Our Team


Medical Advisors

Student Directors

Resources and Referrals Director: Carlos Hernandez-Castillo, YSM 2027 (carlos.hernandezcastillo@yale.edu

  • Carlos Hernandez-Castillo is a medical student at the Yale School of Medicine from Ventura, CA. He completed his undergraduate degree in chemistry at Pomona College. He holds a Master of Science degree in Global Health from UC San Francisco. Carlos’s research has spanned bench and computational work in physical chemistry, clinical work aiming at improving diabetes diagnostics and finding biomarkers of diabetes complications prior to onset, epidemiological research exploring extrapulmonary tuberculosis in San Francisco, and community-based work focusing on a psychosocial intervention in a predominantly Latino, immigrant community in Southern California. Carlos’s passions include community health, community-based participatory research, immigrant health, and long-term management of disease sequalae (i.e., childhood cancer survivors, post neuroinfectious disease). Carlos is ecstatic about joining the NHP leadership because of its mission of improving health outcomes for the New Haven community through screening and referrals and its commitment to work with community partners to ameliorate health disparities.

Special Projects Director:  Ezra Otto, YSN 2026 (ezra.otto@yale.edu)

  • Ezra Otto is a GEPN- Family Nurse Practitioner at the Yale School of Nursing. He completed his undergraduate degree in public health at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and has experience working on community health and LGBTQ+ health initiatives in the Clinical Operations department within the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion department of a major health system in the Midwest. He also completed an internship with Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, where he developed a resource guide for under and uninsured populations to receive breast screenings after abnormal findings, increasing their access to care. He is passionate about improving health disparities, health outcomes, increasing access to routine medical care, and increasing trust between clinicians and community members. He is thrilled to join the NHP team as Special Projects Director to help further their efforts in the New Haven community!

Community Outreach Director: Ryan Sutherland, YSM 2026 (ryan.sutherland@yale.edu)

  • Ryan Sutherland completed a Master of Public Health degree at the Yale School of Public Health in the Social and Behavioral Science Department with a concentration in Global Health and an MPhil in Development Studies as a Rotary Global Grant Scholar from the University of Cambridge. After completing his graduate education at Yale, he worked for Partners in Health to stem the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in Massachusetts while serving as an inaugural fellow at the Harvard Public Health Review. In addition to serving as Community Outreach Director of NHP, he serves as the Executive Director of PAWS (Poverty Alleviation through Washing Soles) and works with the Haven Free Clinic.

Flu Clinic/YSN Liaison: Christina Pantzer, YSN 2025 (christina.pantzer@yale.edu)

  • Christina Pantzer is a GEPN-psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner student at the Yale School of Nursing. She completed her undergraduate degree in psychology with a Spanish minor at the University of Virginia, and she has experience as a patient care aide and research assistant. Christina’s passions include community health, addiction recovery, and reducing healthcare disparities related to language barriers. She is excited to join the NHP team and increase access to health screening in the New Haven community!

Supplies/Budget and Data Management Director: Melissa Ta, YSN 2026 (melissa.ta@yale.edu

  • Melissa Ta is a GEPN-pediatric nurse practitioner student at the Yale School of Nursing. She has completed her undergraduate degree in Biological Science with a Medical Humanities minor at the University of California, Irvine. She has a passion in community health and has experience running a student-run free clinic back in Orange County, CA. Melissa is excited to join the NHP team and help NHP thrive in health screening in the New Haven community! 

Volunteer and Attendings Director: Stacy Uchendu, YSM 2028 (stacy.uchendu@yale.edu)

  • Stacy Uchendu is a MD-PhD student at Yale Medical School with research interests in Neuroscience and clinical interest in Psychiatry. She graduated from Wesleyan University with a degree in Chemistry. Stacy’s interest in creating healthy lifestyles for herself and the people around her began when she participated in a longitudinal clinical study on juvenile Type 2 Diabetes and lifestyle habits in middle school. She has fostered this interest by volunteering at Gather New Haven, teaching food science to kids, and serving as co-Director at Neighborhood Health Project. 

Summer Interns

  • Summer 2023: Nabeel Kassam, SOM  2024

  • Summer 2022: Madison Novosel, YSPH 2023

  • Summer 2021: Caroline McWilliams, YSPH 2022

  • Summer 2020: Deyri Garcia, YSPH 2021

  • Summer 2019: Beth Raiff, YSPH 2020

  • Summer 2018: Kamran Javadi, YSPH/YSM PA 2020