Nichole Michaels Lab
Nichole Michaels, PhD
Principal Investigator
Nichole.Michaels@NationwideChildrens.org
Nichole L. Michaels, PhD, is a Principal Investigator in the Center for Injury Research and Policy at the Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. Dr. Michaels’ primary research interests include: identifying and evaluating practices for drug overdose harm reduction and the treatment of individuals with substance use disorders; developing prevention strategies for child abuse and neglect; and understanding the links between substance use disorders and child maltreatment. She is also active in public policy, and is a strong advocate for legislation to prevent gun violence in the US.
Dr. Michaels’ Lab studies substance use disorders, child maltreatment, and other causes of violent injuries and death. We are particularly interested in discovering how these issues intersect and how they can be prevented. Our lab values collaboration with community partners and our diverse team of researchers uses both quantitative and qualitative methods to build a more complete understanding of these important issues and how they impact families.
This R01 study, funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse at the National Institutes of Health, is evaluating the feasibility, acceptability, and associated benefits and harms of using fentanyl test strips as a drug overdose harm reduction strategy.
Funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this R01 study is evaluating fentanyl test strips as a strategy for preventing drug overdoses among individuals who are involved in the criminal justice system.
Funded by the CDC, the OCAN study examines opioid use and other social-environmental factors that influence child maltreatment in communities around the state of Ohio.
The purpose of this study is to explore the social support and social networks of current and former Family Treatment Court (FTC) participants, and how such support may impact their recovery and reunification efforts. This study is funded by the Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services.
Lab Staff
Zara Ali, BA
Research Associate
Email
Zara earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from The Ohio State University and is working on her MPH. Zara joined Michaels Lab in February 2023 as a Research Associate and has prior experience in depression research. Most recently, Zara was a Corps Member with Teach for America in Dayton, Ohio. Her areas of interest include health equity, childhood wellness, poverty alleviation. She is also interested in trauma-informed psychology practices and their role in the criminal justice system. Outside of work, Zara loves to bake.
Alexandra Antonova, MS
Research Associate
Email
Alexandra is a research associate in Dr. Michaels’ Lab at the Center for Injury Research and Policy. She received an MS in experimental psychology and BA in psychology from Ohio University (OU). During her time at OU, she was an undergraduate research assistant in Body Image and Eating Disorders Lab. She completed her master’s thesis with a focus on organizational psychology. Her research interests are substance use disorder, mental health, and injury prevention. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, working out, and spending time with her husband and dog.
Saroj Bista, MPH
Research Scientist
Email
Saroj Bista is a Research Scientist in the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's Hospital, working with Dr. Nichole Michaels. He earned his MPH with a concentration in biostatistics as well as a PhD in public health with a specialization in epidemiology from Kent State University College of Public Health. Additionally, he holds a Bachelor's Degree in pharmacy from the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Science, Krupanidhi College of Pharmacy. His research interests include mental health, substance use, and the criminal justice system, with his current focus on injuries, substance use, and mental health. Saroj likes to spend his free time with his son, Vian.
Aleah Cumberbatch, MPA
Research Associate
Email
Aleah Cumberbatch is a Research Associate in the Michaels Lab at the Center for Injury Research and Policy. Aleah completed both her master’s and bachelor’s degrees at Ohio University (OU). While studying psychology at OU, she discovered her passion for public health research as an undergraduate student researcher at the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service. Aleah then continued her research with the Voinovich School while pursuing her Master of Public Administration degree. During her tenure as a graduate student, Aleah supported efforts to address mental health stigma in rural Ohio by creating an explainer video on the Health Stigma and Discrimination Framework. She also worked on substance use disorder and mental health surveys that would give community leaders vital data to continue their stigma reduction initiatives.
Bridget Duffy, BS
Senior Research Associate
Email
Bridget earned a BS in Neuroscience from the University of Minnesota College of Biological Sciences in 2019. Her interest in health justice for people with an incarceration history, passion for substance use disorder advocacy, and eagerness to be involved in health policy then led her to Providence, RI. There, she completed a one-year fellowship with the Center for Health + Justice Transformation of Brown University. Upon moving to Columbus, she served as a caseworker for people who face homelessness, became mentor for Camp Mariposa - a national camp for children affected by a parent’s substance use disorder, and led a harm reduction interest group through Harm Reduction Ohio. Bridget came to the Michaels Lab in 2021, and her current research involves substance use disorder, child maltreatment, and homelessness. Outside of lab, Bridget enjoys trail running, scuba diving, and vegan cooking. In June 2023, Bridget was named a Bloomberg Fellow.
Yeliani R. Flores, RA, MSW
Research Associate
Email
Yeliani Flores is a Research Assistant in the Michaels Lab at the Center for Research Injury and Policy. She received her Master of Social Work at The Ohio State University and is currently a PhD student. Her research is focused on gender-based violence against marginalized women, including immigrant women of color. Additionally, her research interests lie in teen dating violence prevention, systemic responses to intimate partner violence, service access and intimate partner violence effects on children.
Jacob Holycross, MPH
Research Associate
Email
Jacob is a Research Associate in Dr. Michaels’ Lab at CIRP, working on a study to implement a harm reduction strategy for opioid overdoses. He received his undergraduate degree from OSU and his MPH from George Washington University. His research areas of interest are social determinants of health and working with disenfranchised populations, suicide and injury prevention, and social justice. Outside of work, Jacob has three children and enjoys being a father, reading, running, hiking, and travelling.
Maddie Lewis
Research Associate
Email
Maddie earned her bachelor’s degree from The Ohio State University in health sciences, while double minoring in public policy and human rights. She assisted with research at OSU that involved overdose response in Dayton and Columbus, Ohio. Maddie’s interest in public health research stems from a desire to address inequities that disproportionately affect health outcomes in marginalized and vulnerable communities. In her free time, Maddie enjoys spending time outside, being around animals, and with family and friends.
Spencer Long, MSW
Senior Research Associate
Email
Spencer earned an MSW specializing in mental health and substance use from The Ohio State University in 2023 and a BS in psychology (minor in philosophy) from OSU in 2021, where he discovered his passion for mental health research and advocacy as a research assistant in the Depression Research Laboratory. He continued pursuing research interests as a graduate research associate, focusing primarily on advocacy work for immigrants and refugees in central Ohio. He also completed an internship at Concord Counseling Services. His exposure to populations experiencing housing insecurity and opioid use disorders led to his current position as a senior research associate in the Michaels Lab at CIRP. Outside of the lab, he enjoys spending time with friends and family, practicing meditation, and listening to podcasts/audiobooks.
Ashley Short Meija, MSW
Clinical Research Coordinator Team Lead
Email
Ashley is a Senior Research Associate at the Center for Injury Research and Policy. She received a BS in Social Work from The Ohio State University and an MSW from Boston University School of Social Work. She now works with the Michaels Lab studying fentanyl overdose harm reduction in Ohio, bringing experience as a clinical trial research coordinator for an addiction recovery study, as a program manager for a community-based youth participatory action research study, and locally in Columbus from work at a drop-in center for youth experiencing homelessness. Ashley’s efforts stem from a desire to contribute to collective efforts to improve health accessibility and eliminate systemic barriers to health equity. She enjoys hiking, gardening, and time with her family, friends, and cats.
Madison Nurre, BS
Graduate Research Associate
Email
Madison joined Dr. Michaels’ lab in August of 2022. She has previous experience in pediatric emergency medicine research where she recruited patients & families and led enrollment efforts for a study examining non-accidental fractures in young children. She earned her bachelor's degree from The Ohio State University in health science while minoring in biology. During that time, she worked with research teams studying HPV vaccination in Ohio, youth housing instability, and ACE scores. Madison is expected to complete her MPH, with a focus on maternal & child public health, at Ohio State in 2024.
Fiona O'Malley, BS
Clinical Research Coordinator Team Lead
Email
Fiona earned her BS in Psychology from the University of Dayton (UD) in 2020 and will receive her Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology from UD in December of 2022. Her research interests focus on childhood maltreatment and resilience, and her clinical work has been with children and adolescents with developmental delays, learning disorders, and autism spectrum disorders. Fiona joined the Michaels Lab in summer of 2022 as the Team Lead. In her free time, Fiona enjoys spending time with her cat and hiking with her two dogs.
Kat Robinson
Research Associate
Email
Kat joined Dr. Michaels’ lab as a research associate in June, 2023, working on the court study. She received her BS in psychology from the University of Pittsburgh where she played four years of soccer, worked as co-chair on the school’s athletic mental health and wellness committee, and was involved in metabolism and endocrinology research. She is projected to get her MS in bioethics from The Ohio State University College of Medicine in 2023. Outside of work she enjoys running, playing pickleball, photography, coffee dates with friends, and is currently learning Korean.
Natalie Vargas, BS
Research Associate
Email
Natalie received her B.S. in Public Health from The Ohio State University. Within public health, she is most interested in health equity and the social determinants of health. At OSU she worked on a research project investigating the experiences of consumers who use the Health Insurance Marketplace, and possible barriers to access. Previously, Natalie worked with US Together in Columbus supporting and advocating for recently arrived refugees in healthcare settings. Outside of work she enjoys cooking dinners with her friends and spending time with her cat.