Our People

Michelle Garrison

Primary Investigator she/her/hers

Michelle M. Garrison, PhD is a Professor of Public Health and the Primary Investigator of Purdue University’s Sleep Equity Lab, which focuses on four key research areas aimed at improving sleep and downstream outcomes: 1) harm reduction approaches to late night media use and the impact on sleep, 2) improving our understanding of disparities in time burden as a driver of sleep inequity and potential unintended consequences of interventions, 3) adapting and evaluating sustainable and culturally appropriate sleep behavior change interventions, and 4) optimizing research methods within health behavior change research to increase generalizability, efficiency, and equity of our research approaches.

She earned her MPH and PhD at the University of Washington in the Department of Epidemiology, after previously having received a bachelor’s degree at the University of Texas at Austin in the Plan II Honors program. She grew up in the Midwest, and her first experience in research was working as an intern for two years at the Developmental Psychology department of Northern Illinois University while in high school at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy. Her family lives in Texas, and her first public health practice experiences came during college when she worked at the Texas Department of Health on the Oral Rabies Vaccination Project. Prior to coming to Purdue, Professor Garrison was on the faculty of Health Systems and Population Health at the University of Washington, and also worked at Seattle Children’s Research Institute.

Professor Garrison is a member of the Sleep Research Society, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, and the American Public Health Association, and is an Associate Editor of Sleep Health, the journal of the National Sleep Foundation. She currently teaches an undergraduate course about Sleep and Public Health, and has previously also taught a variety of courses on research and program evaluation methods, statistics, and epidemiology.

Cassandra McCormack

PhD candidate in Industrial Engineering

Cassandra McCormack is currently a PhD student in the School of Industrial Engineering, where she is in the Grouper Lab of Professor Barrett Caldwell. She has previously earned her BS and MS in Industrial Engineering at Purdue University. Her research interests center around the design and evaluation of wearable medical device interfaces to support patient self-care and decision-making.

Sumin Im

Graduate Research Assistant (MPH student and incoming PhD student)

Sumin is currently a student starting second year in the Master’s in Public Health – Biostatistics degree, and a first year PhD student in Public Health. She is originally from South Korea, and has experience working on a quality management team of clinical laboratory. She is interested in sleep science, sleep health, and data analysis. Outside of lab she likes to listen to music and travel.

Funmilayo Abudu

Graduate Research Assistant (PhD Student in Public Health)

Funmilayo is currently a first year PhD student in Public Health. She has five years of experience working as a Physical Therapist in Nigeria, managing people with disabilities. Her research interest is focused on addressing health disparities and improving the sleep health of the vulnerable population, especially people with disabilities. Outside of the lab, she likes volunteering, listening to music, and traveling.

Saira Shah

MPH Student Researcher

Saira is a second year MPH student in the biostatistics concentration. She is interested in sleep health, data analysis, and data visualization.

Emily Heideman

Graduate Research Assistant and AuD student in SLHS

Emily is currently a first-year AuD student in the Audiology degree program at Purdue, and is working as a research assistant with Professor Garrison on a project looking at risk factors for veteran suicide in Indiana with the Military Family Research Institute.

Rygel Ginete

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Rygel is currently a junior studying Data Science. He is originally from the Chicago suburbs. In addition, he is apart of the Purdue’s Global Science Partners. He is interested in data analysis and visualization, programming, and psychology. Outside of lab, he likes editing videos and photos, exercising, and listening to music.

Elliott Shi

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Elliott is currently a sophomore studying Statistics. He is originally from Carmel, Indiana and is involved in PSSC and the Photography Club at Purdue. He is interested in Statistics, biostatistics, data visualization, and sleep health. Outside of lab, he enjoys photography, archery, coding and listening to music.

Augustine Gallespen

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Augustine is a sophomore double majoring in Public Health on the Premed track and Spanish. She is involved with the Honors College Residential Society as the Resident Liaison, the Caduceus Club, Medical Spanish Club, and MedLife. She is interested in healthcare administration, healthcare promotion, and social determinants of health. She enjoys baking, going to the gym, and spending time with friends.

Blessing Lesi

Undergraduate Research Assistant she/her/hers

Blessing is a fourth-year Public Health student, and Vice President of the Nigerian Students Association at Purdue. She is interested in epidemiological data analysis, health disparities, healthcare systems, and loves the views from window seats on airplanes. Outside of the lab, she also likes to sleep, work out, travel, spend time with family, and watch K-dramas.

Kennedy Sheppard

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Kennedy is a senior majoring in Public Health and minoring in Management. She is involved with the Public Health Undergraduate Curriculum Committee, Public Health Student Association, and Best Buddies. She is interested in healthcare administration and plans to obtain her master’s in health administration at Purdue after graduation this spring. Outside of the lab she loves running, reading, and being with her friends.

Pauline Esantsi

Undergraduate Research Assistant she/her/hers

Pauline is from Spring, Texas and is a fourth-year Public Health major on the pre-med track, serving as treasurer for the Women of Color in Healthcare Association. She is interested in biostatistics, informatics, epidemiology, programming, and DEI. Outside of the lab, she enjoys video games, music, baking, volleyball, and painting.

Xansa Patri

Undergraduate Research Assistant she/her/hers

Xansa is from the Chicago suburbs and is a fourth-year Public Health major on the pre-med track. She is passionate about healthcare policy and the intersection of technology and medicine. Outside of the lab, she enjoys swimming, scuba, diving, and tennis.

Olivia Williams

Undergraduate Research

Olivia is a sophomore studying chemical biology and biochemistry. She is from Castle Rock, Colorado, but has lived all over including Texas, California, London, and Abu Dhabi! Her research interest include chemistry, neuroscience, dance, and biology. Outside the lab she enjoys participating in Purdue Color Guard, reading, and spending time with her dogs.

Jazmin Mule

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Jazmin is a junior studying public health on the pre-med track. She was born in England and currently calls Illinois home! Her research interest are healthcare, medicine, health research, health equity, and epidemiology. Outside the lab, she loves soccer, concerts, traveling, Caduceus club, and spending time with friends and family.

Madelyn Wessner

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Madelyn is a junior this year, Junior double majoring in Brain and Behavioral Science and Law and Society with a minor in Spanish. On campus, she is involved with Psi Chi honors society and the Purdue Grand Prix Foundation. She also leads the marketing team for a mental health and suicide prevention non-profit in her hometown called A Pathway to Joy. Outside of lab Madelyn loves to run, rock climb, and read!