Emily Lum, MPH
3DI Administrative Officer
Research Health System Specialist, SFVA Health Care System
Emily Lum received her Bachelor of Science in Microbiology from the University of California, Santa Barbara. After graduating, she worked as a Research Associate with the HHV-6 Foundation. Her interest in public health grew out of her volunteer experiences with the Public Health Brigades, the Community Wellness Center at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, and NEED in Berkeley. She went on to get her Master's in Public Health in Epidemiology with a minor in Infectious Disease Prevention and Control. Emily joined Dr. Keyhani's research team in early 2019 as a Research Associate and stepped into the Program Coordinator role shortly thereafter. Ms. Lum recently joined the San Francisco VA Health Care System and is the 3DI Administrative Officer, as well as supporting the Mentoring and Career Development Core.
Charles "Curt" Austin, MDiv
3DI Administrative Support
Research Health System Specialist, SFVA Health Care System
Curt Austin received a Bachelors of Fine Arts with a focus on Printmaking from Ball State University in 1987, and then earned his Master of Divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary in 1992. Mr. Austin served as an ordained minister in the United Methodist Church until leaving parish ministry and taking a role as a Project Coordinator at Indiana University and Richard L. Roudebush VA in Indianapolis, IN. He supported Dr. Dawn Bravata and her team investigating Sleep Apnea in TIA and Minor stroke, as well as other important Veteran-related healthcare issues. Mr. Austin entered the public sector in 2015 and worked for Eli Lily in their Oncology Study Startup Division and a research marketing firm until returning to the VA in 2019, where he continued his work with Dr. Bravata, and adding to the science around long-term opioid therapy and cannabis and understanding the impact of intensive care on COVID outcomes at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr. Austin now works for Dr. Keyhani and 3DI to support the Administrative and Veteran Engagement Cores.
Samuel Leonard, MA
3DI Data Manager
Statistician, SFVA Health Care System
Sam Leonard received a Bachelor’s of Science in Mathematics and Economics from the University of Southern California and an MS in Statistics and Applied Mathematics from the University of California Santa Cruz. His interest in public health research began in graduate school, where he assisted in the development of a disease clustering model. He joined Dr. Salomeh Keyhani’s research team at NCIRE as a statistician in 2018. He became a VA employee in 2024 and supports Dr. Keyhani, Dr. Hoggatt and the 3DI Quantitative Data Core.
Catherine Lee, PhD, MS
3DI Biostatistician
Associate Professor, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, UCSF
Cathy Lee received a BA in mathematics from the University of California, Berkely, a PhD in Mathematics from UC Los Angeles, a MS in Biostatistics from UC Los Angeles, and a PhD in Biostatistics from Harvard University. She is a biostatistician and Associate Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at UCSF. Her methodological interests focus on innovations in the analysis of survival endpoints that are often subject to issues, such as competing events, sparsely collected time-dependent exposures, left-truncation, etc., where standard analytic approaches may not be the most appropriate. She has a strong interest in collaborative research and enjoy continually learning through working with other investigators. Ms. Lee supports Dr. Keyhani, Dr. Hoggatt and the 3DI Quantitative Data Core.
Meron Mesgun, BS
3DI Research Assistant
SFVA Health Care System
Meron Mesgun received her Bachelor's of Science in Biochemistry from the University of California, Santa Cruz. She joined Dr. Keyhani's lab as an NCIRE Research Assistant in 2024. She became a San Francisco VA employee in 2026 and supports the Administrative Core and grant submissions.