HILL Lab Members
HILL Lab Lead
The HILL lab is currently not accepting new students this Fall 2021.
Sherika Hill, PhD, MHA | she/her/hers
PhD Maternal-Child Health and Public Policy
MHA Health Policy and Management
Dr. Sherika Hill leads the HILL Lab. She is the Research and Policy Liaison at UNC-CH Frank Porter Graham (FPG) Child Development Institute. She also holds a position as an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at Duke University School of Medicine (SOM). Dr. Hill received her PhD in Maternal-Child Health and Public Policy from UNC-CH and a Masters of Healthcare Administration from UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health in the Department of Health Policy and Management. She completed postdoctoral research on developmental psychopathology studies at both Duke SOM in Psychiatry and as a NICHD T32 postdoctoral fellow at the -recently renamed- FPG Carolina Consortium on Human Development. For fun, Dr. Hill enjoys hiking with her family, raising chickens, and gardening produce in her year-round edible courtyard.
FPG Profile | Email | CV
Career Investigators
Shannon Chaplo, PhD | she/her/hers
PhD Clinical Psychology
Dr. Shannon Chaplo is an investigator and Implementation Specialist at FPG. She was formerly a Clinical Associate at Duke SOM in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and provided evidenced-based treatments (EBTs) to children and families exposed to trauma. Dr. Chaplo graduated with her doctorate in clinical psychology at the University of Utah and completed her internship and postdoctoral training at Duke University Medical Center and the UCLA-Duke National Center for Child Traumatic Stress. Her research interests include using developmental psychopathology to look at several constructs related to child and adolescent trauma including emotion dysregulation, revictimization, post-traumatic stress, and impaired caregivers. She also has experience in applying implementation science to the delivery and spread of EBTs and trauma-informed care and has worked with several child-serving sectors including juvenile justice, child welfare, schools, military bases, and residential treatment facilities. Socially, she enjoys traveling, kayaking, and hiking. She hopes to make it to every national park in the US.
FPG Profile | Email | CV
Jessica Choi, MSc | she/her/hers
MSc Global Health
Jessica Choi, MSc, earned her master’s degree in global health at Duke University. She has years of research experience in basic science and social science studies. Her current research interests include trauma, resilience, and supporting vulnerable populations. In her free time, Jessica loves food experimenting, painting, and connecting with the local community.
Leslie deRosset, MPH, MSPH | she/her/hers
MSPH Maternal and Child Health, Epidemiology
MPH Health Education and Health Promotion
Leslie deRosset, is an Implementation Specialist at The Impact Center at FPG. In her role, she utilizes implementation science by collaborating with local and state agencies and organizations, communities, coalitions, and other stakeholders to support the implementation of evidence-based programs.
Mrs. deRosset holds advanced degrees in public health from both UNC-CH and the University of South Carolina (Columbia). She has worked in public health for almost two decades focusing on maternal and child health. She has extensive experience in the design, implementation, and evaluation of multi-faceted public health evidence-based programs. Her work has been in a multitude of settings, including Nicaragua, El Centro Hispano (Health Director), the March of Dimes (Latino Campaign Coordinator), and most recently with the North Carolina Division of Public Health as the Program Manager for Improving Community Outcomes for Maternal and Child Health.
Mrs. deRosset and her family moved to Raleigh in 2001. She enjoys spending time with her husband, kids (one who goes to UNC!), and almost 11-year-old yellow lab, Stella. Her favorite pastimes include reading, cooking/baking, hiking, doing yoga, going to bootcamp, watching movies, and traveling.
FPG Profile | Email | CV
Allegra Midgette | she/her/hers
PhD Human Development in Education
Pre-doctoral Students
Josée Dussault | she/her/hers
PhD Epidemiology (expected 2023), UNC-Chapel Hill Gillings School of Public Health
Josée Dussault entered her doctoral studies in epidemiology at UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health after 2 years in the non-profit sector, where she implemented an evidence-based counseling program for people living with HIV in North Carolina. While working at the intersection of HIV care and mental healthcare, she noted the salience of trauma and mental illness in the experiences of clients. This professional experience grew her interest in researching the implications of early developmental trauma on health outcomes later in life. Ms. Dussault enjoys spending her free time traveling, exploring all things food-related, and spending quality time with friends and family.
Lu Huang
PhD Economics, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Undergrad: Applied Mathematics, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
Master: Economics, Duke University, Durham, NC
Interests: Health and Labor Economics.
She worked as a research assistant in the Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience while at Duke.
Graduate Students
Danielle Davis | she/her/hers
MA Clinical Psychology, North Carolina Central University
Danielle Davis is currently enrolled in NCCU as a full-time graduate student, pursuing her master’s degree in clinical psychology. She received her BA in psychology from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Following the completion of her undergraduate program, she went on to expand her knowledge of public health by working in publicly and privately owned clinics. At present, her research interests are focused on ACES, resilience, and coping. In her downtime, she prefers to tap into her inner-nerd and watch some anime.
Elizabeth Love | she/her/hers
MA Psychology (expected 2022), North Carolina Central University
Elizabeth Love currently works as a research assistant at FPG on preschool and early childhood studies. She has a BA in Psychology from Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee and is pursuing a MA in Psychology at NCCU. Throughout her academic, occupational, and volunteer experiences she has participated on a variety of psychosocial research teams and has gained proficiency in developing, implementing, and managing research projects, including conducting literature reviews, recruiting, analyzing data, and disseminating reports. She has experience with mixed-methods, working with early childhood evaluations and psychological assessment data. As an investigator, she values working from a developmental and equity lens focused on the field of trauma and adverse childhood experiences. Her near-term plans are to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology with the goal of one day having a clinical practice and serving as a community resource for advocacy, youth facilitation, and participatory-action research. Mrs. Love spends her spare time making music, hiking, canoeing, traveling, taking photos, eating good food, and being with her loved ones.
FPG Profile | Email | CV
Amina Sesay | she/her/hers
MA Public Health in Public Health – Practice and Policy (expected 2022), The University of Maryland – College Park
Amina Sesay is a current graduate student at the University of Maryland pursing her Master in Public Health- Practice & Policy. She received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communication Studies with a concentration in Health and minor in Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Her interests consist of Maternal and Child Health particularly within black women, health policy, increasing access to affordable health care, and closing the health disparity gaps. She hopes to one day advocate for policy change on Capitol Hill. In her free time, she enjoys listening to podcasts, traveling, trying out new restaurants, and spending time with her friends.
Gap-Year Trainee
Jordan Thomas | she/her/hers
BA Psychology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Jordan Thomas graduated from UNC-CH with a BA in Psychology and minors in Neuroscience and Spanish. She currently works as a Social/Clinical Research Assistant at FPG to gain more experience before graduate school. She is interested in parenting and parent-child relationships across the lifespan with a particular focus on diverse and underrepresented families in terms of race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality. She is also interested in implementation science and translating research into policy in order to improve communities. For leisure, Ms. Thomas enjoys working on DIY projects, playing simulation video games, and eating good food!
FPG Profile | Email | CV
Undergraduate Students
Jordan Lenz | he/him/his
BA Public Policy and Economics, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Jordan Lenz is a junior from the suburbs of Chicago double majoring in Public Policy and Economics. At UNC, he is involved in Tar Heel Outreach Program, Undergraduate Senate, and the Commission for Campus Equality and Student Equity. More broadly, he is passionate about social justice and politics and hopes to transform these interests into a career after completing law school. Mr. Lenz loves traveling and has had the privilege of studying or volunteering in Puerto Rico, Oslo, and Barcelona during his first two years of undergrad. In his free time, he enjoys going on walks or hikes with friends, making attempts to be artistic, or binge-watching anything on HBO.
High School Students
Cordelia McKelvy | she/her/hers
High School Diploma (expected 2023), Wake STEM Early College High School.
Cordelia is a volunteer research assistant at the Hill Lab, seeking to gain research experience and mentoring. She wants to learn more about substance use disorder treatments for marginalized young women in terms of class. She’s also interested in how school impacts mental health and wellbeing, especially among high school and college students. She is a sophomore at Wake STEM Early College High School and is involved in Student Council, Raleigh Youth Council, and Students Offering Support peer tutoring. She is passionate about equity and hopes to use her advocacy skills to help others through a career in a STEM field. In her free time, she enjoys biking with friends, spending time with family, and trying new foods.