Celebrating National Postdoc Appreciation Week

Oshin Miranda, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Research Associate, Center for Gerontology and Healthcare Research

Graduate Training: University of Pittsburgh, School of Pharmacy

Oshin’s Ph.D. dissertation leveraged artificial intelligence and deciphered the impact of health disparities and medication use on risk of developing adverse events amongst post traumatic stress disorder patients using electronic medical records.

At the Center for Gerontology and Healthcare Research, Oshin’s research revolves around improving health outcomes in older adults, specifically by using predictive analytics and comorbidity scores to assess mortality and fracture risks among osteoporosis patients. She also investigates the effects of policy changes on health services utilization. 

Oshin’s long-term career goal is to be an academician, open a research lab, and leverage predictive models and health data to develop more effective strategies for identifying high risk patient populations. This includes enhancing personalized care by improving risk stratification tools that predict clinical outcomes such as fractures, suicide and mortality.

Oshin is a proud plant mom and an avid kickboxing enthusiast.

Mariel Bello, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies

Graduate Training: University of Southern California

Clinical Residency: Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University

Bello's doctoral dissertation focused on a laboratory pilot study to evaluate whether mint, menthol, and tobacco-flavored electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) could reduce harm among adults who smoke menthol cigarettes by promoting initiation and switching to e-cigarettes. Findings from this study showed that self-administration of mint- or menthol-flavored (vs. tobacco flavored) e-cigarettes significantly reduced some tobacco withdrawal symptoms among adult menthol smokers during acute tobacco deprivation, with some evidence that menthol-flavored e-cigarettes outperformed mint-flavored e-cigarettes.

At the Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies (CAAS), Bello is working on a NIDA MOSAIC K99/R00 grant that proposes using mixed methods approaches to investigate the impact of financial stress, class discrimination, and other relevant daily stressors on mechanisms of smoking cessation (i.e., tobacco withdrawal symptoms) and lapse risk among socioeconomically disadvantaged young adults who smoke cigarettes daily. 

The training and mentorship Bello receives at CAAS will develop her expertise in mixed methods approaches (i.e., qualitative research methods + ecological momentary assessment) and community-engaged research.

Bello hopes to secure a tenure-track research faculty position at an R1 institution and then work toward building a team to conduct research focused on advancing the literature in the fields of health equity and addiction science.

Bello enjoys video games (currently Fallout 4), arts & crafts, reading, hiking and exploring new local cafes!

Silvi Goldstein, Ph.D. 

Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies

Graduate Training: Clinical Psychology, University of Rhode Island

Clinical Residency: Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University

Goldstein's doctoral dissertation focused on race and sex assigned at birth as moderators of harm reduction pharmacy behavioral treatment outcomes for alcohol use disorder among people experiencing homelessness (NIH-NIAAA F31 Awardee)

At CAAS, Goldstein is working on harm reduction and trauma-informed treatment approaches for individuals struggling with substance use, with a focus on treatments for systematically excluded and minoritized groups experiencing substance-related health inequities. At Brown, Goldstein plans to expand her research to include treatment development for adolescents and young adults.

In the future, Goldstein wants to establish an independent research center that allows time for mentorship, teaching and maintaining a clinical practice.

She enjoys weightlifting and crossfit training, gardening and traveling.

Tessa Nalven, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies

Graduate Training: Clinical Psychology, University of Rhode Island

Clinical Residency: VA Boston Medical Healthcare System

Nalven's Ph.D. dissertation focused on qualitative exploration of alcohol and other drug use among multiracial young adults (NIH-NIDA F31 Awardee)

At CAAS, Nalven studies health disparities related to substance use, the role of stress in marginalized racial and ethnic populations’ substance use and the efficacy of positive psychology and resilience-based interventions.

As for her career goals, Nalven wants to conduct grant-funded research and clinical work in an academic setting; teaching and mentoring trainees; working in a research center or institution that emphasizes collaboration and genuine DEI efforts.

For fun, she enjoys going to the beach, cats and dogs and all pets, plants, reading books and doing puzzles.