Staff

Research

	Kristen Bettega Project Manager Phone: (916) 734-7262, Email: kristen.bettega@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu Bettega is a project manager with the School of Nursing research team and she supports the team’s efforts to build and develop the school’s research program. Previously, Bettega served as a community health program representative with the National Children’s Study at UC Davis Health System, where she worked to recruit and retain study participants. Her professional experience includes work as a research specialist for EMQ FamiliesFirst, an organization that helps children in crisis and their families. Bettega earned a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from UC Davis in 2000.
	Jodi Casselman Manager, Research & Grants Administration Phone: (916) 734-3664, Email: jodi.casselman@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu Casselman is the manager of research and grants administration leading the effort to build innovative and transformative research programs and develop the infrastructure and internal systems for research programs management and grants administration. Casselman provides oversight and management for research and grants, including reviews with the Institutional Review Board and Sponsored Programs Office. Since joining the team in 2007, Casselman has focused on ensuring the school’s successful launch in a variety of areas including proposal development and coordination, facilities planning and human resources. Casselman graduated from UC Davis with a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition Science in 1985. She started her career as a research associate at Antibodies, Inc., in Davis before joining the UC Davis School of Medicine’s Department of Cell Biology/Human Anatomy, where she provided research and laboratory management. She was also the facilities manager and safety officer at Sagres Discovery, Inc. Before joining the School of Nursing, she served as an assistant project manager and program coordinator for the UC Davis Office of Research.
	Kathleen Dooley Certified Research Administrator Phone: (916) 734-7250, Email: kathleen.dooley@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu Kathleen Dooley provides grant writing and operational support for the growing research program as a senior grant writer and certified research administrator at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing. Prior to joining the school, Dooley was the program manager for the UC Davis Superfund Research and Training Program, an interdisciplinary program funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, and was a supervisor at the UC Davis Department of Entomology Research Administration Office. Dooley earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Welfare at California State University, Sacramento, in 1986.
	Sheridan Miyamoto, M.S.N., F.N.P. Grant Project Manager Phone: (916) 471-9220, Email: sheridan.miyamoto@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu Sheridan Miyamoto is a registered nurse health coach at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis where she conducts research aimed at helping diabetic patients living in rural areas to adopt healthy behaviors and improve their health using telehealth communications. Prior to joining the School of Nursing, Miyamoto was the clearance exam program coordinator at the UC Davis Medical Center’s Child and Adolescent Abuse Resource and Evaluation Diagnostic and Treatment Center, which provides health and forensic services to children placed into foster care by Child Protective Services or law enforcement. In that role, she supported six rural sites through live telemedicine consultations, allowing children to receive quality care within their own community. She was a sexual assault examiner on the pediatric sexual abuse emergency response team providing acute and follow-up child sexual abuse exams for 12 years. Miyamoto earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from UC Davis and a Master of Science in Nursing and Family Nurse Practitioner Program from Vanderbilt University.
	Devin Rifkin Research Analyst Phone: (916) 734-5073, Email: devin.rifkin@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu Devin Rifkin is a research analyst and grants manager for the nurse practitioner and physician assistant programs at the School of Nursing. He provides research support to develop underserved primary care rotations and increase recruitment and retention of culturally diverse and disadvantaged students. Prior to his current position, he began his career with UC Davis in 2006 as a grant coordinator for the Center of Health Services Research in Primary Care. In 2008, Rifkin worked as a clinical research coordinator at the Department of Internal Medicine, where he managed research projects. Rifkin is a certified clinical research administrator and member of the Society of Clinical Research Associates. Rifkin earned Bachelor of Arts Degrees in Psychology and Communications at UC Davis in 2003.
	James F. Rodgers Project Manager Phone: (916) 734-7319, Email: james.rodgers@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu James F. Rodgers is a project manager for two School of Nursing research teams, the Interprofessional Collaborative Incident Response Team and the Comprehensive Cancer Center Research Development Team. Rodgers coordinates the development of the Interprofessional Collaborative Incident Response Team project and its integration into UC Davis Health System. He also supports the development of the cancer care research team’s efforts to improve community-based cancer care. Prior to joining the School of Nursing team, Rodgers worked as director and coordinator for several non-profit organizations, including the West Sacramento Youth Resource Coalition, the Yolo Family Service Agency and Catholic Charities. Rodgers earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from St. Mary’s College of California and master’s degrees in Non-Profit Administration from the University of San Francisco and in Counseling from California State University, San Francisco.
	Vanessa Santillan Junior Research Specialist Phone: (916) 703-5572, Email: vanessa.santillan@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu As a junior research specialist, Vanessa Santillan assists several Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing faculty members. Santillan joined the School of Nursing as a student research assistant for the Increasing Rural Community Engagement in Telehealth Research project. Previously, she was a sentinel network project volunteer at UC Davis Center for Reducing Health Disparities and a clinic intern at the UC Davis Medical Center OB-GYN clinic. Santillan also served as a clinic volunteer at UC Davis Clinica Tepati, including clinic manager and executive board member. Santillan earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior at UC Davis in 2011.