Josh Barocas, MD, is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and an infectious diseases physician at Denver Health, Colorado’s largest safety-net hospital. He serves as Founding Executive Director of the Colorado Poverty and Health Initiative (COPHI), where his work focuses on generating rigorous, policy-relevant evidence to reduce health disparities driven by poverty, substance use, and structural disadvantage. His research centers on improving outcomes for people living with or at high risk for HIV and complications of drug use, including individuals with substance use disorders and those experiencing homelessness. An interdisciplinary health services researcher, Dr. Barocas uses clinical epidemiology, health economics, simulation modeling, and cost-effectiveness analysis to inform health policy and resource allocation at local, state, and national levels. His NIH R01–funded work builds on prior leadership of the Health Economics and Modeling Core of the Massachusetts HEALing Communities Study, where he led the largest community-based costing study in NIDA’s history. He developed the REDUCE microsimulation model to project long-term outcomes of injection drug use, including overdose, endocarditis, and skin and soft-tissue infections. Dr. Barocas is a Research Affiliate of the CHERISH Center and an Associate Editor of the International Journal of Drug Policy.

Sarah Brewer, PhD, serves as the Director of Education for the Colorado Poverty and Health Initiative (COPHI) and is an Assistant Professor of Family Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Dr. Brewer is uniquely equipped to lead COPHI’s educational mission because of her deep expertise in community-engaged research, engagement science, and mixed methods, as well as her proven ability to build educational programs that bridge primary care, public health, and community priorities.

Her research focuses on how health systems can better respond to real-world needs—including vaccine uptake, chronic disease management, maternal and mental health, refugee and immigrant health, and advanced medical education. Grounded in community organizing and community-based participatory action research, Dr. Brewer is known for designing educational and research environments that authentically incorporate the lived experiences of underrepresented and multilingual communities. This approach directly aligns with COPHI’s commitment to addressing the social and structural conditions that shape health.

Dr. Brewer brings significant leadership experience through her roles as Co‑Director of the ACCORDS Training, Education, and Mentorship (TEaM) Core, Methodologist in the ACCORDS Qualitative and Mixed Methods Core, and Associate Director of the Colorado Children’s Outcomes Network (COCONet).

With her combined strengths in mentorship, community partnership, and cross-sector collaboration, Dr. Brewer provides the strategic vision and practical expertise needed to build COPHI’s educational infrastructure and train the next generation of leaders working at the intersection of poverty and health.

Elizabeth Carlton, PhD, MPH, is a professor and Chair of the Department of Environmental & Occupational Health at the Colorado School of Public Health. She is an environmental epidemiologist who studies how infectious diseases spread, how climate change is altering infectious disease distributions, and how we can improve our ability to track emerging and endemic infectious disease threats.

Previously, Dr. Carlton led a long-term study of the neglected tropical disease, schistosomiasis, and has worked to advance research on infectious diseases of poverty, serving as an editor of PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases and a scientific advisor to the National Institutes of Health Tropical Medicine Research Centers. She co-led the Colorado COVID-19 modeling group, providing rapid analysis for Colorado policy-makers during the pandemic.

She is currently leading efforts to promote innovation and collaboration on climate and health issues in Colorado. Dr. Carlton teaches courses on environmental and occupational epidemiology, the health impacts of climate change, and the emergence and control of infectious diseases. She leads the Doctor of Public Health program in Environmental and Occupational Health.

Dr. Carlton received her PhD in Environmental Health Sciences from the University of California Berkeley, her MPH from the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, and her BS in biology from Yale University. Prior to graduate school, she was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Honduras. 

Alyssa Haberle, MBA brings a career rooted in service, systems thinking, and community care. She began her professional journey as a 911 operator and volunteer victim advocate, shaping her deep commitment to showing up for people and building supportive environments where teams thrive.

Since joining the university in 2016, she has developed strong expertise in research administration, grant management, and operational strategy. Her pursuit of an MBA reflects her drive to strengthen the systems that power research. Bringing clarity, efficiency, and meaningful impact.

At COPHI, Alyssa blends these strengths to lead an initiative that connects research, community, and innovation. She views COPHI not just as a program, but as a growing ecosystem . One built on service, collaboration, and the belief that transformative work happens when people feel seen, connected, and empowered.

Sarah Staron, MPA, is a healthcare public administration specialist and project manager in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Her background includes statewide health equity policy, trauma‑informed programming, nonprofit operations, and coalition facilitation. She previously led policy campaigns at Young Invincibles and supported violence‑prevention programs at the Center on Domestic Violence. Sarah holds a Master’s in Public Administration with a concentration in Gender‑Based Violence from CU Denver and brings expertise in project management, community engagement, and strategic communications. Outside of work, she is a devoted dog mom, avid color‑coder and always dresses up for the Renaissance Faire.