Meet Our Team

Dr. Ijeoma Opara, PhD, LMSW, MPH
Director And Principal Investigator

Cora-Ann Gabriel, MPH
Project Manager

Dr. Sitara Weerakoon, PhD, MPH
Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Beatriz “Betty” Duran-Becerra, MPH
Postgraduate Research Associate
PhD Students

Emmanuella Asabor
Research Assistant
MD/PhD Student
Yale University

Daneele Thorpe
Research Assistant
PhD Student
Stony Brook University

Petty Tineo
Research Assistant
PhD Student
Stony Brook University
Research Assistants

Sydney Hussett
Research Assistant

Taylor Choe
Research Assistant

Livia Lazarro, MPH
Research Assistant

Funcia Jean Louis
Research Assistant

Dr. Dharmi Desai
Social Media Specalist

Ebony Laboy
Social Media Specialist

Matthew Nasser (preferred) Eid
Undergraduate Intern

Ann Abraham
Graduate Intern
Community Research Fellows

Dr. Jamila T. Davis
CEO, VIP Academy

Cristina Pagan, LCSW
Director, Paterson Youth Services Bureau
Lab Affiliates

Dr. David T. Lardier
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry University of New Mexico

Dr. Juan Rios
Assistant Professor of Social Work Seton Hall University
Alumni lab members
- Christine Pham, MPH
- Courtnae Alves
- Deanna Parisi, MPH
- Kristina Cross
- Carolanne Clark
- Tynisha D. George, MPH, MSW
- Ashley Lizarraga, MSW
- Maame Araba Assan, MPH, CHES
- Kimberly Pierre, MPH, CHES