The Planetary Health Leadership Program is led by distinguished Yale School of Nursing faculty and supported by a dedicated program team. Our instructional approach blends academic rigor with applied leadership practice across global and local health contexts.
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Faculty of Record
Christine Rodriguez, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, MDiv, MA, FNYAM, FAAN
Assistant Professor & Associate Dean of Nursing Impact, Yale School of Nursing | Faculty Director, Planetary Health Leadership Program (she | they | ella)
Dr. Christine Rodriguez is an Afro-Indigenous nurse practitioner, scholar, and advocate whose work spans racial equity, 2SLGBTQIA+ health, spirituality, and social justice. Drawing on a biopsychosociospiritual framework and her own lived experience, she works to dismantle systemic oppression in healthcare and education. As Associate Dean of Nursing Impact and a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, she brings transformative, equity-centered leadership to every dimension of this program.
Program Director
Asia Neupane, Ed.D
Director, Yale School of Nursing | Program Director, Planetary Health Leadership Program
Asia Neupane serves as the inaugural Director of Planetary Health and Global Engagement at Yale School of Nursing, where she leads the Planetary Health Leadership Program and oversees YSN’s growing portfolio of global partnerships and initiatives.
Asia brings extensive experience in international programming and institutional engagement across Yale’s academic enterprise, including roles at the Yale Office of International Affairs, the MacMillan Center for International and Area Studies, the Yale School of Management, and Yale’s Office of International Development.
A two-time Fulbright fellow and recipient of the Yale Working Women’s Network award, her academic research centers on networks and internationalization in higher education. She is a fellow and advisor at Silliman College and serves on the editorial boards of two international higher education journals.
Originally from Nepal, Asia’s commitment to planetary health has shaped research and educational engagements in sustainable development and environmental health across South Asia, the Caribbean, and Latin America.
Lead Faculty
Lead faculty shape and deliver weekly thematic content and support participant learning through applied leadership engagement, live facilitation, and capstone mentorship.
David Vlahov, PhD, RN, FAAN
Professor, Yale School of Nursing & Yale School of Public Health
Dr. David Vlahov is a globally recognized epidemiologist whose career has centered on urban health, infectious disease, substance use, and health equity. Founding President of the International Society for Urban Health and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Urban Health, he has led landmark community-based research across Baltimore, Harlem, and beyond. A member of the National Academy of Medicine with over 700 publications, his work has shaped harm reduction policy and advanced the science of social determinants of health worldwide.
Sandy Cayo, DNP, FNP-BC, FAAN
Assistant Professor & Director of GEPN Excellence, Yale School of Nursing
Dr. Sandy Cayo is a board-certified family nurse practitioner, educator, and global health advocate with over 15 years of experience across primary care, oncology, and women’s health. A Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, she travels annually to Haiti, Nigeria, and Ghana to lead health fairs and nursing education initiatives. Her doctoral research examining perceived discrimination and blood pressure control in Black patients reflects her deep commitment to dismantling health inequities — a cornerstone of the Planetary Health Leadership Program.
Michelle Telfer, DNP, MPH, CNM, FACNM
Associate Professor of Nursing, Yale School of Nursing
Dr. Michelle Telfer is a certified nurse-midwife, global health scholar, and educator with over two decades of full-scope midwifery practice. A Plank Global Fellow, she leads partnerships with Makerere University in Uganda and Mother Health International to advance midwifery education and improve maternal and newborn outcomes in low-resource settings. She is co-creator of a Coursera course on global quality maternal and newborn care, with over 6,000 learners enrolled worldwide.
Xuehong Zhang, MBBS, MSc, ScD
Professor & Associate Dean of Research, Yale School of Nursing
Dr. Xuehong Zhang is a Professor, Associate Dean of Research, and seasoned epidemiologist whose work centers on translating evidence into the prevention and early detection of gastrointestinal cancers. Drawing on nearly two decades at Harvard Medical School and Brigham & Women’s Hospital, he applies clinical, epidemiological, and community-based approaches to intervene on modifiable factors — including diet, lifestyle, and obesity — and reduce health disparities. He leads more than 10 active NIH-funded projects and has published over 240 papers in high-impact journals.
Ami Marshall, EdD, MSN, APRN, ANP-C
Assistant Professor & Specialty Director, AGPCNP Program, Yale School of Nursing
Dr. Ami Marshall is a nurse practitioner, educator, and global health faculty member whose work is rooted in presence, access, and care without walls. She practices with Yale’s Community Health Care Van in street medicine and leads curriculum innovation integrating simulation into graduate nursing education. Her commitment to meeting patients where they are — and creating space for transformative learning — reflects the spirit of medical humanities and holistic, person-centered leadership at the heart of this program.
S. Raquel Ramos, PhD, MBA, MSN, FNYAM, FAHA, FAAN
Associate Professor, Yale School of Nursing & Yale School of Public Health
Dr. S. Raquel Ramos is a nurse scientist and technology innovator whose research harnesses AI and digital tools to prevent cardiovascular and chronic diseases in historically marginalized populations. Currently funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation to develop a large language model for personalized CVD prevention, she brings deep expertise in behavioral intervention design, health equity, and ethical technology use. A Fellow of the American Heart Association and American Academy of Nursing, she is the inaugural AARP/RWJF Equity-minded Nurse Researcher.
Jennifer McIntosh, PhD, APRN, PMHNP-BC, CNE, NEA-BC
Senior Lecturer & Director of Clinical Education, GEPN Program, Yale School of Nursing
Dr. Jennifer McIntosh is a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner, researcher, and global health educator whose work centers on mental health equity, stigma, and the ethics of care in high-pressure health systems. She leads global nursing partnerships with institutions in Japan, Haiti, and China, and her research examines how healthcare environments shape psychological safety, burnout, and individualized care. Her clinical expertise — including ketamine-assisted treatment — brings a grounded, humanistic lens to sustainable leadership and well-being.
Tatiana Sadak, PhD, PMHNP, RN, FAAN
Professor & Deputy Dean, Yale School of Nursing | Faculty Director, Planetary Health Leadership Program
Dr. Tatiana Sadak is a nationally recognized nurse scientist, educator, and leader who brings together research excellence, curriculum innovation, and systems-level thinking to advance health equity globally. As Deputy Dean of Yale School of Nursing and founder of the Dementia Palliative Education Network, she has shaped nursing education worldwide while championing antiracism and inclusion. A Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing supported by NIH, she provides the academic vision and strategic leadership that anchors this program.
Additional Guest Faculty & Speakers
The program features rotating guest faculty and expert practitioners across its eight thematic modules, including leaders in global health, implementation science, AI ethics, health policy, and the medical humanities. Confirmed speakers will be announced prior to the program launch.
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Yale School of Nursing
Sohani Sirdeshmukh
Assistant Director, Planetary Health and Global Engagement
Contact Us
For questions about the program or the application process, contact ysn.global@yale.edu