Policy Core

Rizwana Biviji, PhD, MS

Rizwana Biviji is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the College of Health Solutions at Arizona State University. She has a PhD in Health Policy and Management and M.S. in Nutrition Science. Her research centers around maternal/child health, digital health, health policy and health disparities. Primarily her research focuses on reducing barriers to high quality care by evaluating health policies, organizational capacities, and behavioral interventions (including digital health). She also studies consumer behavior patterns and user uptake of digital health tools such as mHealth/eHealth platforms and telemedicine as means to reduce access barriers and improve health outcomes.

Cindy Herrick

Cindy serves as the Senior Editorial & Research Manager at the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health, where she leads the development of publications and briefs that highlight policy gaps, evidence-based recommendations, and emerging considerations in maternal mental health (MMH). She has led the Maternal Suicide program at the Policy Center since 2018, and is an expert in maternal suicide, MMH screening, peer support, and researching MMH disorders from a holistic perspective. Cindy is currently pursuing her PhD in Nursing Science & Healthcare Innovation at Arizona State University, where she also received her MA in Special Education. Her doctoral research focuses on maternal suicidality and mortality. With a decade of experience in MMH and a strong academic foundation, Cindy has used her skills to bridge the gap between research and policy in MMH, while elevating the use of patient-centered, evidence-based research to inform policy development.

Cindy is a Certified Peer Support Specialist (CPSS) in the State of Arizona and is also certified in Perinatal Mental Health (PMH-C). Cindy is a core member of the Arizona Department of Health Services’ Maternal Mortality Review Board (ADHS MMRC). She is also on ADHS’s Arizona Maternal Mental Health Task Force, where she chaired the awareness workgroup. As a Peer Support Certification Expert Panelist for SAMHSA, Cindy advised on the development of a national framework and standard for peer support. Previously, Cindy served as the Strategic Partnerships & Campaigns Lead at the Policy Center, during which she routinely convened stakeholder events, led the national Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week Campaign (2018-2022), and served as the pharmaceutical advocacy liaison. Additionally, Cindy serves as a reviewer and reviewer mentor for the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). Cindy is currently the Vice President of the ASU Edson PhD Student Organization and was the 2024 Arizona Graduate Nursing Academy Advocacy Leader for the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN).

Alison Sytton-Ryan, DBH, LCSW, LISAC

Dr. Alison Sutton-Ryan is a Clinical Assistant Professor and a graduate of the Doctor of Behavioral Health (DBH) program at Arizona State University (ASU). She brings extensive experience in graduate-level education. Prior to her current role, Dr. Sutton-Ryan served as a Clinical Assistant Professor in Social Work at Salisbury University, where she was honored with the 2023 Interprofessional Education Teaching Award. During her time at Salisbury, she also completed an Interprofessional Education Fellowship focused on enhancing care for transgender individuals in the rural Eastern Shore of Maryland. Dr. Sutton-Ryan has held additional academic roles, including Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Arizona and Faculty Associate at the ASU School of Social Work. She also holds a postgraduate certificate in Veterinary Social Work from the University of Tennessee. With over 25 years of clinical experience, Dr. Sutton-Ryan specializes in perinatal mood disorders, addiction and recovery, and the mental health of medical professionals. Her work in Maternal and Child Health includes developing and facilitating a perinatal support group and serving as a founding member of the Tucson Postpartum Depression Coalition. As the former Director of Mental Health Services for the Colleges of Medicine, Health Sciences, and Veterinary Medicine at the University of Arizona, she developed and led embedded mental health services for students and professionals across disciplines. Dr. Sutton-Ryan’s research centers on integrating lived experiences to improve mental health outcomes and guide program design. She is particularly passionate about advancing the “Fourth Aim”—enhancing the well-being of medical professionals—and the “Fifth Aim”—addressing health disparities in care delivery.

Samantha Girasulo

Samantha Girasulo is a dedicated healthcare advocate and first-year medical student at the University of Connecticut, with aspirations of earning an MD/MPH. She holds a B.S. in Physiology and Neurobiology from UConn and has a strong foundation in clinical research and trauma-informed care. Her work spans maternity care, emergency services, and health policy. Following graduation, Samantha served as a house manager at a maternity shelter in Phoenix, AZ, where she provided wraparound support to women and infants experiencing homelessness—an experience that deepened her commitment to equity and compassionate care. She later joined a Yale-based research initiative focused on improving healthcare delivery for pregnant women with opioid use disorder through enhanced provider education and interdisciplinary collaboration. Samantha is driven by a vision of humanizing medicine and advocates for policies grounded in empathy, accessibility, and holistic support.