Nearly 1,200 first-year health professional students from Emory’s schools of medicine, nursing and public health took part in the third annual Interprofessional Education: Achieving Collaborative Team Solutions (IPE-ACTS) Day 2026. The Woodruff Health Sciences Center’s Office of Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice hosted 115 interprofessional student teams that worked together to address 10 health challenges facing Atlanta communities.
IPE-ACTS is the only Emory course that brings all health professional students together in the first year of their programs and challenges them to work as interprofessional teams to solve faculty-led, current health challenges. Teams present their solutions and are judged based on the application of IPE core competencies in their development of viable concepts that show promise for real-world impact.
Team members James Burton (public health) and Jenna Wilson (nursing), who participated in the Climate Justice challenge hosted at the School of Medicine, learned much from IPE-ACTS Day. Their team explored how Emory can help address health disparities faced by communities living around Atlanta incinerator sites.
“It was super insightful,” Burton says. “I had no idea about some of the clinical aspects and considerations around this topic before today.”
Across campus at Rollins School of Public Health (RSPH), Jodie Guest, director of the Office of IPECP, served as faculty champion for the Science Disinformation Health Challenge, where 121 students formed 12 interprofessional teams to “Combat Science Disinformation & Vaccine Hesitancy,” one of four challenges hosted by RSPH.
As measles cases climb in our neighboring state of South Carolina among mostly unvaccinated people, Emory students explored ways to mitigate the harms to health caused by vaccine-related science disinformation.
“We cannot stop transmission of our most infectious vaccine-preventable disease without reaching and reassuring susceptible populations that their best protection for themselves, their families and their communities is a safe and effective vaccine,” Guest says. “The collaboration and concepts that came from our Emory students were impressive. Many of their ideas could be implemented with great impact; it was hard to pick just one winning team.”
In the Opioid Crises Health Challenge, faculty champion Sarah Febres-Cordero shared how her experience as a pizza waitress in Little 5 Points led to her harm reduction research, earning her PhD, and establishing the overdose education and naloxone distribution lab at the School of Nursing. She challenged the 11 student teams who attended her lecture, “Addressing the Opioid Crisis with Interdisciplinary Harm Reduction Interventions,” to reduce stigma surrounding drug use, promote safer drug use and identify opioid-involved overdoses to save lives in marginalized communities across Atlanta.
RSPH student Swarali Manoj Kuthe chose this challenge because it reflected on her ongoing research interest that began with her substance-related health work in India.
“Interdisciplinary dialogue is essential for advancing research-informed responses to substance-related health challenges that span clinical care, behavioral science and public health practice,” she says.
IPE-ACTS Day 2026 was led by 10 faculty champions, 10 IPE leads and more than 70 faculty, staff and student volunteers. Working as One Emory across the schools of medicine, nursing and public health, the Office of IPECP provides interprofessional educational opportunities that prepare the next generation of Emory health professionals who are ready to soar and serve.
Click each challenge name to learn more about the 2026 IPE-ACTS faculty champions, winning concepts and winning team members.
Co-faculty Champions
Martha Ward, MD
Milena Armani, MD
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine
Winning Concept
Trickle Down Training Program
Team Members
Stella Bailey, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
Matthew Burdyck, Rollins School of Public Health
Meila Ehnert, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
Jacqueline Joyce, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
Chloe Kim, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
Mahri Lima, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
Nina Mondero, Emory University School of Medicine
Zoe Oliphant, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
Austine Otokhile Jr., Emory University School of Medicine
Aigerim Zhakshybaeva, Rollins School of Public Health
Faculty Champion
Susan Brasher, PhD, RN, CPNP, FAAN
Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
Winning Concept (tie)
Childhood Literacy Storytime Starts In U.T.E.R.O
Team Members
Jennifer Duenas, Rollins School of Public Health
Sharifa Fatao, Rollins School of Public Health
Imaan Hasham, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
Lauren Kim, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
Ashley Montero, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
Phoenix Moy, Emory University School of Medicine
Judy Nguyen, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
Toni Oluwatade, Emory University School of Medicine
Isabella Siesel, Emory University School of Medicine
Christy Young, Rollins School of Public Health
Winning Concept (tie)
Kinder Camp+: Elementary Student Literacy Tutoring
Team Members
Ava Amar, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
Katie Briggs, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
Nachi Chukwumerije, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
Estrella Rossines Carrasco, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
Mercy Olowoyo, Emory University School of Medicine
Adam Quintanilla, Emory University School of Medicine
Shannon Stough, Emory University School of Medicine
Olayinka Suleiman, Rollins School of Public Health
Emilia Wasilewicz, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
La’el Williams, Rollins School of Public Health
Faculty Champion
Rebecca Philipsborn, MD, MPA
Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine
Winning Concept
Watch the Waste: Waste Reduction in the ED
Team Members
Isabel Anulacion, Rollins School of Public Health
Deborah Ejiwale, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
Brandon Friedman, Rollins School of Public Health
Grace Kiwanuka Woernle, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
Terrence Lurry, Emory University School of Medicine
Vincent Nguyen, Rollins School of Public Health
Moses Ogwang, Rollins School of Public Health
Janetta Orelus, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
Dessie Tien, Emory University School of Medicine
Sabrina Yu, Rollins School of Public Health
Gugma Vida, Rollins School of Public Health
Faculty Champion
Jodie Guest, PhD, MPH
Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health
Winning Concept
VIAL: Vaccines for Interfaith Acceptance and Learning
Team Members
Angelique Boyer, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
ShaDiamond Hamilton, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
Kelsey Henry, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
Makenna Myrick, Rollins School of Public Health
McKaela Rowland, Emory University School of Medicine
Vivek Reddy Sangireddy, Rollins School of Public Health
Gabrielle Schuh, Emory University School of Medicine
Ethan Shi, Emory University School of Medicine
Sami Snider, Rollins School of Public Health
Ashley Yoon, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
Faculty Champion
Shawana Moore, DNP, MSN, CRNP, WHNP-BC
Clinical Track and DPN Program Director, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
Winning Concept
Heart to Home: Postpartum Toolkits
Team Members
Coco Lu, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
Ellie Raulston, Emory University School of Medicine
Isis Mitchell, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
Kai Addo, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
Kaitlyn Hott, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
Kelsey Supple, Rollins School of Public Health
Michelle Zhang, Emory University School of Medicine
Rhea Manani, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
Saanya Bhargava, Emory University School of Medicine
Victoria Wright, Rollins School of Public Health
Faculty Champion
Sarah Febres-Cordero, PhD, RN
Assistant professor, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
Winning Concept
Harm Reduction for Substance Use Among Pregnant People at Northside Hospital
Team Members
Lily Bass, Emory University School of Medicine
Mikalah Bennett, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
Dingyuan Hu, Rollins School of Public Health
Elsie Lee, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
Samantha Li, Rollins School of Public Health
Doussou Toure, Rollins School of Public Health
Isabelle Tuveson, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
Sakinah Worsham, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
Logan Younk, Emory University School of Medicine
Faculty Champion
Jeb Jones, PhD, MPH, MS
Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health
Winning Concept
Closing the Gap: Improving HIV Testing and PrEP Outreach in Rural MSM Populations
Team Members
Yohannes Abraham, Emory University School of Medicine
Waltana Dawit, Rollins School of Public Health
Alyssa Jeter, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
Susanna Kisker, Emory University School of Medicine
Olivia Liopiros, Rollins School of Public Health
Nana Lloyd, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
Andrea Lopez, Emory University School of Medicine
Jasmine Robinson, Rollins School of Public Health
Anjae Turman, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
Martha Wilber, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
Faculty Champions
Sara L. Campbell, MD, MSPH
Department of Gynecology & Obstetrics, Emory University School of Medicine, OBGYN, Emory Women’s Center
Jason Schneider, MD, FACP
Department of Medicine, Emory School of Medicine
Winning Concept
Queers on Gears
Team Members
Ami Syed, Rollins School of Public Health
Ayana Hampton, Rollins School of Public Health
Dutch Allen, Emory University School of Medicine
Grace Yu, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
Jennifer Zhao, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
Jizhi Feng, Rollins School of Public Health
Leah Sang, Rollins School of Public Health
Marisol Cora Cruz, Emory University School of Medicine
Natalie Rivas, Rollins School of Public Health
Nyesa Baptiste, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
Faculty Champion
Ilana Graetz, PhD
Department of Health Policy and Management, Rollins School of Public Health
Winning Concept (tie)
Enhanced Diabetes Assessment in Chronic Care (EDACC)
Team Members
Maha Abu-Salah, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
Kurt Adams, Rollins School of Public Health
Jakayla Davis, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
Jack Hester, Emory University School of Medicine
Chaeeun Kim, Rollins School of Public Health
Qi Liu, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
Licza Lobo, Rollins School of Public Health
Alessandra Pinares, Rollins School of Public Health
Charity Prather, Rollins School of Public Health
Mary Sapigao, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
Winning Concept (tie)
Dialing T1DE: Type 1 Diabetes Empowerment: Using a Diabetes Hotline to Improve Outcomes in Underserved Communities
Team Members
Amarah Anwar, Emory University School of Medicine
Sayge Brown, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
Rafael Celedon Garcia, Emory University School of Medicine
Esther Effiong, Rollins School of Public Health
Nyasha Mafarachisi, Emory University School of Medicine
Yarden Mor, Rollins School of Public Health
Anika Sharan, Rollins School of Public Health
Jill Smith, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
Alexis Williams, Rollins School of Public Health
Sophia Wilson, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing