Our Team

OUr team

Anne merewood, phd, mph
Director, center for health equity, education, & research (CHEER)

Focus: Overall direction of CHEER
Other Current Work: Director, CHAMPS; Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the Boston University School of Medicine; Associate Professor of Community Health Sciences at the Boston University School of Public Health.
Previous Work: Director of The Breastfeeding Center, Boston Medical Center; Consultant to numerous Native American tribes via the Rocky Mountain Tribal Epidemiology Center; Editor in Chief of the Journal of Human Lactation
Fun Fact: Owns a pit bull and raises chickens and ducks at home.
Work Email: anne.merewood@bmc.org

laura burnham, mph
cheer project director

Focus: Maternal and Child Health epidemiology and quality improvement.
Previous/Other Current Work: Project Manager, Massachusetts NeoQIC Human Milk Collaborative; Quality Improvement Data Coordinator, Department of Neonatology, Boston Medical Center; Teaching assistant at both Boston University School of Public Health and Tufts University.
Activities of Choice: I love to cook and garden. I also love the outdoors and spending time with friends and family.
Fun Fact: My dog, Penne Pasta, is so cute she’s caused a traffic accident. She also knows how to sit, roll over, and shake.
Work Phone: 617-414-6466
Work Email: laura.burnham@bmc.org
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/laura-burnham-0708a825

douglas rockwell, ba
cheer administrative director

Other Current Work: Manager, Research Administration & Finance, Boston Medical Center

Paige Beliveau, MA
CHEER Project Manager

Focus: Maternal and infant health, support for refugees in crisis situations, evidence-based policy implementation
Previous/Other Current Work: Legal and forensic psychology, evaluation of sentencing policies at the state and federal level, treatment for domestic and sexual abuse, multicultural competency for healthcare practitioners
Activities of Choice: Equestrian sports, running, cooking, and reading
Fun Fact: In summer 2018 I hiked the Inca Trail in Peru!
Work Phone: (617) 414-5865
Work Email : paige.beliveau@bmc.org

AISHAT GAMBARI, MPH
RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Focus: Global maternal and child health, program planning, implementation, and evaluation
Previous/Other Current Work: Global Health Policy and Programs Intern at The Association for the Rehabilitation and Re-orientation of Women for Development (TERREWODE), Uganda; Programs Assistant at Life Empowered Anchors Hope (L.E.A.H) Foundation, Nigeria; HIV/AIDS community awareness and stigma reduction advocate, Nigeria; Research Assistant at Washington University Center for Diabetes Translation Research.
Activities of Choice: Dancing, reading fiction, traveling, spending time with people I adore, and binge-watching TV shows.
Fun Fact: I have been to the source of the River Nile and once met the first African female president.
Phone: 617-414-3807
Work Email: Aishat.Gambari@bmc.org

MAETAL HAAS-KOGAN, BA
research assistant

Focus: Maternal and child health, national and international public health and health policy, policy and program evaluation and implementation
Previous/Other Current Work: Research Trainee, Division of Women's Health; Intern, San Francisco Jail Behavioral Health Sciences; HIV testing and treatment research in South Africa; Intern, Outreach and Communications, ACLU of Alabama; Peer counselor; Dialogue Facilitation
Activities of Choice: Running, hiking, rock climbing, hip hop dance, reading
Fun Fact: I backpacked the width of Israel in 3 days!
Work Contact: mkogan@college.harvard.edu

consultants

Kimarie Bugg, DNP, MPH, IBCLC, CLC
CHAMPS Community Engagement Director

Focus: Community training, education and support. Community includes: healthcare professionals, the business and academic centers and organizations, mothers, babies and families.
Previous/Other Current Work: Nurse practitioner and president and CEO of Reaching Our Sisters Everywhere in Atlanta, GA.
Activities of Choice: Providing resources for healthcare providers, mothers and their families so that breastfeeding can be initiated and maintained, especially in marginalized and vulnerable communities.
Fun Fact: I love to dance.
Work Phone: 404-719-4297 & 404-990-3497
Work Email : kbugg@breastfeedingrose.org

Lori Feldman-Winter, MD, MPH, FAAP, FABM
CHEER medical director

Focus: Serves as content expert as a physician with breastfeeding medicine expertise as well as quality improvement and research experience. Also provides expertise as a clinical educator and program developer.
Previous/Other Current Work: Lori Feldman-Winter, M.D., MPH, is Professor of Pediatrics at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University and the Division Head of Adolescent Medicine at The Children’s Regional Hospital at Cooper University Healthcare in Camden, NJ. She received her AB with honors from Washington University in St. Louis, MO, her MPH with distinction from the Rutgers School of Public Health, and her MD with AOA honors from Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She trained in pediatrics and adolescent medicine at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Dr. Feldman-Winter is recognized around the world for her work related to breastfeeding education programs and nutrition policy. She was the Physician Champion of the New Jersey Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative, a project of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) New Jersey Chapter (AAPNJ), and the New Jersey Department of Health, member of the Executive Committee and Chair of the Policy Committee for the AAP (national) Section on Breastfeeding, and was National Faculty Chair for the CDC funded National Institute for Children's Health Quality (NICHQ)- Best Fed Beginnings Project. She is consultant to the New Jersey Hospital Association’s Mother-Baby Hospital Initiative-Healthy Beginnings NJ. She is faculty co-chair of the Maternal and Child Health Bureau funded NICHQ-National Alliance Partnership for the Promotion of Safe Sleep-Improvement and Innovation Network (NAPPSS-IIN) project. She also serves as AAP representative to the United States Breastfeeding Committee, is a member of the AAP Task Force on SIDS, and Lead Author of Safe Sleep and Skin-to-Skin Care in the Neonatal Period for Healthy Term Newborns, Best Fed Beginnings: A Nationwide Quality Improvement Initiative to Increase Breastfeeding, as well as over 100 peer-reviewed articles, published abstracts, and book chapters. She is currently consultant and Physician Lead to the Kellogg funded Communities and Hospitals Advancing Maternity Practices (CHAMPS) Project, a project of CHEER.
Activities of Choice: Besides working as a pediatrician, quality improvement content expert and researcher, I am a co-course director for a novel 4-year medical school curriculum, “The Scholars Workshop.” In my free time, I enjoy family vacations, skiing, hiking, and escaping to my home-away-from-home in the Berkshires.
Fun Fact: As an undergraduate, I was a combined biology and fine arts major, and continue to enjoy painting and decorating.
Work Phone number: 856-968-7362
Work email: winter-lori@cooperhealth.edu
LinkedIn URL: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lori-feldman-winter-b6948037/

Jennifer ustianov, MS, BSN, RN, IBCLC
champs sustainabIlity director

Focus: During the past 16 years, I have directed regional, statewide and international projects focused on improving outcomes for pregnant women, newborns and families. Through these opportunities, I have acquired and leveraged extensive knowledge in quality improvement methodology, teamwork model, patient safety, and system re-design. In the spirit of true collaboration and action, I seek always to partner with families, leaders and frontline professionals in clinical and community settings to guide transformational change. As an AHRQ TeamSTEPPS Master Trainer, I have worked with hospital and practice-based teams in varied acute and ambulatory settings, providing expertise in the field of Teamwork and Patient Safety. I remain clinically active and am a passionate volunteer in my community.
Previous/Other Current Work: RN for over 35 years within all areas of maternal child health with a specific focus in NICU and Labour and Delivery; IBCLC, prenatal educator
Activities of Choice: Laughing AND anything that puts me in direct contact with our natural world: hiking, biking, swimming, camping, silent boating, etc.
Fun Fact: I paddled a 100-mile canoe trip in Northern Ontario, Canada and have walked 60 miles in 3 days for charity.
Work Phone: 802-318-0786
Work Email: justianov@gmail.com

Airinie h. azhar, BSc
cheer national coordinator for greece

Focus: coordination of CHEER in Greece, Infant Nutrition and education.
Previous/Other Current Work: Finance & IT Manager, Guardian for Unaccompanied Minors, Personal Assistant, Food & Lifestyle Blogger
Activities of Choice: I love to cook. I hike sometimes and play the piano when I have free time. Amateur photographer.
Fun Fact: I can play the ukulele, and love to sing and dance. Occasionally all of them at the same time.
Work Contact: airinie.azhar@gmail.com

Cathy Carothers, BLA, IBCLC, FILCA
Mississippi Liaison and trainer

Focus: With over 20 years providing lactation-related training programs in every U.S. State, Cathy is passionate about educating health care professionals who work with new families. She is co-director of Every Mother, Inc., a nonprofit organization based in Mississippi that develops breastfeeding training curricula for Federal agencies such as the national USDA WIC program and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. She developed the CHAMPS 4-hour competency training for hospitals and provides it for CHAMPS hospitals in Mississippi.
Previous/Other Current Work: She is the former State WIC Breastfeeding Coordinator for the Mississippi State Department of Health, former Training and Outreach Coordinator for Best Start Social Marketing (which developed the national WIC marketing campaign, Loving Support Makes Breastfeeding Work), and a former university public relations director.
Activities of Choice: Photography, presentation design, travel, teaching, and meeting the most amazing people who work with new families!
Fun Fact: Mom of 5 healthy breastfed children and Nana to 5 breastfed grandchildren.
Work Phone number: 662-931-6368
Work Email: cathy@everymother.org
LinkedIn URL: cathy@everymother.org

Tawanda Logan-Hurt, BSW, CLC
CHAMPS MISSISSIPPI Delta Community & Hospital Consultant

Focus: Working with community breastfeeding groups and hospital maternity staff on breastfeeding education
Previous/Other Current Work: Mississippi State Department of Health Region 1 Breastfeeding Coordinator.
Previous work: Hospital, Nursing Home, and Head Start Social Worker
Activities of Choice: Attending church and spending time with family and friends by gathering together socializing, traveling and going out to eat.
Fun Fact: I am the biological mother of 6, step mother of 3, and grandmother of 2.
Work Phone number: 662-455-9429
Work email: tawanda.logan-hurt@msdh.ms.gov
CHEER/CHAMPS email: tawandah13@gmail.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tawanda-hurt-1a7154b/

Becky Knapp, RN, MPH
mississippi champs hospital consultant

Focus: Maternal and child health, breastfeeding, reducing health disparities
Previous/Other Current Work: Maternal and child health nursing in hospitals around the country, Maternal and child health nursing home visitor, Maternal-Fetal Medicine Unit research nursing
Activities of Choice: Running, hiking and camping, knitting, playing with my family
Fun Fact: I've driven across the country three times. My copilots have included my pet fish and my pup!
Work Phone: 509-654-5275
Work Email: rebecca.knapp@bmc.org
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/beckyknapp/

Jackie Berger, MS
CHEER CONsultant

Focus: American Indian/Alaska Native Projects
Previous/Other Current Work: Blackfeet Community Health Assessment, AI/AN Community Health Assessments, MSPI/DVPI technical assistance, T-PHIT (Tribal Public Health Improvement Templates).
Activities of Choice: As a doctoral candidate at the University of South Florida, I investigate the role of the body in human rights violations, using both my forensic anthropology background and public health experience. In my spare time, I love fitness, reading, and baking!
Fun Fact: I was raised in Colorado and currently live in Florida. I love the mountains and the beach!
Cell Phone: 303-547-2064
Work Email: Jacqueline.Berger@bmc.org

Nathan Nickel, PhD, MPH
CHEER Data Consultant

Focus: Statistical analyses for causal inference, analysis of linked administrative data in health research, evaluation research, population maternal and child health, and maternal and child health policies.
Other Current Work: Assistant Professor of Community Health Sciences; Research Scientist at Manitoba Centre for Health Policy; Instructor for graduate course in Epidemiology at University of Manitoba; Member of Executive Counsel for International Society for Research in Human Milk and Lactation; Scientific Chair of Breastfeeding for the Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association; Member of Board of Directors for Sexuality Education Resource Centre of Manitoba.
Activities of Choice: I enjoy backpacking, rock climbing, sailing, cross country skiing, and snowshoeing.
Fun Fact: The first date that I had with my spouse involved a road trip across five states to go to a waterski competition in which I was competing. At the end of the weekend, we figured, if we could survive a road trip across five states as a first date, we should give dating a go. We’ve been together for 10 years!
Work Email: ncnickel@gmail.com

Amy swales, bsn, rnc-ob
mississippi champs hospital consultant

Focus: Maternal and child health, improving maternity practices
Other Current Work: Labor and delivery RN, clinical educator, maternal and child home visiting program.
Activities of Choice: Being outdoors and attending the sporting events of my 2 active boys.
Fun Fact: I have goats as pets.
Work Phone: 601-573-0271
Work Email: amyswales226@icloud.com

Stephanie Matlak, MSW, MFA
CHEER Communications Consultant

Focus: CHEER Champion of the Week blog, press releases, contracting.
Activities of Choice: Hiking, reading, spending time with family and friends.
Fun Fact: Most of my relatives live in Ecuador and I love traveling there.

shaista karimi, BSC
CHEER Consultant in greece

Focus: I am a breastfeeding counselor and interpreter for CHEER in Greece.
Previous/Other Current Work: I am a physiotherapist from Afghanistan with experience in breastfeeding counseling and support. I currently work as an interpreter for AMURTEL in Athens, Greece. I came to Greece as a refugee and have settled in Athens with my children and husband. I am fluent in Farsi, Pashtu, and Urdu.
Fun Fact: In addition to my 20 years' experience as a physiotherapist in Afghanistan, I have worked in Afghanistan and Pakistan, with the Red Cross, and as a volunteer interpreter on the Greek islands. I have a certification in women's health and pelvic floor physiotherapy.
Work Contact: shaistakarimi1970@gmail.com

Katerina balaska, rd, msc, ibclc
CHEER Consultant in greece

Focus: I am a nutritionist and International Certified Breast Advisor - IBCLC.
Previous/Other Current Work: I studied Nutrition and Dieteics at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, Scotland, and did my MSc in Nutrition, Exercise, and Public Health at the University of Bristol in England. I have specialized in the nutritional management of eating disorders with the Diploma in Practitioner Skills for Eating Disorders from the UK National Center for Eating Disorders in Greece.
Fun Fact: In 2012 I was certified as an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC).
Work Contact: balaskakaterina@yahoo.com

volunteers

lena ploumi
volunteer, cheer in greece

Focus: I am a breastfeeding counselor for CHEER in Greece.
Previous/Other Current Work: I am currently majoring in Community Health at the Faculty of Health Sciences of the University West Attica, Greece. In addition, I am participating in EDUVAC - an intensive course on vaccinations in Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, Finland. I have experience in clinical practice on maternal and child healthcare stations in Athens, Greece, as well as experience in health promotion in the community, both in the field of vaccination and breastfeeding. I have also worked as a volunteer with refugee populations in Greece.
Fun Fact: I love learning about new cultures and never miss a chance for traveling!
Work Contact: lenaploumi@hotmail.co.uk

Yildiz gumustekin
volunteer, cheer in greece

Focus: Protection standards-driven interventions for migrants and displacement populations, mental health and psycho-social support, social cohesion and interventions for refugees and host communities.
Previous/Other Current Work: Protection Assistant, Danish Refugee Council.
Fun Fact: I love the sky and follow planet movements.
Work Contact: yldzgmstkn@gmail.com

EVA KORDOSI
volunteer, cheer in greece

Focus: I am currently majoring in Community Health at the Faculty of Health Sciences of the Unviersity of West Attica, Greece as a health visitor. In addition, I am participating in EDUVAC, an intensive course on vaccinations in Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, Finland.
Previous/Other Current Work: I have experience in clinical practice on Maternity and Child Healthcare Stations in Athens, Greece, and have experience in health promotion in the community, both in the field of vaccination and breastfeeding. In the past, I have also worked voluntarily with refugee populations in Greece. I was also volunteering in a center for children with Down Syndrome and was participating in "love meals" for homeless populations.
Fun Fact: I like to travel and meet new cultures and places all over the world. I also like photography, music, and cinema!
Work Contact: evakordosi68@gmail.com

Becca young
VOLUNTEER, CHEER in greece

Focus: I have just completed my third year of medical school in the UK, and am volunteering with CHEERing this summer in Athens. I have a keen interest in aid work, paediatrics and mother-and-baby care, and psychiatry. After graduating medical school, I hope to work more full-time in the NGO and aid sector as a full medical doctor.
Previous/Other Current Work: Currently a full-time medical student at the University of Oxford; research experience in orthopaedics (Botnar Research Centre, Oxford), human metabolism (Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolism), and equine welfare (Animal Health Trust & others); literature review in psychiatry (compulsivity as a transdiagnostic feature of anorexia nervosa, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and substance addiction); fundraising for SolidariTee (student-led fundraiser and visibility campaign for 2 legal aid charities operating in the Mediterranean, focusing on refugees and asylum seekers).
Activities of Choice: Cooking, hiking, reading, swimming/scuba diving, all in good company and beautiful countryside!
Fun Fact: I am a qualified scuba diver!
Work Contact: becca.young0898@gmail.com, rebecca.young@oriel.ox.ac.uk

runa jarjour
VOLUNTEER, CHEER IN GREECE

Focus: I hope to begin my Arabic studies this October in the UK. I have been involved in translating for Syrian refugees ever since they have been resettled in the UK and hope to continue working with refugees during university and beyond.
Previous/Other Current Work: Interpreting for Syrian families resettled in Scotland and working with local organisations which help support children and vulnerable refugees.
Activities of Choice: Mountain biking, piano, hiking, reading
Fun Fact: I have been involved in the setting of two Guinness world records; the largest kazoo ensemble and largest omelette made.
Work Contact: runa.jarjour@hotmail.com