MEET THE TEaM

Marissa G. Hall, PhD is an associate professor in the Department of Health Behavior at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health and a faculty fellow at Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Carolina Population Center. Her overarching career goal is to design and evaluate evidence-based food, tobacco, and alcohol policies. Much of her research focuses on policies in retail environments, including warning labels and marketing restrictions. Dr. Hall is currently leading three NIH-funded trials in the areas of food, tobacco, and alcohol. Dr. Hall co-leads a national working group focused on promoting evidence-based front-of-package food labeling policies. She partners with the Global Food Research Program at UNC on her food policy research. In her free time, Dr. Hall enjoys spending time with her husband and two kids, hiking, running, and reading.

FUN FACT: Marissa is aspiring to visit all 41 state parks in NC (as of 2025, she has been to ~20, so there’s still some work to do!)  

Jennifer is an Assistant Director of Research at UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health and UNC's Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. She has over 10 years of experience managing multidisciplinary research projects. Her passion is advancing cancer prevention and control. Her research areas have focused on health communication, tobacco control, increasing HPV vaccination uptake, and clinical oncology research. In her free time, Jennifer enjoys cooking with her husband (they like to pick one new recipe to try each week), playing with her son, going to local coffee shops, playing tennis, and going for walks.

FUN FACT: Jennifer plays piano! She grew up playing and just recently got back into it as an adult. She enjoys playing classical music as well as learning nursery songs to play and sing with her son. 

Callie received her B.S. in Psychology from Berry College and her M.P.H. with a concentration in Health Behavior from UNC Chapel Hill. She has experience in health communications related to mental health, tobacco, and alcohol use. She is passionate about research that promotes health equity, especially in the LGBTQ+ community. In her free time, Callie enjoys baking, making pottery, film photography, and walking on local trails. 

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FUN FACT: Unironically loves the movie Gremlins all year round (but yes, it does count as a Christmas movie!)

Violet is a registered dietitian nutritionist with a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in public health from UNC-Chapel Hill’s Gillings School of Global Public Health. Her research interests include labeling and marketing regulations, chronic disease prevention, and advancing nutrition and health equity. In her free time, Violet enjoys reading, spending time outdoors with her husband, and attempting to try every coffee shop around the Triangle.

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FUN FACT: Violet is named after all 4 of her great-grandmothers – three of her great-grandmothers were named Violet, and her middle name, Simmons, was her 4th great-grandmother’s maiden name.

Checkna Diawara is a Research Assistant at the Policy Insights Lab, working on an NIH-funded project with the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center as part of Marissa Hall's research team. His work focuses on developing and evaluating communication campaigns to encourage menthol smokers—particularly those in historically disadvantaged and targeted communities—to quit smoking. He will help lead data collection for a multi-city trial using the UNC Mini Mart, studying how point-of-sale policies impact consumer behavior. Before joining the lab, Checkna worked with the Global Food Research Program, contributing to public health research on food policy and retail environments. His broader research interests center on identifying methods, processes, and tools to enhance the health of historically marginalized communities. He is particularly interested in health behavior, nutrition, and environmental health interventions that improve access to and quality of healthcare. Previously, Checkna contributed to a water insecurity scoping review, which is currently under revision for publication.

FUN FACT: Outside of research, Checkna is passionate about fitness and photography! He really enjoys exploring new ways to challenge himself and tell stories.

Andreina (Andi) Delgado has her Associate of Applied Science (AAS) with a major in Clinical Trials Research from Durham Technical Community College. She is pursuing her bachelor's degree at Campbell University. Andi is passionate about research, especially working with underrepresented populations. In her free time, Andi loves spending time with her husband, 3 daughters and 3 dogs, camping, farms, and family get togethers. 

Eric is a Research Assistant with a bachelor's degree in psychology and a minor in philosophy from Appalachian State University. He has been doing research for 5 years, including clinical studies in medical settings & observational studies in classrooms across North Carolina. He loves working in research to push the frontier of knowledge and see what there is to discover and learn. He is currently working at the Global Food Research Program in the Mini Mart Grocery Study producing high quality research and working with Hispanic populations to better serve underrepresented groups in research. His interests include spending time with his wife and son, learning to play any instrument he can get his hands on, and playing video games.

FUN FACT: Eric is an Eagle Scout and has backpacked all of the North Carolina section of the Appalachian Trail.

Erika received her B.S. in Health Sociology from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and her MPH in Health Behavior from the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. She is interested in health communication and how research can be translated into clear, engaging messages that support healthier communities. Previously, she led a small business COVID-19 vaccine campaign initiative, worked on social norms media campaigns addressing risky drinking among UNC–Chapel Hill students, and developed health communication tools for cross-sector traffic safety research and policy initiatives. In her free time, Erika enjoys being outdoors, hosting themed gatherings with friends, and trying new restaurants and coffee shops around the Triangle. 

FUN FACT: Erika is an avid thrifter who loves flipping furniture and is always on the lookout for her next project piece. 

Carolyn is a doctoral student in the Department of Health Behavior at UNC-Chapel Hill’s Gillings School of Global Public Health. Her research interests converge at the intersection of nutrition, agriculture, and equity. Prior to UNC, she held research and project management positions at the University of California Nutrition Policy Institute, USDA Economic Research Service and the Harvard University Food Literacy Project. She holds an M.S. in Food and Nutrition Policy and Programs from Tufts University and dual B.A. degrees in Economics and Environmental Studies from Wellesley College. 

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FUN FACT: Carolyn has driven across the U.S. 5 times.

Mafe received both a Master in Public Policies and Master in Public Health from Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá and has a B.S in Psychology from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá. Her research interests include commercial determinants of health, use of technology to promote health, environmental health, and food security, particularly in the context of public policy and implementation science. In her free time, Mafe enjoys watching movies, going for walks, reading, and trying new cuisines!

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FUN FACT: Mafe states, "If academia doesn't work out, I might join the circus—I'm so flexible I could be a contortionist, or at least try to be the best human pretzel!"

Tessa is a doctoral student in the Department of Health Behavior at UNC-Gillings School of Global Public Health. Tessa’s research interests are at the intersection of nutrition, health behavior, and food policy. Prior to beginning at UNC, Tessa worked as a nutritionist at the USDA, first supporting the WIC program as a nutritionist in the Northeast Regional Office and then at the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion where she supported the development and implementation of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Tessa completed her B.A. in dietetics from the College of Saint Benedict and went on to earn her M.P.H. and completed the RDN requirements at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. 

In her free time, Tessa enjoys going to live music, running, practicing yoga, and outdoor adventures.

FUN FACT: Tessa was the editor of her high school newspaper, the Chronicle!