Meet Our Team
Ijeoma Opara
Our Director
Ijeoma Opara, PhD, MSW, MPH., studies strengths-based approaches to sexual health and youth substance use prevention for youth of color, strengths-based strategies for Black girls, and community-based participatory research.
Leadership
Dr. Sitara Weerakoon
Associate Director of Research
Read Sitara’s Bio
Cristina Pagan, LCSW
Associate Director Of Community Mental Health Initiatives
Read Cristina’s Bio
Catherine Mwai, MPH
Project Manager
Read Catherine’s Bio
Postdoctoral fellows
Dr. Jaleah Rutledge
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
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Dr. Gina Sissoko
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
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Raquel Rose, MPhil
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
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PhD students
Joy Lindsay, MPA, EdM
Graduate Research Assistant
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Nimisha Srikanth, MPH
Graduate Research Assistant
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lab members
Shreya Jadhav
Graduate Research Assistant
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Nimisha Srikanth, MPH
Graduate Research Assistant
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Hailey Valles
Graduate Research Assistant
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Monique Joseph
Former Executive Administrator
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Dr. Emmanuella Asabor
Former Research Assistant, MD/PhD Student
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Beatriz “Betty” Duran-Becerra, MPH
Former Deputy Director of Operations
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Research consultant
Dr. Chioma Ogechi Egekeze
Research Consultant
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Funcia Jean-Louis
Social Media Specialist
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Kennedy Anderson
Lab Administrative Assistant
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Alyssa Makena
Undergraduate Research Assistant
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Alumni Summer Interns
- Kathy Tran, UT Southwestern Medical School
- Layla DeCosta, Claflin University
- Austin Schacht, Hampshire College
- Milani Weerakoon, Trinity University
Alumni lab members
Monique Joseph
Former Executive Administrator
Read Monique's Bio
Dr. Emmanuella Asabor
Former Research Assistant, MD/PhD Student
Read Emmanuella’s Bio
Beatriz “Betty” Duran-Becerra, MPH
Former Deputy Director of Operations
Read Betty’s Bio
Kimberly Pierre, MPH, CHES
Former Associate Director of Health Communications
Read Kim’s Bio
- Kennedy Anderson
- Dr. Chioma Ogechi Egekeze
- Moiyattu Banya-Keister, MSW
- Mirriam Mananah, MPH
- Shreya Jadhav, MPH
- Alyssa Makena
- Jasmin Brooks Stephens, MA PhD
- Cora Gabriel, MPH
- Sydney Hussett-Richardson, MPH
- Taylor Choe, MPH
- Ann Abraham, MPH, MSW
- Christine Pham,MD student at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
- Courtnae Alves, MPH
- Deanna Parisi, MPH
- Kristina Cross, MSW
- Funcia Jean-Louis
- Dr. Sandy Cayo
- Olivia Francis, MPH
- Hailey Valles, MPH
- Tynisha D. George, MPH, MSW
- Ashley Lizarraga, MSW
- Maame Araba Assan, MPH, CHES
- Petty Tineo, PhD
- Livia Lazarro, MPH
- Dharmi Desai, MPH, MBBS
- Ebony Laboy, MPH
- Morgan Brinker, Current MD Student Yale School of Medicine
- Carolanne Clark, MSW
- Chavonn Duncan, MSW
- Emmanuella Asabor, MD, PhD
- Beatriz Duran-Becerra, MPH
- Mirriam Mananah, MPH
- Olivia Francis, MPH
- Hailey Valles, MPH
- Shreya Jadhav, MPH
- Kennedy Anderson, BA
- Ann Abraham, MPH, MSW
- Jasmin Brooks Stephens, PhD
- Sydney Hussett-Richardson, MPH
- Taylor Choe, MPH
- Christine Pham, MPH
- Courtnae Alves, MPH
- Deanna Parisi, MPH
- Kristina Cross, MSW
- Funcia Jean-Louis, BA
- Tynisha D. George, MPH, MSW
- Maame Araba Assan, MPH, CHES
- Petty Tineo, PhD
- Livia Lazarro, MPH
- Dharmi Desai, MPH, MBBS
- Carolanne Clark, MSW
- Chavonn Duncan, MSW
Alumni Youth Advisory Board Members
- Ayden Ramos-Schneider, PPP Youth Advisory Board 2020-2022
- Marley Dias, DGP Youth Advisory Board 2021-2022
- Shekinah Glory Peter Mba, DGP Youth Advisory Board 2021-2022
- Natalya Charlemagne, DGP Youth Advisory Board 2021-2022
- Kassidy Nola Scott, DGP Youth Advisory Board 2021-2023
- Kailyn Dixon, DGP Youth Advisory Board 2023-2024
- Olivia Raymond, DGP Youth Advisory Board 2022-2024
- Rachel Oladepo, DGP Youth Advisory Board 2022-2024