Category: Bios

Emily Schmied

Emily Schmied, PhD, MPH

Co-Investigator, Community Engagement Team

Emily Schmied is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Health Promotion and Behavioral Science in the School of Public Health at SDSU. Dr. Schmied has nearly fifteen years of experience conducting health promotion interventions and epidemiological investigations in both community and military settings. Prior to joining the SDSU faculty, Dr. Schmied was a Behavioral Scientist at the Naval Health Research Center, and she completed her doctoral training at SDSU’s Institute for Behavioral and Community Health. Among Dr. Schmied’s many research interests are suicide prevention, mental health promotion and chronic illness management, and the bidirectional relationships between the two. She has led numerous DoD-funded research studies designed to promote mental health and prevent suicide among military service members. She is also committed to educating aspiring public health professionals; she served as Program Director of SDSU’s Online MPH program for four years and has been teaching in the Schools of Public Health and Social Work at SDSU since 2013.

Andrea Bowers

Andrea Bowers, MPA, PMP

Deputy Director – Imperial County Public Health Department

County: Imperial

Andrea Bowers is a dedicated public health leader with more than 30 years of public service. She currently serves as the Deputy Director of Community Health for the Imperial County Public Health Department (ICPHD), where she oversees Health Promotion, Communicable Disease Prevention, EMS/Emergency Preparedness, Health Equity, and Community Health Improvement initiatives. Previously, she served as the department’s Accreditation Coordinator and Special Projects Coordinator, leading the department’s PHAB accreditation activities, improvement efforts, and policy development across multiple divisions.

Andrea played a critical role in ICPHD’s COVID-19 response, serving as a Public Information Officer and helping guide risk communication, media engagement, and community outreach during one of the most challenging periods in the department’s history. Her work contributed to strengthening public messaging, enhancing coordination with partner agencies, and improving access to timely health information.

Throughout her career, Andrea has focused on strengthening systems, expanding community partnerships, and advancing quality improvement initiatives that support efficient, effective, and equitable public health services. Her professional interests include public administration, leadership development, community engagement, strategic planning, and building organizational capacity through policy and performance improvement.

Andrea holds a Master of Public Administration and is a Certified Project Management Professional (PMP). She is currently pursuing a Doctor of Public Administration degree at California Baptist University, where her academic work explores leadership theory, public sector management, and equitable approaches to community health improvement.

Robert Gerstein

Robert Gerstein

Associate Director

Robert Gerstein is an accomplished program designer and director with more than 15 years of global experience. Mr. Gerstein’s expertise in leading programs for good governance, public health, and community development. He has led portfolios of programs in Cambodia, Rwanda, and South Sudan where he worked on post-conflict reconciliation, public health, and social cohesion projects as well as co-creating community development projects in more than 20 countries. Most recently, he directed a US Government program that worked in 9 countries to promote democratic resilience, civic participation, and improved public service delivery. His expertise includes program design, turning evidence into action, strategic planning, monitoring and evaluation, and coalition building in complex contexts.
Mr. Gerstein holds a Master of Science degree in Poverty Reduction and International Development Management from the University of Birmingham (UK) and a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Social Studies Education and Creative Studies from SUNY College at Buffalo. Although he’s lived in more than 7 countries, he’s now a happy resident of San Diego. Robert is originally from Buffalo, NY, and as a native Buffalonian he holds strong opinions on where to find the best chicken wings in San Diego County. Outside of work, Robert enjoys exploring local trails with his Rwandan rescue pup, Rowling (and his wife Lisa).

Shyan Polman

Shyan Polman, BS

Biomedical Methods Group Coordinator

Shyan currently works as the Biomedical Management Group (BMG) Coordinator, where she oversees the management of biomedical laboratory spaces and conducts biological and biochemical assays. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology from San Diego State University (SDSU) in 2021 and is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Bioinformatics at SDSU. Her research focuses on the impact of fruit consumption on the gut microbiome. Shyan has a strong background in the biotechnology industry, having worked as a research associate on the development of point-of-care molecular diagnostic devices. Her technical expertise includes PCR, qPCR, DNA/RNA isolation, RNA-seq analysis, and NGS sequencing.

Marcy McCrackin

Marcy McCrackin

Admin Support Assistant II

Marcy, a Texas native, has years of experience in human resources working at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. She is known for her organizational skills and has a passion for process improvement. Her role also consists of helping the overall Center, with the primary focus on personnel support.

Gehad “Gigi” Heneish

Gehad “Gigi” Heneish

MBBCH, Master degree in pediatrics, PMI-PMP, ACRP-PM, ACRP-CCRC Clinical Research Specialist

Gehad A. Heneish is a Clinical Research Specialist at the SDSU HealthLINK Center, where she ensures regulatory and ethical compliance in clinical and behavioral research involving human subjects. She provides regulatory consultations, implements quality control measures, and works closely with multidisciplinary teams to maintain high standards in compliance and data integrity. With over a decade of experience in clinical research, Gehad has managed complex trials in diabetes, metabolic diseases, and medical devices. As a Senior Certified Clinical Research Coordinator at Headlands Research AMCR Institute, she led studies on drug development trials, continuous glucose monitoring devices, ensuring adherence to regulatory standards and fostering collaboration across cross-functional teams. Gehad also has international experience from Egypt, where she managed clinical trials in oncology and autoimmune diseases. She holds a Master’s degree in Pediatrics from Alexandria University and has a strong background in microbiology, pharmacology, and epidemiology. She is certified in Project Management (PMI-PMP) and Clinical Research Project Management (ACRP-PM) and is an ACRP-Certified Clinical Research Coordinator. Fluent in English and Arabic, Gehad excels in cross-cultural communication, enhancing regulatory and ethical compliance.

Allan Wu

Allan Wu, MD

Chief Medical Officer, Innercare

Dr. Allan Wu is currently the Chief Medical Officer for Innercare, a large rural based FQHC focused on the indigent and underserved and diverse ethnic populations. Dr. Wu is a board certified OBGYN physician with Minimally Invasive Gynecology subspecialization certification. He has done extensive research in both epidemiologic and bench work as a Fellow in Surgical Molecular and Cellular Biology at UCLA and Molecular Embryologie at Bourn Hall Clinic, UK. Dr. Wu has also served as research coordinator and clinician scientist to three major industry clinical studies and two private grants in Women’s Health, one of which was completed on time and under budget and awarded 2nd place at the ACOG District 5 Regional meeting. Given the depth of his prior epidemiologic and basic science research experience and clinical specialization, he is able to provide clinical expertise and research experience to support the SDSU HealthLINK Center as Innercare Subcontract PI and a member of the Community Engagement Core.

Fatima Munoz

Fatima Munoz, MD, MPH

Associate Vice President of Health Support Services, San Ysidro Health

County: San Diego

Dr. Fatima Muñoz is the Associate Vice President of Health Support Services at San Ysidro Health, a high performing Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) providing care in San Diego County. She completed her medical and Master’s in Public Health training in Mexico and a postdoctoral training in the Division of Global Public Health, University of California San Diego. She possesses over 20 years of public health and clinical research experience working in health promotion programs and epidemiological research studies, specifically among underserved populations. Fatima has extensive experience engaging a variety of public health issues and building strong bridges between public health, government, and academic leaders on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. Her research over the last years has focused on chronic and infectious disease epidemiology, specifically, HIV prevention and tuberculosis care, and the impact of bi-national access to care on health policy. Her research experience involves the use of community-based participatory research with an emphasis in the elimination of health disparities. Fatima has also experience in examining the potential of Health technology integration into existing health services in order to improve treatment adherence and reduce the burden of high priority diseases, such as diabetes, T,B and HIV. Fatima and her team have been contributing to the development and implementation of several programs to engage populations that have been underrepresented in biomedical research – specifically Spanish-speaking communities. She has also been a site PI and Co-I in multiple clinical studies aimed at understanding and eliminating health disparities in underserved populations. Most recently, Dr. Muñoz has been a member of the Advisory Council for the California Initiative to Advance Precision Medicine (CIAPM), by recommendation from the California State Senate. She is committed to expanding the mission of SYH to further address health disparities and access to care issues among our most vulnerable communities.

Jose Tinoco

Jose Tinoco, MA.Ed

Director of Youth and Family Services, The San Diego LGBT Community Center

County: San Diego

 

With over 15 years of experience in community health, advocacy, and program management, Jose Alfonso Tinoco is a dedicated and compassionate leader committed to supporting underserved and underrepresented communities while promoting inclusive, trauma-informed care. Currently serving as the Director of Youth and Family Services at The San Diego LGBT Community Center, Jose specializes in creating holistic, affirming services for youth and their families. They bring extensive expertise in HIV prevention, youth engagement, and sexual health education, with a focus on reducing stigma and improving access to care.

Throughout their career, Jose has held pivotal roles at organizations such as Family Health Centers of San Diego and San Ysidro Health, where they successfully led HIV programs, mentored staff, and collaborated with community partners to enhance healthcare access and achieve positive health outcomes for participants. Jose is deeply committed to empowering individuals through education, mentorship, and advocacy. In recognition of their impactful work with youth and individuals living with HIV, they received a Certificate of Recognition from the United States House of Representatives in 2024.

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