Six Scholars Join Columbia Mailman Faculty

Since last fall, six public health scholars have joined the Columbia Mailman faculty, bringing expertise in diverse areas such as substance use, gender equity, health systems, and health care operations.

Two-thirds of them earned public health degrees or received postdoctoral training at the School. All said Columbia Mailman’s reputation for collaboration and innovation was part of their decision to join the faculty. “I completed my doctoral training at Mailman, so I knew from that experience how collaborative and warm the culture is,” said Sarah McKetta, PhD ’21, a newly minted assistant professor of epidemiology.

Kechna Cadet, PhD

Assistant Professor of Epidemiology

Kechna Cadet examines the impact of structural determinants of health, such as poverty and inequality, on substance use outcomes, as well as developing interventions to reduce substance use-related harms. In particular, she aims to reduce mortality through research that incorporates a variety of methods, including spatial epidemiology, Bayesian modeling, and machine learning. She earned her PhD from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Most recently, she was a Substance Use Epidemiology Postdoctoral Fellow at Columbia Mailman. She will be teaching spatial epidemiology in the fall, and as a native New Yorker, she enjoys the local art scene and reading in the park. 

“Mailman’s collaborative environment and emphasis on addressing real-world public health challenges provide an ideal platform for advancing my research,” says Cadet. “The School’s location in New York City also offers unparalleled opportunities for community-engaged research and policy impact, which are central to my work.”

Kacie Dragan, PhD, MPH ‘16  

Assistant Professor of Health Policy and Management

Kacie Dragan’s research draws on economics and epidemiology to study how health systems interact with the social safety net, often with a focus on policies affecting low-income New Yorkers. She earned her MPH in Sociomedical Sciences at Columbia Mailman, during which time she wrote for Columbia Health’s Go Ask Alice website and worked at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. She earned her PhD in Health Policy from Harvard, where she was also a Radcliffe Institute fellow. Most recently, she was a post-doctoral research fellow at the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice. She enjoys nature-related travel and is an avid reader.

“Being embedded in a community of people with the same ‘north star’ of improving population health keeps me motivated and reminds me to celebrate our public health and health policy wins, even when it feels like there are many challenges ahead in our field,” says Dragon.

Nicole Haberland, MPH ‘93  

Associate Professor of Population and Family Health

Nicole Haberland’s research addresses issues related to gender equity, education, women’s and girls’ empowerment, sexual and reproductive health, civic participation, and youth. She has conducted pathbreaking research on sexuality and HIV education that integrated critical thinking about gender and power. She comes to Columbia from the Population Council, where she co-founded and directed the Gender, Education, Justice, and Equity initiative. She will be co-teaching Program Planning and Evaluation in the Core this fall, and will be co-teaching Program Planning in the spring. She lives in Brooklyn and is a runner.

“The vision, the faculty and colleagues, and the students all make this a uniquely powerful place to advance health and gender equity—from local neighborhoods to global policy,” says Haberland.

Mahesh Karra, ScD 

Associate Professor of Population and Family Health

Mahesh Karra is interested in the relationships between population health and economic development in low- and middle-income countries. He evaluates the effects of improving access to family planning and maternal and child health services in several countries in Africa and Asia. He earned his M.Sc. in Economics from the Barcelona Graduate School of Economics and his Sc.D. in Global Health Economics from Harvard University. Previously, he was an Associate Professor at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University and the Associate Director of the Human Capital Initiative at the Global Development Policy Center. He plays tennis, swims, and has a pit bull mix dog named Georgette.

“I’ve been impressed with the tremendous level of institutional support and the genuine willingness of staff and colleagues to step in and collaborate,” Karra says. “I look forward to working with colleagues who take interdisciplinary approaches to scholarship and engagement with the world seriously, and teaching eager and thoughtful students.”

Sarah McKetta, PhD ‘21

Assistant Professor of Epidemiology

Sarah McKetta is a social epidemiologist whose work is focused on the use of novel measurements to expose hidden disparities, ultimately to inform policy and interventions that advance population health. Her areas of interest include behavioral health (alcohol, sexual health, and mental health), women’s health, and LGBT health. She earned her MPH from Harvard School of Public Health and MD/PhD from Columbia. Most recently, she served as a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard Medical School. She grew up in Austin, Texas, has officiated seven weddings, and cares for three cats: Winston, Franklin, and Josef.  

“I know Mailman attracts excellent master’s and doctoral-level students, and I’m eager to get to know them and start new collaborations and mentor-mentee relationships,” says McKetta.

Mitchell Tang, PhD

Assistant Professor of Health Policy and Management

Mitchell Tang’s research sits at the intersection of empirical operations management and health services research. He studies the growing use of digital technologies in care delivery, with a particular interest in how health care organizations can adapt their standard ways of working to use them more effectively. He received his PhD in Health Policy (Management) from Harvard University. Previously, he worked at the Boston Consulting Group. He is originally from Pullman, Washington, enjoys watching and playing tennis, and he once won $2,000 in a Magic: The Gathering tournament. He is teaching a course in strategic management this spring.

“Everyone has been so welcoming, supportive, and generous with their time,” says Tang. “What motivates me is constant learning and growth—for myself and those around me.”