UP-CARE Team
Ramin Asgary, MD, MPH, MSc, FASTMH
raminasgary1
email [dot] gwu [dot] edu (raminasgary1[at]gwu[dot]edu)
Dr. Ramin Asgary is the Principal Investigator and Director of the UP-CARE Lab. He is a Professor of Global Health and Medicine at George Washington University and Clinical Professor of Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Trained in internal medicine with a specialization in preventive medicine and implementation research, he also holds complementary training in public health, tropical medicine, community medicine, and clinical and translational research. His work spans health services research, global public health education, program development, and academic leadership.
Dr. Asgary’s research focuses on public health, preventive medicine, healthcare access, and community‑based interventions. His work has appeared in leading journals such as The Lancet Oncology, BMJ, American Journal of Public Health, PLoS Medicine, Academic Medicine, and Preventive Medicine. He has an extensive record of studying health disparities and models of improving healthcare for immigrants and homeless persons. His groundbreaking work includes the first studies documenting barriers and rates of colon, cervical, and breast cancer screening in homeless populations, as well as shelter‑based interventions to improve screening. He has led qualitative research on healthcare perceptions among low‑income populations and conducted mHealth studies to expand access to care.
Dr. Asgary is the PI of multiple randomized controlled trials evaluating SMS‑based interventions for hypertension, diabetes, and colorectal cancer screening among homeless adults. For more than 15 years, he has provided direct medical care in New York City shelters and collaborated with community organizations and city agencies to strengthen policies that improve access to care.
Pramita Bagchi, PhD
Dr. Bagchi is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, in the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health. She works in developing computationally efficient statistical methodologies for analysis with a strong focus on high-dimensional and functional observations. Dr. Bagchi is the biostatistician on two RCTs on using SMS texting to improve hypertension and diabetes control among homeless persons that are under the UP-CARE lab. She is the biostatistician on a recent R01 grant to study colorectal cancer screening among homeless persons using SMS texting in NYC.
Leah Bauder, MPH
Leah is an MPH graduate in Global Health from George Washington University. She serves as a part-time Study Coordinator in the UP-CARE Lab for multiple mHealth studies with homeless persons. Before her time at GWU, Leah earned her undergraduate degrees in Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience from the University of Colorado, Boulder. She spent time working in public health infrastructure development and medical care disbursement in Nicaragua. Her research interests include Mobile Health applications for both chronic and infectious diseases, specifically Tuberculosis and the treatment of MDR strains in refugee populations.
Isabel Long, MPH
Isabel Long is the Project Manager of the UP-CARE Lab and a global health researcher with experience across social determinants of health, global health governance, policy and finance, and community health. She earned her MPH in Humanitarian Health and Disaster Response from George Washington University and holds a B.S. in Spanish and International Health from Clemson University. Isabel’s background includes mixed‑methods research, policy analysis, grant writing, and communications, alongside applied work with homeless and refugee communities. Her interests center on global health policy, strategic communications, and improving health outcomes for low-income populations.
Zuhrat Inam, MPH
Abby Strait
Abby is an undergraduate student at George Washington University. She serves as a research assistant on various projects in the UP-CARE lab.
Sylvia Shirima, DrPH
Dr. Shirima is a DrPH graduate from the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University. She serves as a Postdoc and Senior Research Associate in the UP-CARE lab. She is a public health practitioner with over 17 years of experience in global health programs. She brings expertise in qualitative and mixed-methods research, strategic program planning, implementation and evaluation, training, and community engagement. Her work is grounded in extensive experience collaborating with low-income and underserved populations, ensuring that research and programs are contextually relevant and responsive to realities.
Her professional background includes work with NGOs and both local and international institutions. She has contributed to public health efforts in Tanzania, across Africa, and in Washington, DC. She is deeply passionate about advancing universal health access, mentorship, social progress, and sustainable, locally informed programming.
Mackenzie Tuong
Mackenzie Tuong graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2025 with a B.S. in Cognitive Science and Computing Specialization. Her previous research experience focused on the role of ultrasound neuromodulation on mood states. She is currently working as a research assistant for the mHealth studies with homeless persons in New York City. Mackenzie hopes to attend medical school, where she plans to serve underrepresented and vulnerable communities while continuing to contribute to research.