3 ASU doctoral students join prestigious 2024 cohort of health policy scholars
The Health Policy Research Scholars program supports doctoral students from historically marginalized backgrounds conducting research focused on cultivating a “culture of health,” especially in underrepresented populations and communities, through health policy. Photo courtesy of National Cancer Institute/Unsplash
Three Arizona State University doctoral students are among the 2024 cohort of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Research Scholars, the foundation recently announced.
Isabella Castillo of the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice and Kelley Hollie of the School of Social Work, both in the Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions, and Zaira Martin, of the School of Human Evolution and Social Change in The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, are among 40 members who represent 32 institutions across 20 states and U.S. territories in the cohort.
Three scholars admitted in one year in the highly competitive Health Policy Research Scholars (HPRS) program is a record for ASU. Two ASU students were selected for the 2023 cohort, and one ASU student was selected in 2018, for a total of six since the scholars program was created in 2017.
The HPRS program is administered by Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health. It supports doctoral students from historically marginalized backgrounds conducting research focused on cultivating a “culture of health,” especially in underrepresented populations and communities, through health policy. Doctoral students apply in the first year of their studies and receive financial support and leadership training in health policy for the duration of their doctoral programs.
Meet the three ASU scholars and learn more about their research:
Isabella Castillo
Castillo researches behavioral and mental health, criminal justice and racial justice, serving African American/Black and Hispanic/Latino populations and people with disabilities.
Castillo’s research focuses on the experiences of Latino, Hispanic and Black individuals with autism and their families. Her goal is to work toward systemic change by developing and expanding this underdeveloped area of criminological research through community-informed collaboration among these populations, the police and policymakers.
Castillo is a first-generation Mexican Guamanian scholar. Her passion for disability and racial justice is driven by her lived experience with her younger brother, Richie, who has autism.
“Isabella Castillo is a superb scholar, and the Robert Wood Johnson award indicates her leadership and excellence in the field,” said Beth Huebner, director of the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice and the Watts Endowed Professor of Public Safety. “Contact with the criminal justice system can have negative effects on health, and her project is dedicated to better understanding how police can better understand the needs of people with autism.”
Kelley Hollie
Hollie’s research focuses on Black, autistic encounters with law enforcement as a public health issue, and how Black families racially socialize their children to survive those encounters.
Her research seeks to clarify the relationship between social determinants of health and family well-being within the context of police brutality. There is almost no academic research focused on disability and policing practices, particularly as it relates to "hidden" disabilities like autism. Hollie’s work will address this gap by exploring how Black families are resilient and have survived for decades in the face of dangerous, oppressive policing practices.
Elizabeth Lightfoot, director of the School of Social Work and Distinguished Professor of Social Policy, noted Hollie is the third PhD student from the school to receive this prestigious fellowship in the past two years.
“This is a testament to our social work doctoral students' excellent training and their commitment to rigorous research that focuses on the health needs of underrepresented populations,” Lightfoot said. “Kelley Hollie's work typifies the goals of the Health Policy Scholars program. She is interested in developing and testing interventions that will protect Black neurodivergent adults when encountering law enforcement.”
Zaira Martin
Martin researches immigrants and refugees, violence and trauma, serving adolescents ages 12–20, Hispanic/Latino populations, and immigrants and refugees.
Martin’s research interests lie in investigating the experiences of unaccompanied child immigrants from Latin America to the United States, with a focus on young girls/women. Her research aims to advance health equity by addressing the unique challenges faced by young immigrant women, who encounter specific gender-based risks and barriers.
Martin’s commitment to social justice and advocacy stems from her upbringing in a migrant farmworking family. As the daughter/granddaughter of immigrants, she has witnessed the challenges faced by immigrant communities. Her unique perspective, shaped by personal experience and academic dedication, drives her passion for research and advocacy.
“This honor reflects Zaira Martin's dedication to anthropological scholarship, as well as the valuable contributions of her research to understand issues that impact migrant communities,” said Professor Ryan Williams, director of the School of Human Evolution and Social Change. “As a Health Policy Research Scholar, she will build on this foundation to advance knowledge in addressing the health challenges young migrants face.”
Alignment with core mission of ASU Charter
The program’s core mission directly aligns with the ASU Charter’s directive to assume “fundamental responsibility for the economic, social, cultural and overall health” of the communities ASU serves. ASU’s scholars will be conducting research that is socially embedded with the potential to transform society, including research on how to provide safer emergency resources for neurodivergent adults and address the health challenges faced by young migrants.
All of ASU’s scholars in the program demonstrate a commitment to ASU’s design aspirations and charter in their research and studies. The three students worked with ASU's Office of National Scholarships Advisement on their applications and reported their selection as finalists for the 2024 cohort.
More Health and medicine
ASU team part of nationwide study looking at Type 2 diabetes in youth
Near the end of an interview in which he talked about the work his team will be doing to tackle the rise in Type 2 diabetes among youth, Arizona State University Professor Gabe Shaibi answered why…
Leading the way in wellness: ASU highlighted in The Princeton Review's 2025 Mental Health Services Honor Roll
Being a college student isn’t easy — navigating new routines, people and places can be a challenge, especially if the right support system is not in place. That's why Arizona State University is a…
New Indigenous health dashboard offers robust database for scholars
By Nicole Greason and Kimberly Linn A team at Arizona State University’s College of Health Solutions and American Indian Studies program has created a new tool to aid researchers…