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Meet a Participant

One of the best ways to learn about opportunities at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is through the eyes of a past participant.


Participant Highlight Form

ORISE is lucky to have so many great fellows/participants and mentors in our ORISE Research Participation Programs. We would like to be able to highlight the profiles of our active fellows, alumni, and mentors on our website, on our social media accounts, in newsletters, videos, or press releases. Do you have a mentor or a fellow/participant in the Research Participation Program whose accomplishments you would like to see highlighted through ORISE?

Download the Highlight form


  • darcy-cherlin.webp

    Darcy Cherlin

    Darcy Cherlin is researching the availability of prevention and care services for viral hepatitis, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in opioid treatment programs (OTPs).

  • bryan-castro.webp

    Bryan Castro

    Watch this video profile on Bryan Castro and his experience at HHS and ORISE taken at the APHA 2022 Annual Meeting and Expo in Boston, MA.
  • malorie-polster.jpg

    Malorie Polster

    Malorie Polster supports the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) to promote and increase access to physical activity in communities across the United States.

  • carol-diaz-diaz-photo.jpg

    Carol Diaz-Diaz

    From science fair to project officer of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority’s (BARDA) Antiviral and Antitoxin branch, Carol Diaz-Diaz, Ph.D., helps in the fight against COVID-19, Ebola, and smallpox. 

  • kyla-britson.jpg

    Kyla Britson

    The overarching goals of Britson’s fellowship were to learn how medical countermeasures are developed and specifically how BARDA supports that process. She supported efforts within the AVAT portfolio, which allowed her to acquire a range of experiences within the field of medical countermeasure development. She has also gained experience in all stages of acquisition planning, including shadowing the technical evaluation of proposals and contract negotiations.

  • shiraz-belblidia.jpg

    Shiraz Belblidia

    Shiraz Belblidia is an ORISE fellow in the Office of the Director at the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority.

  • Amanda Stearns

    Amanda Stearns

    As a participant in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Fellowship, Amanda Stearns created social media messages designed to educate the research community about ethical research practices.

  • mirador.jpg

    Sherry Mirador

    Sherry Mirador partnered with communities across the Midwest to promote preventive health care. She was a fellow with ORISE for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

  • I’ve had several different fellowships through ORISE and I think it’s one of the best ways to learn right out of a degree program. The emphasis is on getting a good learning experience and getting the skills needed to land a great job. You get a lot of flexibility to learn from different people and teams within an office to pick up a variety of skills and experiences.

    —Amanda Stearns
  • I always believed in preventive health care and the long-term benefits it would have in the health care field. Over the years I have become very passionate about empowering individuals through education to take control of their health by way of living a healthy lifestyle. It was only fitting that I would find myself in the public health realm of health care.

    —Sherry Mirador