UC Davis campus on a foggy day with Egghead sculpture in foreground.

Research & Administrative Staff

Meet the Team Behind the Science

The Environmental Health Sciences Center relies on a dedicated staff who bring energy, creativity, and expertise to our work. Together, they help shape research into solutions that matter for California communities and beyond. Discover the team supporting EHSC’s vision for healthier environments and healthier lives.

Our Staff

Mariela Alaniz

Research Data Analyst

Mariela is a UC Davis alumna with a BS in Environmental Toxicology and a minor in Statistics. After graduating, she returned to pursue an MS in Biostatistics at California State University, East Bay where she discovered a passion for data analysis and statistical programming in health care. It's always been Mariela's goal to work in a field where she can give back by helping others, and she is happy to share she has found a job that allows for that! After work, Mariela likes to spend time with family and her beagle, read non-fiction, write poetry and compose.

mkpena@health.ucdavis.edu | Contact Mariela for COVID-19 and wildfire research.

Jennifer Biddle

Digital Strategist

Jen is an experienced digital strategist and science communicator with more than 15 years of experience shaping health and science stories for broad audiences. At UC Davis Health, she leads digital strategy, content development, and analytics for high-impact public health initiatives, building campaigns that transform online engagement into real-world change.

Jen established EHSC’s digital programming and has played a pivotal role in engaging communities around wildfire and COVID-19 research. Her award-winning film projects include Waking Up to Wildfires, an Emmy-nominated documentary featured by the National Academies of Sciences and aired on PBS stations nationwide, and Dignidad, a documentary about domestic workers’ struggle for health protections during the COVID-19 pandemic.

jsbiddle@health.ucdavis.edu | Contact Jen with media, website, or social media queries.

José López García

Staff Research Associate

José graduated from UC Davis with a BS in Global Disease Biology and a minor in Public Health Sciences. As an undergrad, he interned at EHSC, contributing to wildfire research for his practicum. Now on staff as the Spanish Survey Coordinator, he's also working on the WHAT NOW CA Study and assists the Comprehensive Cancer Center with the California Firefighter Cancer Research Study. José is currently pursuing a Master of Public Health at UC Davis, and hopes to expand his knowledge and skills to continue advancing EHSC’s research efforts and supporting the broader UC Davis community. 

José comes from a family of immigrant farmworkers and is a first-gen college graduate. He's been hooked on public health since taking his very first course at UC Davis, especially learning how disease, environment, research, and intervention can affect vulnerable and marginalized communities. When he's not at work, José enjoys gardening, reading, exercising, or anything involving outdoor activities. 

jllopezgarcia@health.ucdavis.edu | Contact José for wildfire research.  ¡Habla español! 

Ruth Williams

Project Policy Analyst

As administrative chief, Ruth organizes meetings, projects and seminars for EHSC researchers and keeps all of our operations running smoothly. Ruth began her career at UC Davis in 2012 as an executive assistant in the Department of Public Health Sciences, but her interest in working with researchers began years ago when she helped manage an environmental science lab in the Bay Area.

A problem solver at heart, Ruth loves her current job because she gets to facilitate research collaborations as they're developing. Ruth studied business and human resources at the University of Phoenix, where she also earned her Master’s in Business Administration.

ruwilliams@health.ucdavis.edu | Contact Ruth for AIMS Review and CLG meetings.