CHHSR Staff

Staff Biographies

Kimberly Gentry Sperber, Ph.D., Director (Sperber CV)
Dr. Sperber received her Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from the University of Cincinnati in 2003 and has worked in the field for more than 20 years. In her role, Dr. Sperber oversees research in the areas of addiction, mental health, corrections and implementation science. She also assists Talbert House to implement, monitor and respond to Continuous Quality Improvement metrics that assess the agency’s performance in terms of process, outcomes and treatment fidelity. Her most recent research has focused on:

appropriate applications of risk-based treatment dosage for criminal justice clients
identifying and addressing barriers to Medication Assisted Treatment and opioid overdose prevention in community-based programs
identifying barriers to engagement in co-parenting services for non-residential fathers and their co-parenting partners.

Aaron Vissman, Ph.D., MPH, Associate Director (Vissman CV)

Dr. Vissman joined Talbert House in 2016 after completing his Ph.D. in Behavioral Sciences and Health Education at Emory University. He has extramurally funded research experience investigating public health disparities and multi-level intervention outcomes. He directs ongoing research and serves as grant writer and investigator for interdisciplinary health research projects. Recent projects focus on health education, HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis, naloxone distribution and mortality in justice-involved populations. He directs the Public Health—Prevention and Policy—Internship Program and serves as a member of the Executive Committee on Continuous Quality Improvement at Talbert House. He teaches classes and workshops/seminars including Implementation of PEER-OPS (a standardized opioid overdose prevention program for community correctional facilities); HIV/HCV Policy and Advocacy; Survey Research Methods; Global Health; Community Health and Needs Assessment

Fan Chen, Ph.D., Senior Research Associate

Dr. Chen joined Talbert House in 2024 and received his Ph.D. in Social/Organizational Psychology from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. As a dedicated scholar, he has explored the dynamics of vigilantism, morality, and social control behaviors, and has published notable publications in esteemed journals like Psychological Science, Personality Science, Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, and the Journal of Medical Ethics. Chen is a new co-investigator on BJA supported research addressing Opioid Overdose and Substance Use Prevention Programs. As a co-investigator on BJA-supported projects, he also works to address community-based aggression, exploring the complexities of blame and responsibilities among various stakeholders, including patients, families, and law enforcement. Currently, he is studying the impact of Quick Response Teams and Deflection Programs in Ohio, focusing on public health and safety compliance.

Rachel Greis, Research Associate

Rachel Greis joined Talbert House in September 2022. Prior to joining the agency, she earned her master’s in Criminal Justice at the University of Cincinnati and her bachelor’s in Psychology and Spanish at Western Kentucky University. Her research background broadly involves the intersection of Psychology and Law. Rachel’s honors thesis entailed examining the relationship between participants’ general attitudes toward police and judgment of police use of force. Rachel’s role within CHHSR consists of managing data collection for the agency’s SAMHSA Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic Improvement and Advancement (CCBHC-IA) grant and supporting data collection, systematic review, and report writing on other projects.

Patrick Ryan, Research Assistant

Patrick Ryan joined Talbert House in October 2022 with BA in Sociology from Ohio State University. Patrick administers data collection and monthly reporting for a State Opioid and Stimulant Response project and assists with other data collection and CHHSR organization.

Alison Spiller, Research Associate

Allison Spiller joined Talbert House in September 2024. She earned her Master of Public Health with a concentration in Epidemiology from the University of Delaware in the spring of 2024, following the completion of her Bachelor of Science in Health Behavior Science with a minor in Public Health in 2022. In her role at CHHSR, Alison administers intake, discharge, and follow-up interviews to clients as part of the State Opioid and Stimulant Response grant funded by the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OMHAS). She performs statistical analyses on data related to medication-assisted treatment provided to clients and often collaborates with clinical staff and peer recovery specialists, to enhance data accuracy, ensure program efficacy, and establish updated research protocols.

CHHSR Advisory Council

Jaimee Heffner, Ph.D., Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Kristina Moster, Ph.D., Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
Faye Taxman, Ph.D., George Mason University
Melissa Van Dyke, LCSW, University of Strathclyde
Nancy Wolff, Ph.D., Rutgers University
April Young, Ph.D., MPH, University of Kentucky College of Public Health