Meet the INHALE Team!
The INHALE team has rich expertise in pediatric and adult asthma, COPD, allergy, quality improvement, and data analytics.
Clinical Leadership
Njira Lugogo, M.D.
Program Director, Asthma Expert
Dr Lugogo is a Professor of Internal Medicine. She specializes in pulmonary diseases with an area of practice in adult asthma care. She is committed to improving the quality and performance of care for everyone who have asthma and COPD, so everyone can have and achieve an optimal health and quality of life.
Michael Sjoding, M.D., MSc
Program Co-Director, COPD Expert
Dr. Sjoding is an Associate Professor of Internal Medicine specializing in pulmonary and critical care medicine. He is passionate about improving the outcomes of patients with asthma and COPD through health services research and inpatient hospital quality measures.
Coordinating Center Staff
April Proudlock
Program Manager
April joined INHALE as the Program Manager in September 2023. She has over 12 years of experience in various capacities within the CQIs. She most recently served as a Sr. Project Manager in the Quality Department at Michigan Medicine focusing on local site performance within the BCBSM CQIs. April has a nursing background and previously worked in Research and Development at Pfizer. In her spare time, she enjoys working on home DIY projects and spending time with her family.
Karla Stoermer Grossman
Clinical Site Coordinator
Karla is a nationally Certified Asthma Educator (AE-C) since 2003. She has more than 20 years of experience educating high-risk asthma patients in both the home and clinical settings. Karla has a BA from Kalamazoo College, a BSN from University of Michigan and a Masters in Healthcare Administration from Central Michigan University. In her free time she loves to figure skate, walk, and binge Netflix.
Brenna Dressler
Project Manager
Brenna has over 5 years of experience in various roles at University of Michigan and INHALE. Currently, she is a Project Manager with INHALE CQI, where she helps lead quality improvement projects that bring together healthcare teams, community partners, and leaders to improve care and health outcomes. She is skilled at guiding projects from start to finish, keeping deliverables on track while fostering collaboration and clear communication among everyone involved.
With a Master of Public Health, Brenna is passionate about making healthcare systems more effective and accessible. In her free time, she enjoys being outdoors, spending time with family and gardening.
Kelly Shelton
Administrative Specialist
Kelly has 18 years experience in administration. She has a degree in elementary education and is currently working towards her PACE certification. In her free time she loves to listen to podcasts, read and binge Netflix.
Meghan Spiroff
Engagement Coordinator
Meghan Spiroff has over 10 years of experience engaging patients and partners in research. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Public Health from Western Michigan University and a Master of Health Administration from Eastern Michigan University. Outside of work she enjoys spending time with her family and traveling.
Raul Desiderio
Database Analyst/Programmer
Raul has a BSE Computer Science from the University of Michigan alongside 6 years of experience in asthma research as a research assistant. Raul manages the website and admin portal for INHALE as a programmer, and he also works as a database analyst for the Michigan Asthma Program. Raul enjoys tinkering with electronics, 3D printing, and competitive gaming in his free time.
Carrie Miller
Quality Improvement Specialist
Carrie joined INHALE as a QI Specialist in July 2025, bringing more than 10 years of CQI experience and a background in clinical research regulatory compliance. She holds a master’s degree from Eastern Michigan University. Outside of work, Carrie enjoys house projects, traveling, and reading.
Qi Zhu
Data Analyst
Qi Zhu joined INHALE as a data analyst in November 2025. He earned his BS from Hanoi University in China and holds to MS degrees from Michigan State University, one in Electrical Engineering and the other in Statistics. Prior to joining INHALE, Qi worked with The Michigan Arthroplasty Registry Collaborative Quality Initiative (MARCQI). He brings over 18 years of experience in data management and healthcare claims data analysis to the team. In his free time, Qi enjoys cooking, jogging, and photography.
