ABOUT

The University of Hawaiʻi (UH) System plays a critical role in educating and training Hawaiʻi’s health workforce, as well as researching and addressing health challenges throughout Hawaiʻi and the Pacific. Established in 2018, the UH Office of Strategic Health Initiatives (OSHI) is dedicated to improving health and health care in Hawai‘i and the Pacific through:

STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS

COMMUNITY-ENGAGED ACTIVITIES

FEDERAL STRATEGIES

RESEARCH & SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES

PROJECTS

OSHI established the UHealthy Hawaiʻi Initiative from listening sessions across the UH System and the community. With key internal and external partners, OSHI seeks to leverage UH System’s programs, resources and expertise to improve health and health care in Hawaiʻi and the Pacific, through various projects, including those below.

OUR TEAM

AIMEE MALIA GRACE, MD, MPH, FAAP

Director

Dr. Grace directs the Office of Strategic Health Initiatives, where she leads the UHealthy Hawai‘i Initiative and serves as the Principal Investigator (PI) or co-PI for projects such as the Rural Health Research and Policy Center, Center for Indigenous Innovation and Health Equity, and Red Hill Registry. She is a pediatrician and public health/health policy professional by background, and previously served as health policy advisor for U.S. Senator Brian Schatz in Washington, D.C. Dr. Grace completed her undergraduate studies in human biology at Stanford University, medical degree at the UH John A. Burns School of Medicine, pediatrics residency at Stanford University’s Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, Master of Public Health (Health Policy and Management) degree at the Harvard School of Public Health, and General Academic Pediatrics (Health Policy) fellowship at the Children’s National Health System.

LARA STUDZINSKI

Associate Director

Lara is the Associate Director for the Office of Strategic Health Initiatives, providing strategic support, management and technical assistance across the Office’s initiatives. A leader in sustainable development, she brings over 20 years of experience across the Pacific Islands, including more than a decade of work in the Compact of Free Association (COFA) nations of Micronesia, Palau and Marshall Islands, following assignments in New Caledonia and Kiribati. Her career includes 15 years with the Pacific Community (SPC), where she last served as Regional Director for the Micronesia Region, as well as federal service with Peace Corps, U.S. Department of State, and USAID implementing partners. She holds a master’s degree in Public Policy and Management from The Ohio State University.

RILEY JOHNSON

Operations Manager

Riley has served as Operations Manager for the Office of Strategic Health Initiatives since spring 2024, where she provides operational and strategic management support to multiple federal and state projects. Previously, Riley served as a legislative correspondent for U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono’s office in Washington, D.C. where she managed the Senator’s defense and veterans affairs portfolios. She previously earned her B.A. in Political Science from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, where she wrote her thesis on the success of the anti-pesticide movement in Hawai’i. She is currently pursuing her Master’s in Defense and Security Studies at the Naval War College.