Our Team

Hadley Hartwell, MS, Laboratory Manager (she/her)

Hadley Hartwell has a Master of Science in micro and molecular biology from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She has worked in laboratory management since 2003 and utilized research techniques such as culturing bacteria, molecular cloning, creation of transgenic and knockout mice, mammalian cell culture, as well as measuring changes in gene expression and epigenetic markers. Currently, Hadley works as a lab and project manager seeking to better understand how vulnerable human populations are affected by exposure to various environmental contaminates. In her spare time, Hadley enjoys running and hot yoga.

Alexis Payton, MS, Research Data Analyst (she/her)

Alexis Payton is a Research Data Analyst in both the Center for Environmental Medicine and Lung Biology (CEMALB) and the Department of Environmental Health Sciences and Engineering within Gillings School of Global Public Health. She received her B.S.P.H in Environmental Health Sciences with a minor in computational biology and a M.S. in Environmental Sciences & Engineering from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the lab of Dr. Julia E. Rager. Alexis is passionate about leveraging computational techniques to assess toxicological responses to various environmental exposures. Outside of research, Alexis is currently residing in New York City pursuing a professional dance career.

Kyle Roell, PhD, Data Analyst and Project Manager (he/him)

Kyle Roell is a Data Analyst and Project Manager for the UNC Institute for Environmental Health Solutions. He received his B.S.E in Computer Science from the University of Michigan, his MS in Statistics from NC State University, and his PhD in Bioinformatics from NC State. Kyle is interested in using statistical and data analysis tools to understand associations between environmental exposures and human health. In addition to traditional statistical and epidemiological analyses, my research involves working with novel methodology to assess environmental exposure mixtures, genomic and epigenomic data. In his free time, Kyle is learning to play piano and enjoys create digital art for his friends and family

Elise Hickman, PhD, Postdoctoral Researcher (she/her)

Elise Hickman is a postdoctoral research fellow affiliated with the department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering within the Gillings School of Global Public Health and the Curriculum in Toxicology and Environmental Medicine within the School of Medicine. She received a B.S. in Environmental Toxicology from The University of California, Davis in 2017 and PhD in Toxicology and Environmental Medicine from UNC Chapel Hill in 2022. Elise’s current research interests include understanding wildfire smoke mixtures toxicity using in vitro and computational approaches and the role of extracellular vesicles in respiratory responses to toxicants using human clinical samples. Outside of lab, she loves traveling, all kinds of outdoor activities (especially skiing, kayaking, and hiking), yoga, reading, and baking.

Jessie Chappel, PhD, Postdoctoral Researcher (she/her)

Jessie is a postdoctoral research fellow affiliated with the department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering within the Gillings School of Global Public Health and the Curriculum in Toxicology and Environmental Medicine within the School of Medicine. In 2020 she graduated from Greenville University with a B.A. in biology and chemistry, and then received her PhD in bioinformatics with a minor in statistics from NC State University in 2024. Jessie’s research is focused on applying statistical and machine learning approaches to high dimensional datasets to model how chemical exposures impact various health outcomes. Outside of work Jessie enjoys reality TV, playing with cats, and trying new restaurants.

Lauren Koval, Graduate Student (she/her)

Lauren is a PhD trainee in the department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering within the Gillings School of Global Public Health. She previously completed her B.A. in physics at Oberlin College. Lauren’s research interests lie at the intersection of computational toxicology and exposure science with a recent focus on -omics data. Current projects are analyzing the transcriptome of human breast cancer cells exposed to thousands of environmental chemicals and evaluating the exposome of women with breast cancer leveraging dust wipe samples collected through the NIEHS Sister Study cohort. Outside of school, Lauren is a huge soccer fan. She played at Oberlin, though now enjoys the pick-up scene and volunteer coaching a local girls team.

Raquel Winker, Undergraduate Student (she/her)

Raquel Winker is an undergraduate student working towards degrees in Environmental Health Sciences (B.S.P.H.) within Gillings School of Global Public Health, as well as Hispanic Literatures and Cultures (B.A.). Her research interests include environmental justice, data analysis, and environmental exposures, and her current project focuses on identifying regions in North Carolina that exhibit both low socioeconomic status and high wildfire risk. Outside of academics, Raquel enjoys crochet, reading, hiking, traveling, and live music. 

Kai Malone, Undergraduate Student (he/him)

Kai Malone is an undergraduate student pursuing an Environmental Health Sciences (B.S.P.H.) degree from the Gillings School of Global Public Health, along with a minor in environmental justice. Kai’s research interests include environmental toxicology and environmental justice, and his recent projects have utilized in vitro methods to better understand the toxicities of wildfire smoke inhalation. Aside from academics, Kai enjoys traveling, skateboarding, snowboarding, and hiking.