the implementation and sustainment of evidence-based practices in routine clinical and community-based settings. She focuses on this through her roles as: 1) a Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, where she is the founding director of the Brown Research on Implementation and Dissemination to Guide Evidence Use (BRIDGE) program, an implementation science capacity building and research program, and 2) a Research Career Scientist at the VA Bedford Healthcare System, where she is multiple principal investigator of two VA programs to bring evidence-based treatments to clinical and community-based settings to improve Veterans’ health and healthcare.

Dr. Elwy is known for her research on communicating adverse events that occur during the course of patients’ healthcare. She received the VA Health Systems Research Best Research Paper award in 2017 for her team’s work on surgeon’s disclosures of clinical adverse events, and in 2018, their research leading to a Large-Scale Disclosure Toolkit became part of the standard operating procedure of the VA’s Clinical Episode Review Team. Dr. Elwy has served on workgroups in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the World Health Organization to use her team’s work on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy to build trust in vaccines through implementation of evidence-based communication strategies to increase its uptake in the U.S. and globally.

She received her AB in psychology and sociology from the University of Michigan, an MSc in social psychology from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and a PhD in health psychology from King’s College London. Dr. Elwy is a former Fellow of the Implementation Research Institute and an elected Fellow of the Society of Behavioral Medicine. She previously served on committees of AcademyHealth and the American Board of Pediatrics and is the recipient of two mentoring awards and four excellence in teaching awards. Dr. Elwy is a Class of 2024 member of the Presidential Leadership Scholars program, an advanced leadership training program through the presidential centers of George W. Bush, William J. Clinton, George H.W. Bush and Lyndon B. Johnson.

Tracey L. Henry is an Associate Professor of Medicine and a physician in the Division of General Internal Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine. She provides primary care to low-resourced populations and is an attending physician for the inpatient teaching services at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. She co-directs the Health Equity Advocacy Policy track for Emory’s Graduate Medical Education programs and previously served as Assistant Health Director and supervising attending in Grady’s Primary Care Center.

Dr. Henry’s goal is to foster a healthier society by bridging both the medical and public health paradigms. Her clinical and research interests encompass advancing health equity, integrating behavioral health into primary care, health system science transformation, workforce and climate change and health. She continues her strong influence on Emory’s School of Medicine with her service as founding director of the endowed E.M.P.A.C.T. Program, aimed at Engaging, Mentoring, Preparing, advocating for, Cultivating, and Teaching students who are historically underrepresented in medicine. Dr. Henry is also a founding member of the Emory at Grady-based Coalition for Responsible Kidney Care, partnering with the National Kidney Foundation and Georgia policymakers to expand access to outpatient dialysis services for nearly 500-800 undocumented individuals in Georgia. Nationally, she has served on a number of advisory councils for primary care, healthcare delivery systems, and payment reform. Dr. Henry has served in many leadership roles in the American College of Physicians (ACP), the American Medical Association (AMA), and the Society of General Internal Medicine, including Chair of the ACP Council of Early Career Physicians and the AMA’s Council on Legislation. Her contributions to medicine and service have been recognized with numerous awards, including the Emory’s Distinguished Service Award, the AMA's Women Inspirational Physician Award, the ACP McDonald National Award for Early Career Physicians, and the American Medical Women’s Association Exceptional Mentor Award.

Dr. Henry earned her MD from Georgetown University School of Medicine, an MPH from Johns Hopkins University, and an MS in Neuroscience from Tulane University. During her residency, she served on the ACP Council of Residents/Fellows and received the AMA Paul Ambrose Award for Leadership Among Resident Physicians.

Tonya Moore's 30-year career in healthcare as a nurse and executive has left an indelible mark on the industry. As a strategic leader and mentor, her impact is felt through her leadership coaching at MooreNOW, LLC, and her faculty roles at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing and the University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Nursing. Dr. Moore's groundbreaking contributions in Mississippi, notably at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, have set the standard for excellence in healthcare leadership. She led the establishment of a comprehensive after-hours outreach clinic in the Mississippi Delta, led institution-wide educational programs, and successfully redesigned new standards of professional performance, leadership development, and job shadowing programs. She has served as a critical partner to stakeholders throughout Mississippi, resulting in innovative, state-of-the-art programs with state-wide impact.

Dr. Moore’s trailblazing spirit was evident when she became the first elected African American Mississippi Nurses' Association President. She continues to inspire through initiatives like The Dr. Tonya Moore Endowed Scholarship for Servant Leadership established at Alcorn State University School of Nursing. Her international medical missions highlight her dedication to global health. Dr. Moore's commitment to excellence has garnered recognition from prestigious organizations, solidifying her status as an influential figure in healthcare.

Dr. Moore grew up in Fayette, Mississippi – the same town where her grandfather, the Honorable James Charles Evers, made history in 1969 when he was elected as the first African American Mayor of a biracial town since Reconstruction. Dr. Moore's family legacy of public service shines through her accomplishments. Her educational journey from Alcorn State University to earning a doctorate at the University of Alabama at Birmingham showcases her commitment to life-long learning. Beyond professional accolades, Dr. Moore finds pride in her son's achievements as a Naval Officer and a United States Naval Academy graduate.

Sujith Ramachandran, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Pharmacy Administration and an Assistant Director for the Center for Pharmaceutical Marketing & Management at the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy. His research is aimed toward building a high-quality, equitable healthcare system that improves patient outcomes and provides value. He has focused on examining the patterns and safety of medication use including opioid use in older adults and stimulant use among young adults. His expertise lies in methodological approaches for the design and execution of research focused on health equity, real-world evidence, and pharmacoepidemiology.

He has contributed significantly toward the field of healthcare quality, ranging from the development of measures to improve quality of ADHD diagnoses to testing and validation of quality measures in chronic conditions. Dr. Ramachandran has worked closely with Mississippi’s Division of Medicaid on monitoring of Medicaid quality and reform of care delivery. He has collaborated with the Pharmacy Quality Alliance to co-chair national multidisciplinary workgroups for the development and evaluation of pharmacy-focused quality measures. He was awarded a new investigator award from the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy in 2020 and from the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy in 2019. He has won numerous other recognitions such as the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy’s Best Social & Administrative Sciences Research Paper Award in 2019 and again in 2021. Dr. Ramachandran has been a part of investigative teams that received funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the Mississippi State Department of Health, Mississippi Division of Medicaid, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and other non-profit organizations.

Dr. Ramachandran completed his Bachelors in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Osmania University in Hyderabad, India. He went on to complete an MS and PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences with an emphasis in Pharmacy Administration from the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy in Oxford, Mississippi.

Michael Schmeltz is an Associate Professor at California State University, East Bay, where he teaches environmental health and health policy courses. Prior to his academic appointment, Dr. Schmeltz has worked on occupational and environmental health issues at local, state, and federal government organizations. His research and work have focused on the risk assessment and community risk perceptions of environmental and climate hazards and their impacts on the health equity of vulnerable populations. His current work has expanded into climate change governance and policy development, specifically addressing extreme heat action plans and exploring ways to achieve a ‘just transition’ towards decarbonization.

Dr. Schmeltz is a nationally recognized expert on environmental health issues and has been appointed to two federal advisory committees, including a review committee for the US EPA environmental justice-screening tool and as a member of the US EPA Board of Scientific Counselors. He also holds advisory roles with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and Bay Area Air Quality Management District. Dr. Schmeltz has worked extensively with communities impacted by environmental and climate hazards in planning and program development to improve responses and resilience in the most affected populations. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, he believes representation of historically marginalized populations matter in making informed public health decisions to fully understand the benefits and consequences of those decisions.

Dr. Schmeltz is a lifelong New Yorker currently residing in California. He earned a BS in Biomedical Research and Clinical Sciences at Boston University, an MS in Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences (Industrial Hygiene) at Hunter College, and a DrPH from the Public Health program (now the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy) at the CUNY Graduate Center. He did his post-doctoral work at the US EPA from 2015-2017 as an Environmental Health Fellow through the Association of Schools and Program of Public Health (ASPPH).