Our Team
Suzanne Judd, PhD, MPH, FAHA
Director
Biography
Suzanne Judd is the Director of the Lister Hill Center for Health Policy and a Professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. After 6 years in the consumer products industry with the Kimberly-Clark Corporation working as a chemical engineer, she received her PhD in Nutrition Sciences from Emory University where she led two vitamin D clinical trials. Dr. Judd is multiple PI on both the REGARDS and RURAL cohort studies which are large NIH funded epidemiological cohort studies seeking to understand disparities in chronic disease in the United States. Her experience in the US provided a platform to collaborate with European cohort studies in France through the Fulbright Scholar Program. Dr. Judd’s research focuses on the role of diet and the environment as mediators of racial disparities in the risk of hypertension, kidney disease, and stroke. Her unique combination of training in engineering, epidemiology and nutrition as well as industrial experience have provided a solid foundation to guide her research, mentorship, collaboration and public health communication. As such, she is a widely sought out expert in communicating with scientific and non-scientific audiences alike.
Lonnie Hannon, PhD
Deputy Director
Biography
An associate professor in the department of Health Behavior, Dr. Hannon’s interests include the cultural, political, and economic factors that shape society. His specific area of study examines the effects of legacy-based housing policy on neighborhood development and community empowerment. He studies how these effects arise from complex, hierarchical human networks and how they interface with health behavior and health outcomes. He has experience working with community institutions and policy makers to promote economic growth that creates positive health trajectories. He has received nearly one million dollars in grant funding to stimulate community engagement. His recent peer reviewed articles discuss innovative dissemination strategies and community empowerment. Dr. Hannon lives in Birmingham with his wife and two sons.
Ariann Nassel, MA
Director of Geospatial Data Visualization
Biography
Ariann Nassel is an expert in developing GIS applications to take public health projects and research to the next level. As a GIS Analyst, she has established herself as a leader within the industry. Her specialties include training and teaching GIS, working with census data, program development, data collection, and using GIS to analyze and evaluate public health programs. Ariann holds a MA in Geography from the University of Georgia (Athens, Georgia) and a BA in Geography from Clark University (Worcester, MA).
Sean McMahon, MA
Program Manager
Biography
Sean McMahon graduated from UAB in 2016 with a Bachelor’s degree in public health. During his time as an undergrad at UAB, he was very active with community-focused student groups and participated in several service-learning courses. After serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Timore-Leste, Sean returned to Birmingham to work with UAB’s Office of Service Learning and Undergraduate Research as an AmeriCorps VISTA. Sean has worked with the LHC since March of 2019, and in 2022 he completed the Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies program at UAB, focusing on global health and public management. Sean’s passions lie in student empowerment, community engagement, and civic action to implement policies which protect and promote the public’s health.
Kimberly Randall, MA
Program Manager
Biography
Kimberly Randall completed her Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies at The University of Alabama with a minor in Art History. She completed her Master of Arts in Communication Studies, also at The University of Alabama, with an emphasis on healthcare communication. In her academic work, she focused on health rhetoric, studying cognitive bias in healthcare professionals, medical gaslighting, and the ways in which intercultural competency impacts patient care. At the Lister Hill Center, Ms. Randall merges her professional expertise in digital media, marketing, and public relations with her years of experience in politics to develop and expedite LHC’s outreach campaigns and increase community involvement in health policy. Her skillsets in communication, advocacy work, and community engagement help to provide in-depth policy surveillance of state legislation and subsequent impacts on community health.
Dashauna Ballard, PhD, MPH
IRACDA-MERIT Postdoctoral Fellow
Biography
Hailing from Selma, Alabama, Dr. Dashauna Ballard has a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Biology from The University of Alabama, a Master of Public Health degree with a concentration in Health Behavior from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and a PhD in Health Education and Health Promotion from The University of Alabama. Her doctoral dissertation, which focused on identifying factors contributing to bullying victimization in minority youth, was influenced by her previous work as a Public Health Educator and Science Teacher in an alternative setting. For her secondary teaching efforts, she won the school-level Alabama Teacher of the Year and Innovative Technology awards in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Her current research interests include adolescent health, mental health, minority health, community-based participatory research, and health equity in underserved populations.
