Current Student Leaders
Lila Klein is a first year graduate student in the Masters in Clinical Research Program who is currently working as a Clinical Research Coordinator in Pulmonology. She graduated in 2021 from The University of Texas at Austin with a B.S. in Public Health. She is passionate about research and learning about infectious diseases. Outside of school, she enjoys exploring NYC, spending time with family and friends, and trying new restaurants. She is looking forward to learning more about emerging infectious diseases and broadening her knowledge through meeting other members of the Mount Sinai Community.
Leore Lavin is a 3rd year medical student at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, passionate about immunology, threats related to climate change and ecosystem health, and data analysis. She has an MS in Public Health from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health with a focus in toxicology & works in Sinai’s Inflammatory Skin Diseases lab. Leore is interested in the ways One Health describes the intersections of biodiversity, human health and climate and our collective responsibility. Outside of research, Leore is an avid cyclist, lover of road trips, aunt of 6, and student doctor at the East Harlem Health Outreach Program. She’s looking forward to meeting more of Sinai’s terrific community members.
Kiran Nagdeo is a first-year graduate student in the Master of Public Health program at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She graduated as a Dentist in 2015, from D.Y. Patil University School of Dentistry in India. She had 7 years of experience in clinical practice before moving to the States to pursue her passion for Public Health. Outside of school, she loves research, community science, environmental medicine, international travelling, trying new cuisines, movies, and painting. She is devoted to the One Health concept of improving the health of all species and is looking forward to expanding her horizons through meeting other members of the Sinai Community.
Past Student Leaders
Co-Founder: Lily Cohen
Lily Cohen is a medical student with experience in infectious disease epidemiology, pathogen evolution, global health disparities, and science policy (Google Scholar). Outside of school, she collaborates on research with the Viral Emergence (VERENA) consortium and has previously worked with the EcoHealth Alliance, the NIH’s Fogarty International Center, and the Office of International Health and Biodefense at the U.S. Department of State. An aspiring public health physician, her current research focuses on the transmission and control of viruses at the human/wildlife interface, outbreak preparedness strategies, and real-time outbreak analysis. She holds degrees from Brown University (AB) and the University of Cambridge (MPhil). Feel free to email or follow her on twitter @lily_eve_cohen!
Co-Founder: Calla Khilnani
Calla Khilnani is a medical student who is interested in potentially pursuing a career as an infectious disease physician. She graduated in 2020 from Williams College, where she majored in Biology and Spanish. She is interested in learning about the ways in which environmental, ecological, and human health interact, as well as how the recent and dramatic changes in these interactions set the stage for zoonotic outbreaks. Outside of school and academics, her favorite things to do are scuba diving and reading.
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Stephanie Factor
Dr. Factor is an internist, an infectious disease specialist and an epidemiologic researcher. Her work at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention focused on the prevention of diseases due to respiratory pathogens and the prevention of respiratory illness in general. She specifically studied the epidemiology of infections due to group A Streptococcus, group B Streptococcus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Haemophilus influenzae and the prevention of SARS and childhood pneumonia. Her work for the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene focused on prevention of large-scale public health emergencies including preparedness planning for bioterrorism attacks and pandemic influenza. Her current research interests include the epidemiology of emerging pathogens and prevention strategies for influenza. She is the course director for the Epidemiology Course, part of the core curriculum for a Masters in Public Health at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine.