The FCHIP Team

Craig Garfield, MD, MAPP

Attending Physician
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
Professor of Pediatrics (Hospital-Based Medicine) and Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

Craig Garfield, MD, introduced the Family & Child Health Innovations Program in 2020 as a way to improve child health outcomes by understanding of the roles of parents in a wide variety of family contexts, and identifying how to enhance parental contributions to children’s health and development.

Dr. Garfield is a Professor in the Departments of Pediatrics and Medical Social Science at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine and an attending physician at Ann & Robert Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago.  He focuses on child health within the context of the family, with an emphasis on the social influencers of health, the role of fathers and special attention to the ability of technology to support parenting.

JJ Parker, MD, MPH 

Attending Physician
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

JJ Parker, MD, MS is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine at Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University. He is an attending physician at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital and Northwestern Medicine in Chicago. His research focuses on improving the health and wellbeing of families by promoting men's health and paternal involvement in childcare.

Clarissa Simon, PhD, MPH

Associate Director
Smith Child Health Outcomes, Research, and Evaluation Center
Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago

Clarissa Simon, PhD, MPH, is a health scientist with an educational background in epidemiology, child development, social physiology, neuropsychology, and social policy. Her research interests include family health and contexts, parental stress, and biological correlates of parenting behaviors during the transition to parenthood. While not working as the research coordinator for FCHIP, she is a devoted mother to three children, ranging in age from toddler to teen.

Nan Ruffo, MPA

Research Program Manager
Smith Child Health Outcomes, Research, and Evaluation Center
Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago

Nan Ruffo, MPA, is a public health researcher dedicated to improving the health and well-being of families. With more than two decades of experience supporting maternal, child, and family health surveillance, she brings expertise in survey design, data systems, and project management. At FCHIP, Nan helps lead the development and implementation of the Perinatal Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) for Dads, working closely with sites across the country to build high-quality data collection systems and strengthen father-inclusive research. Before joining the team, she spent 18 years supporting CDC’s PRAMS program, where she guided sites in questionnaire development, data quality, and program evaluation. Nan is passionate about using data to elevate family voices and support healthier futures for parents and children.

Candace Jarzombek, MPH

Behaviorial Research Coordinator III
Smith Child Health Outcomes, Research, and Evaluation Center
Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago

Candace Jarzombek, MPH, is passionate about advancing child health and family wellbeing through trauma-informed and equity-centered approaches. She earned a Master of Public Health with certificates in Community Health and Maternal and Child Health from Boston University. Candace has experience supporting state maternal and child health agencies through program planning, evaluation, and technical assistance. She joined Lurie Children’s and FCHIP in August 2023, and enjoys collaborating with the FCHIP team and state maternal and child health leaders to learn more about the role fathers play in their children’s health.

Cecilia Carbonell

Behavioral Research Coordinator I
Smith Child Health Outcomes, Research, and Evaluation Center
Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago

Cecilia Carbonell developed a strong interest in health equity and evidence-based community interventions through her undergraduate studies in Public Health at American University. Cecilia’s research interests include addressing health disparities in maternal and child health, and equitable access to healthcare. She is passionate about understanding how family, social, and environmental factors influence the health and well-being of children and the family unit. Cecilia recently joined the FCHIP team and is excited to contribute to research that helps amplify voices of underrepresented populations to inform programmatic improvement and policy change.