HEIC Staff

Faculty and Staff at HEIC

Administration

Trish M. Perl, MD, MSc 
Hospital Epidemiologist 
Function: Oversee the functions of the Department of Hospital Epidemiology and Infection Control (HEIC) Email: tperl@jhmi.edu 

 Lisa Maragakis, MD, MS 
Associate Hospital Epidemiologist
Function: Assists the Hospital Epidemiologist with the functions and personnel of the department. Assists research coodinator in directing research activities for the department. Email: lmaraga1@jhmi.edu

Sara Cosgrove, MD, MS 
Director, Antibiotic Management Program; Associate Hospital Epidemiologist
Function: Oversees antibiotic use for Johns Hopkins Hospital.  Assists the Hospital Epidemiologist with the functions and personnel of the department. Assists research coodinator in directing research activities for the department. Email: scosgro1@jhmi.edu

Polly Ristaino, MS, CIC
Manager-Infection Control Practitioner/Epidemiologist
Function: Oversee Hospital Epidemiology and Infection Control (HEIC) operations, co-ordinate and supervise infection control practitioners and manage the daily operations of the HEIC department.
Email: pristai1@jhmi.edu 

Infection Control Practitioners/Epidemiologists

• Josh Bord, MS - jbord1@jhmi.edu
• Alicia Budd, MPH - abudd3@jhmi.edu
• Anne Caston-Gaa, RN, MSN, MPH - acaston2@jhmi.edu
• Laura Desnoo, RN, MSN, CNOR - ldesnoo1@jhmi.edu
• Donna Fellerman, RN, CIC - dfeller2@jhmi.edu
• Obaida Merheb, MS, CIC - omerheb1@jhmi.edu
• Sabra Shay, BSN, MPH - sshay1@jhmi.edu
• Amy Winkler, RN, MPH, CIC - awinkle4@jhmi.edu

Function: Plan and implement the infection control program for areas of responsibility; evaluate policies, procedures and practices relating to infection control; develop web-based educational materials; investigate clusters and outbreaks; monitor nosocomial infection rates and produce summary reports.

Support Staff

Elaine Fadden Nowakowski
Infection Control Assistant
Function: Assist infection control practitioners and other staff in implementation of infection control policies, practices, and procedures.
Email: efadden1@jhmi.edu

Debbie McKeown 
Staff Assistant
Function: Maintain project data, prepare various payroll and personnel forms, answer questions regarding departmental policies and procedures. Coordinate a variety of departmental projects, activities and schedules for the infection control professionals and other staff in the department.
Email: dmckeow2@jhmi.edu 
 

Research Staff 

Kathleen Speck, MPH
Research Coordinator
Function: Works with the Hospital Epidemiologists to coordinate and implement clinical research studies for the Department of Hospital Epidemiology and Infection Control. Carry out data collection and management of several multi-site studies.
Email: kspeck2@jhmi.edu 

Research Assistants
Function: Carry out data collection and management of several multi-site studies

• Sierra Gardner - sgardn12@jhmi.edu
• Lauren Gritzer - lgritze1@jhmi.edu
• Andrew Lee - alee29@jhmi.edu
• Loni Alezra - ialezra1@jhmi.edu

Tracy Ross, MT
Laboratory Specialist, Molecular Microbioloy and Epidemiology 
Function: Support laboratory functions related to infection control, perform molecular typing  
Email: tross@jmhi.edu