About US

Who we are

The Michigan Healthy Nail Salon Cooperative (MHNSC) was formed in 2016 following increasing national concern for the health and safety of nail salon owners and workers in the United States. This group of salon workers includes many minority individuals, especially of Vietnamese descent, who are often underserved and underrepresented by government resources and protections. MHNSC is made up of a team of professors, researchers, and students at the University of Michigan. The team includes expertise and experience in industrial hygiene and workplace health and safety, Vietnamese language skills, community-based research practices, consulting, and both quantitative and qualitative research methods.

Our Mission

The mission of MHNSC is to investigate and raise awareness of health and safety issues faced by nail salon owners and employees and work together to find solutions to ensure healthy and safe workers and salons.

Our team

Current Team Members

Dr. Marie-Anne Rosemberg, PhD, RN, MN, FAAOHN, FAAN

Director of MHNSC

Associate Professor, Department of Systems, Population and Leadership, School of Nursing, University of Michigan

Deputy Director of the UM Occupational Health Nursing Program.

Marie-Anne (she/Her) was trained as a nurse and an occupational health and safety research scientist. Her work focuses on promoting the health and wellbeing of youth and adult working populations. As an immigrant herself, she is keenly aware of the disparities that the immigrant workforce experiences across multiple service industries such as nail salons. Marie-Anne enjoys spending time with her family, playing tennis, reading, going to museums and walks.

My Luu

Research Assistant

School of Nursing, University of Michigan

My (she/her) is a junior at the University of Michigan School of Nursing. From working at her sister's nail salon, My has witnessed the cultural and language barriers between many nail salon workers and U.S. society. Having lived in both Vietnam and the U.S., she is fluent in Vietnamese and English. My joined the MHNSC because she is passionate about connecting nail salon workers to more resources and having their voices heard. In her free time, she enjoys singing, baking, and going trekking.

Andrea Birkhofer, BS

Research Assistant

School of Public Health, University of Michigan

Andrea (she/her) is a graduate student of Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology. Her research and academic training focuses on evaluating population health disparities in relation to workplace and community exposures. Andrea is excited for the opportunity to work with the nail salon community to evaluate exposures and promote safety practices. Since nail salons are a key staple in our communities, she understands the importance of worker well-being and safety within salons to be a necessity. In her free time, Andrea enjoys reading short-stories, foraging wild plants and mushrooms, and spending time with friends and family.

Tyler Tran

Research Assistant

College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters, University of Michigan - Dearborn

Tyler (he/him) is a senior majoring in Psychology at the University of Michigan - Dearborn College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters. Tyler is an American-born Vietnamese person, though he is fluent in both English and Vietnamese. With his multicultural background, he is motivated to contribute to the cause of the MHNSC, and to promote healthier practices in nail salons. Tyler’s academic interests include gender dynamics, gender identities, and I/O psychology. Outside of school and work, he enjoys being physically active, playing musical instruments, and cooking.

Former Team Members