Faculty and Staff Researchers

Gregory G. Homish, PhD, is  a co-principal investigator for the Heroic research study. He is a professor and chair in the Department of Community Health and Health Behavior at UB’s School of Public Health and Health Professions. He is also co-training director of an NIH-funded postdoctoral training program. Homish also holds appointments in the departments of Family Medicine and Pediatrics in UB’s School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. He is trained as a psychiatric epidemiologist and has focused his research on the mental and physical health of couples over time. Homish has been the principal investigator or co-investigator on a variety of studies including intervention trials, large sample survey designs, evaluation and implementation studies, technology transfer studies and epidemiologic studies. He has worked with community samples as well as specialized samples such as firefighters, police officers and military service members. His work has been funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Veterans Administration foundation. Homish serves as the alternate sector leader for the  Emergency Mental Health  component of Erie County’s (N.Y.)  Specialized Medical Assistance Response Team (SMART).  He is also a member of a number of professional organizations including the  American Public Health Association  and the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation. 

Linda S. Kahn, PhD, is a co-principal investigator for the Heroic research study. Kahn is a research professor and associate vice chair for research in the Primary Care Research Institute in the Department of Family Medicine at the University at Buffalo. She is a medical anthropologist who has led numerous studies of people living with substance use disorders, mental illnesses, and chronic diseases such as diabetes and chronic kidney disease. In her research she uses community-based techniques and qualitative interviewing methods, often collaborating with community partners. She is most interested in finding ways to improve the medical and behavioral health, and the quality of life for people in the criminal justice system. Kahn is also principal investigator of a NRSA T32 Fellowship Training Program in the Department of Family Medicine. This program, one of 20 in the United States, trains primary care research fellows in implementation science: how evidence-based practices, strategies and interventions can be deployed in “real-world" settings.

Gale R. Burstein, MD, MPH, co-investigator on the HEROIC study & Commissioner of Health is a co-founder and director of the Erie County Opioid Epidemic Task Force (ECOETF) that was strategically involved with the establishment the Opioid Intervention Court. Additionally she is the Erie County commissioner of health and a clinical professor of pediatrics at the University at Buffalo’s Jacobs School Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. Early in her public health career, she spent time at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, where she served as a medical officer conducting research and writing policy on adolescent sexual health care.

D. Lynn Homish, MS, is the project director on  HEROIC. Homish has been involved in NIH research for over two decades. She has served as a project director since the start of the study in October 2019. Homish has directed a number of R01 studies funded by the National Institutes of Health. She has overseen the recruitment, enrollment and longitudinal follow-up of various special populations (e.g., military couples, substance using women seeking both inpatient and outpatient care, and men with prostate cancer care making a treatment decision). These studies have included data collections at multiple facilities in the communities as well as a national, multi-site study. Homish has extensive knowledge about training and supervising staff in data collection, research protocol aspects and longitudinal data management. 

Schuyler C. Lawson, MA, is the project coordinator of the HEROIC project. Schuyler received his master's degree in psychology at UB in 2019 and is currently enrolled in a PhD program for Community Health and Health Behavior in UB’s School of Public Health and Health Professions. His research interests are substance abuse and treatment outcomes. Before working on the HEROIC project, Schuyler was a student research assistant in a randomized clinical trial that investigated using Chantix to help people quit smoking. Throughout his time with that research team, he developed expertise in REDCap, a web platform using for building questionnaires and securely storing participant data. Outside of work, Schuyler enjoys reading books, practicing Spanish, trying new foods, and video gaming. Schuyler is also an avid birder who is always open to exploring new areas to find different species of birds. 

Rachel Hoopsick, PhD, MS, MPH, MCHES, is a NRSA postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Family Medicine in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo. She is interested in the intersection of health services research and behavioral health, with a focus on substance use and mental health disorders among high-risk and vulnerable populations. She has experience in clinical and epidemiological research, as well as applied experience working with behavioral health treatment organizations. In addition to research and public health practice, she is a Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES) and has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in public health at several local institutions.

Megan Carroll, LMSW, is a social worker focusing on case management in Buffalo's Opioid Intervention Court while pursuing her law degree. She assists the HEROIC study with participant recruitment. With a BS in social work from SUNY Fredonia and an MSW from the University at Buffalo, Megan is interested in the intersection between trauma-informed care and the criminal justice system.

Bruno Camodeca-Schmitz, BA, BS, is the research technician on the HEROIC project. Before working on the HEROIC project, Bruno created informational material and research briefs for the Disaster Research Lab at D'Youville University and the Community Health Worker Network of Buffalo. While working there he developed skills in translating qualitative and quantitative research into informative media for health stakeholders. He has also developed IT and media-related skills working as a student ambassador while at D'Youville. At the HEROIC project, Bruno works on data collection, data management and participant recruitment. In his spare time, Bruno also enjoys writing speculative fiction, making music and taking care of his two dogs.