Past and Current Fellows

Dr. Neetu Abad (2011-2013)

Dr. Neetu Abad earned her PhD and M.A. in Social Psychology from the University of Missouri, and her B.A. in Psychology, English, and Women’s Studies from Truman State University. During her time as an ORISE fellow in the Prevention Research Branch in the Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention at the CDC, Dr. Abad provided scientific expertise and technical guidance to the Operational Research Team and the Research Synthesis and Translation Team. Projects on these teams involved the adaptation of evidence-based behavioral interventions for incarcerated girls and women and a systematic review of HIV/STI prevention interventions for female commercial sex workers. Dr. Abad has presented her research at numerous scientific meetings, including the Society for Psychological Study of Social Issues, the American Public Health Association, and the STD Prevention Conference. Dr. Abad helped launch the National Council on Gender, a non-profit organization dedicated to reducing gender-based violence by transforming gender norms.

Dr. Abad is currently a behavioral scientist in the Social and Behavioral Research and Evaluation Branch in the Division of STD Prevention at the CDC. Her work focuses on understanding behavioral and structural factors underlying HIV/STI transmission and engagement in commercial sex work, developing HIV/STI risk reduction interventions, preventing gender-based violence, and increasing access to healthcare among underserved populations, particularly women and girls.

Dr. Tiffiany Cummings Aholou (2014-2016)

Dr. Tiffiany Cummings Aholou earned a PhD in Child and Family Development with a certificate in Interdisciplinary Qualitative Studies at The University of Georgia, an MSW from Clark Atlanta University, and a BA from Michigan State University. As an ORISE DHAP Community of Color Fellow, she served on the Minority Health and Health Equity (MHHE) Activity of the Epidemiology Branch. Dr. Aholou worked on several projects that focused on health disparities among various populations disproportionately affected by HIV. She was the lead qualitative analyst/author on three co-authored research publications that addressed: 1) Black heterosexual men’s behaviors and disclosure patterns after participation in an HIV testing random control trial; 2) Black pastors’ perspectives around HIV-related stigma and the role of the Black Church in rural Alabama; and 3) missed opportunities for HIV prevention communication during sexual and intimate encounters among Black gay and bisexual men in NYC. Dr. Aholou also co-authored a book chapter entitled The Social, Structural, and Clinical Context of HIV Prevention and Care for Black/African American and Hispanic Women/Latinas in the United States as well as collaborated scientist across DHAP on a manuscript that examined protective and risk factors among women in the US using a national dataset. In addition, Dr. Aholou led the adaptation of a faith-based HIV-related stigma reduction intervention for faith communities in rural settings. During her tenure as a fellow, Dr. Aholou presented her work at two national conferences – American Public Health Association Annual Meeting (2015) and National HIV Prevention Conference (2015) and other platforms within DHAP. Presently, Dr. Aholou is a Behavioral Scientist on the Research and Evaluation Team in the DHAP Prevention Communication Branch where she evaluates HIV prevention social marketing campaigns.

Dr. Erin Bradley (2016-2018)

Dr. Erin Bradley earned a PhD and MPH in Behavioral Sciences and Health Education from Emory University, and a BA in Psychology from Spelman College. Dr. Bradley’s broad research interests include study design, measurement, and intervention development, with an emphasis on multilevel interventions addressing intrapersonal, social, and/or structural factors that contribute to HIV/STI-related disparities affecting African Americans. Prior to becoming an ORISE fellow, Dr. Bradley was a faculty member in the Department of Psychology at Spelman College, and a Senior Public Health Program Associate at Emory University where she worked on several NIH-funded HIV/STI risk reduction studies for African-American adolescent and young adult women. She has published findings from her quantitative and qualitative research in peer-reviewed journals and presented at national conferences including the American Public Health Association and the Society for Public Health Educators.

Currently, Dr. Bradley is a fellow in the Minority Health and Health Equity (MHHE) Activity of the Epidemiology Branch. She provides technical assistance to Minority AIDS Research Initiative (MARI) grantees and serves on several CDC committees and work groups. Dr. Bradley aims to contribute to efforts to address HIV-related disparities in communities of color by adding to the knowledge base regarding: 1) HIV stigma reduction in faith-based settings, 2) the role of HIV stigma and discrimination in treatment adherence for HIV-positive women, 3) acceptability of HIV testing in a non-traditional venue, 4) disparities in HIV diagnoses among women, and 5) strategies to increase PrEP uptake among women.

Darigg Brown, Ph.D. (2009-2011)

Dr. Darigg C. Brown earned a PhD in Biobehavioral Health from the Pennsylvania State University, an MPH from Saint Louis University and a BS in Environmental Health from the University of Georgia. During his post-doctoral research experience with the Prevention Research Branch (PRB), he divided his time between the Intervention Research Team and the Research Synthesis and Translation Team. Dr. Brown lent his expertise to the Preventing African-American Transmission of HIV/AIDS among Heterosexual Men (PATHH4Men) Project in the areas of intervention component testing and curriculum development to funded grantees. He also provided assistance to project officers and received training on duties related to a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for 12 cities to develop Enhanced Comprehensive HIV Prevention Plans (ECHPP). Another major component of Dr. Brown’s activities was a systematic review conducted with a team of other branch staff. The review involved synthesizing and coding relevant intervention literature related to HIV medication adherence, which later became a published meta-analysis. His work with PRB also included a first author book chapter on African Americans and HIV (in Hall, Hall & Cockrell, 2011).

Currently, Dr. Brown is a Research Public Health Analyst with RTI International. He provides leadership on several projects, including the design of a series of enhanced evaluation studies, as well as plans for the dissemination of those study outcomes for the CDC-funded Community Transformation Grants program. Dr. Brown is also involved in the evaluation of a national comprehensive cancer control program, as well as community engagement efforts around hepatitis B prevention among foreign-born populations in the U.S.

Taleria R. Fuller, Ph.D. (2004-2006)

Dr. Taleria R. Fuller earned a Ph.D. in Medical Sociology from Wayne State University, a M.A. in Sociology from Wayne State University, and a B.A. in Sociology from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Her experience has focused mainly on the mental, reproductive, and sexual health of women and adolescents. Previous experience focused on HIV prevention among communities of color, including a study examining HIV knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors among African and African American adolescents and young adults. As an ORISE fellow, Dr. Fuller provided scientific expertise, leadership, and technical assistance for the CDC-funded Diffusion of Effective Behavioral Intervention (DEBI) project. She worked on female-focused DEBI HIV prevention interventions including: Sisters Informing Sisters about Topics on AIDS (SISTA), Sisters Informing, Healing, Learning, and Empowering (SIHLE), Women Involved in Life Learning from Other Women (WILLOW), and the Real AIDS Prevention Project (RAPP). Presently, Dr. Fuller is a Health Scientist with the CDC Division of Reproductive Health, Adolescent Reproductive Health Team (ARH). She serves as a Scientific Collaborator for the Effectiveness of Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs Designed Specifically for Young Males cooperative agreement. The purpose of this research project is to support the evaluation of innovative interventions designed for young men aged 15-24 years old to reduce their risk of fathering a teen pregnancy. In addition, Dr. Fuller served as lead author for a recently published manuscript on the social determinants and teen pregnancy prevention, as well as co-author for several additional papers, including racism and the sexual and reproductive health of African American women, disparities in birth rates among teens aged 15–19 years, and a special supplement in the Journal of Adolescent Health, Implementing Community-Wide Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiatives. Last, she serves as lead for the Adaptation Guidance for Reproductive Health Programs, is a member of the National Center for Chronic Disease and Health Promotion Equity Workgroup, and continues to mentor and provide support to CDC interns and fellows.

Dr. Angelica Geter (2016-2018)

Dr. Angelica Geter earned a DrPH in Health Behavior with a minor in Biostatistics from the University of Kentucky, a MPH in Behavioral Sciences and Health Education from Emory University and a BS in Psychology from Mississippi College. She also completed the Health Policy Leadership Fellowship at the Satcher Health Leadership Institute of Morehouse School of Medicine, under the mentorship of former U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. David Satcher. Dr. Geter’s research and intervention experience has focused on sexual health, HIV and STI disparities in the South, and sex trafficking prevention among underserved youth.

Dr. Geter is a fellow in the Minority Health and Health Equity (MHHE) Activity group of the Epidemiology Branch. She currently leads three projects with a focus on the HIV care continuum among black men and women: 1) a study examining disparities of viral suppression among women, 2) a study on HIV testing in emergency room settings among MSM, and 3) a study on disparities of HIV treatment and care among black women. She is also a co-author for two studies: 1) examining PrEP uptake among black MSM and 2) addressing trauma as a barrier to HIV prevention among black MSM. She provides technical assistance and support to Minority AIDS Research Initiative (MARI) grantees. She is also a member of several planning committees and workgroups, all with a focus on social determinants of health and addressing the HIV epidemic in the South.

Dr. Geter is committed to being a servant leader by telling the stories of underserved populations through research and the advancement of health equity. She has published more than 20 articles as an early career scientist and presented at numerous scientific meetings including the American Public Health Association annual meeting and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention STD Prevention Conference.

 

Dr. Tanisha S. Grimes, Ph.D. (2009-2011)

Dr. Grimes earned a PhD in Health Promotion and Behavior from the University of Georgia College of Public Health, an MPH from Emory University Rollins School of Public Health and a BA in English and Social Welfare from the University of California, Berkeley. She also has a certificate in Interdisciplinary Qualitative Research. She was a fellow from 2009-2011 in the Program Evaluation Branch where she assisted CDC scientists with the development and implementation of an outcome monitoring and evaluation study with 3 Community Based Organizations (CBOs) funded by CDC to deliver the community level HIV prevention intervention Mpowerment. In that capacity, she guided the development of the data collection tools and protocols using the Questionnaire Development System (QDS) and provided technical assistance to sites on QDS and in conducting outcome monitoring and evaluation activities. Furthermore, Dr. Grimes also participated with CDC scientists in the data collection and dissemination of the Adaptation and Implementation of Mpowerment (AAIM) which focused on the adaptations of the Mpowerment intervention. Finally, alongside with senior Branch leadership she was a guest editor for a special supplement on The Monitoring and Evaluation of HIV Counseling, Testing, and Referral and HIV Testing Services in AIDS Education and Prevention. Currently, Dr. Grimes is a Program Manager of the Georgia Child Traumatic Stress Initiative at the Stephanie V. Blank Center for Safe and Healthy Children, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

Dr. Grace Hall (2014-2016)

Grace Hall (known as Chela) earned her PhD in Health Education and Behavior from the University Of Michigan School Of Public Health, an MPH from Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, an MPP from Rutgers University, and a BA in Anthropology and Sociology from DePauw University. She was a Peace Corps Health Promotion Volunteer in Paraguay from 1990-1993. She was also an HIV Prevention Trials Network Scholar while working at Howard Brown Health Center in Chicago. Chela’s doctoral dissertation entitled “HIV Screening Patterns in sub-Sahara Africa: Evidence from the Demographic and Health Surveys” compared differential screening patterns across 26 countries. Chela has been involved in HIV and AIDS prevention work with various populations including substance using men and women, South African sex workers, MSM, and transgender women. Chela was previously a Community of Color ORISE fellow in the Prevention Research Branch on Operational Research Team (ORT). As a member of ORT she assists CDC scientists with the Science-based Translation of Effective Program Strategies to Care (STEPS to Care) and the Black Men Evolving (B-ME) Homegrown project. Chela has continued on as an ORISE fellow with the Monitoring and Evaluation Activity Team, part of the Science Application Team in the Capacity Building Branch. Chela has co-authored a manuscript on transgender women and has two manuscripts under journal review regarding HIV prevention with MSM with substance use and MSM with transgender partners. Chela is currently working on a manuscripts examining training recipients, recipients’ organizations, and targeted community characteristics to determine the most salient factors associated with implementation of HIV prevention interventions among HIV positive persons. Chela continues to be an active member of the Transgender workgroup, the Return Peace Corps Volunteer workgroup, and the agency-wide Evaluation workgroup.

Kirk D. Henny, Ph.D. (2004-2006)

Dr. Kirk D. Henny earned a Ph.D. and MA in Sociology from Howard University, and BS in Sociology from James Madison University. Dr. Henny’s research experience is primarily in mental health, particularly among HIV-seropositive populations. Dr. Henny held positions at several institutions including Mathematica Policy, Inc., University of Texas-San Antonio Medical Center, and National Center for Children in Poverty of Columbia University.

As an ORISE fellow, he researched topics on community-based HIV prevention and intervention initiatives including the Health and Housing project and Epidemiological Aid Investigations on HIV Incidence in Prisons. After successfully completing his ORISE training, Dr. Henny served as a behavioral scientist in the Prevention Research Branch. During his tenure in the branch, Dr. Henny served as Co-Project Officer for the “HIV/AIDS Risk Reduction Interventions for Heterosexually-Active African-American Men” study – a multi-site cooperative agreement funded to support the development and pilot testing of novel interventions targeting at-risk heterosexual African-American men. In addition, he served as a project officer for Care and Prevention in the United States Demonstration Project (CAPUS)–in which he provided scientific and technical guidance for two state health departments in the implementation of innovative HIV prevention and care activities to address HIV disparities. Additionally, Dr. Henny has served as facilitator of the Heterosexual Transmission Breakout Group for the CDC, NIH, HRSA co-sponsored Research Consultation to Address Intervention Strategies for HIV/AIDS Prevention with African Americans and for the NHBS-HET Cycle Principal Investigators’ Meeting, Behavioral and Clinical Surveillance Branch, DHAP. Currently, Dr. Henny is a behavioral scientist in the Epidemiology Branch where is serves as a project officer for the Knowledge, Behaviors, Attitudes and Practices of Providers in the Southeast (K-BAP Project) and the Minority HIV/AIDS Research Initiative (MARI). He has also been selected to serve as co-chair for a major nationwide meeting addressing HIV disparities in the South. In addition, Dr. Henny has many first author publications across a range of HIV-related topics including HIV behavioral interventions for African American Heterosexual Males, HIV and housing, HIV and violence, HIV eHealth interventions and other related topics. Finally, Dr. Henny was recognized with multiple awards for his exceptional contributions to Public Health through special duties activities including his collaborative work on an HIV EpiAid Investigation in Jackson, Mississippi, contributions to a workgroup that developed HIV Testing Guidelines in Correctional Settings; CDC/ATSDR Award and NCHHSTP Center Award for his work on systematic reviews conducted by the Prevention Research Synthesis Project Team. Beyond his work in HIV, Dr. Henny also serves as a member of the Global Rapid Response Team (GRRT) where he has been recognized for his work during domestic and international deployments to address epidemic outbreaks such as Ebola and Zika.

Gladys Ibanez, Ph.D. (2002-2004)

Dr. Gladys Ibañez received her PhD in Community Psychology from Georgia State University in 2002. Shortly after receiving her doctorate, she was awarded the ORISE HIV and Communities of Color Post-doctoral Research Fellowship at CDC DHAP. During her 2-year fellowship at CDC, her research primarily focused on drug-using populations and men who have sex with men (MSM). For example, she was part of the INSPIRE study, a multi-site intervention for HIV-positive injection drug users to reduce sexual and injection risk behaviors. She also published findings from the SUMIT project regarding sexual risk among MSM. Her research interests include HIV prevention in communities of color, particularly Latino populations, drug use research, and youth. She was recently awarded a 3 year grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to pilot a DVD-based HIV/HCV prevention intervention with Latino offenders. She currently holds a joint appointment at the University of Delaware and at Behavioral Science Research Institute (BSRI), a nonprofit research institute in Miami. She is an associate scientist at the University of Delaware’s Center for Drug and Alcohol Studies (CDAS) serving as the principal investigator on a NIDA grant. She holds the position of Senior Research Associate at BSRI where she assists in the evaluation of a large SAMSHA grant regarding linking low income populations attending primary clinics to needed behavioral health services. She is also involved in a local transgender work group looking at the unique healthcare issues facing the transgendered community in Miami.

Dr. Emiko Kamitani (2014-2016)

Dr. Emiko Kamitani received her PhD in Nursing from University of California, San Francisco in 2013. While she was in the doctoral program, she served as the Director of Nursing Services at Asian and Pacific Islander Wellness Center which provides HIV-related care to Asian and Pacific Islanders and transgenders in San Francisco. She also worked as a research assistant in the doctoral program, and was involved in several HIV-related research studies at San Francisco General Hospital and community-based organizations. She received her Master’s degree from University of California, San Francisco where she studied advanced community health and international nursing with HIV/AIDS as a minor. She holds a registered nursing license and has been working as a nurse since 2006. She also is licensed as a public health nurse and community health clinical nursing specialist

As a fellow in the Research Synthesis and Translation Team, Prevention Research Branch, Dr. Kamitani is leading the overview of systematic review project for evaluating the effectiveness of physical exercise among people living with HIV. In addition to her several peer-review publications, she has written several articles on nursing journals and given lectures at universities and medical centers in Japan.

Yzette Lanier, Ph.D., MS

Dr. Yzette Lanier earned a Ph.D. and M.S. in Developmental Psychology from Howard University, and a B.S. in Psychology also from Howard University. Her previous research experience, which has been published in several peer-reviewed journals and presented at various professional conferences including the American Psychological Association (APA) and the Association of Black Psychology (ABPsi), focused on risk and resilience in people of African descent, primarily Black youth. Her dissertation examined the protective role of racial identity in the relationship between contextual stress and psychosocial adjustment among African American middle school students. As an ORISE Fellow, Dr. Lanier works on several projects aimed at reducing HIV-related health disparities. She is currently conducting qualitative and quantitative analyses to assess the effectiveness and utility of a sexual history taking instrument in increasing the number of HIV/STD screenings administered to African American male patients during routine medical visits. Additionally, she recently completed a project with the DC Department of Health (DC DOH) exploring correlates of HIV infection among Black women living in the District of Columbia. Findings from this work have been presented at the American Psychological Association Convention and Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections. And her manuscript on reframing preventive healthcare services for young black men was recently accepted for publication by the American Journal of Public Health. Dr. Lanier completed a Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA Postdoctoral Fellow with joint appointments in the Center for Global Women’s Health and the Center for Health Equity Research, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing and is currently an Assistant Professor at New York University College of Nursing.

Dr. Ashley C. Lima (2016-2018)

Dr. Ashley C. Lima earned a BS in biology from Spelman College and completed her MPH and PhD in health promotion and behavior at the University of Georgia. Her previous research experience focused on substance use and sexual behaviors among college students and explored young African American women’s experiences with their sexual partners. She also led data collection efforts for an NIH-funded, Liberia-based study researching drug use, intimate partner violence, and HIV risk behaviors in a post-conflict context. Finally, before becoming a postdoctoral fellow with DHAP, she worked as a health communications specialist at CDC.

As a fellow with the Capacity Building Branch, Dr. Lima is currently working on two quantitative analyses: one using the National Survey of Family Growth, and another using DHAP’s National HIV Prevention Monitoring & Evaluation dataset. Her research is focused on HIV prevention among African American women and the social determinants of health that contribute to racial disparities in HIV infection among women. Since starting the fellowship, she has also participated in a CDC High Impact Prevention (HIP) intervention training of facilitators, presented at the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine annual meeting, led two first-authored manuscripts, and contributed substantive written content as a co-author on two additional papers.

Khiya J. Marshall, Dr.PH (2007-2009)

Dr. Khiya Marshall earned a Dr.PH and an MPH from the University Of North Texas Health Science Center- School Of Public Health in Social and Behavioral Sciences and Community Health, and a B.A. in Sociology from Spelman College. Her interests include racial/ethnic health disparities and HIV/AIDS among minority populations with emphasis on women and adolescents. As an ORISE Postdoctoral Fellow, Dr. Marshall provided expertise for the Micro-enterprise Project, which examined micro-enterprise as an HIV prevention intervention for impoverished African American women living in the southeastern United States. Additionally, she led and completed a qualitative review that examined the risk and protective factors associated with sexual-risk behaviors among African American youth and identified evidence-based HIV interventions for dissemination in a book chapter. Dr. Marshall also worked on the Transit TV Project for African American adolescents, and she co-authored several scientific papers, including meta-analytic reviews focusing on African American women, African American heterosexual men, and HIV-positive men who have sex with men (MSM) in the United States.

Dr. Marshall is presently a behavioral scientist in the Research and Evaluation Branch, Division of Violence Prevention (DVP), National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC). Dr. Marshall is co-leading the National Centers of Excellence in Youth Violence Prevention programs, and the lead scientist overseeing data collection and evaluation activities to support the implementation of youth violence training and technical assistance. In addition, she is a member of the Race and Violence Workgroup in DVP and tries to increase workforce diversity as a member of NCIPC’s Committee on Diversity.

Dr. Mercedes M. Morales-Alemán (2011-2013)

Dr. Mercedes M. Morales-Alemán earned her doctoral degree in Ecological-Community Psychology from Michigan State University in 2011. Her graduate work included sexual health research and program evaluations with communities of color and disproportionately affected youth. She worked as a fellow within the Minority Health and Health Equity (MHHE) Activity of the Epidemiology Branch between 2011 and 2013. Dr. Morales-Alemán’s research focused on social determinants of health and HIV-related health disparities in communities of color. While at MARI she led a qualitative review of the literature about access to HIV testing and healthcare services in Hispanic/Latino populations in the Southern region of the United States which was published in AIDS Care. She also partnered with the Behavioral and Clinical Surveillance Branch (BCSB) to conduct an analysis of data from the Partner Study, a cross-sectional study on the intersection of sexual risk and intimate partner violence in Black/African-American and Latina/Hispanic women. This paper was published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Finally, Dr. Morales-Alemán is finalizing a manuscript in partnership with the District of Columbia Health Department on retention in HIV care among HIV-infected young men who have sex with men.

Currently, Dr. Morales-Alemán is a T32 postdoctoral trainee in the Health Services, Outcomes and Effectiveness Research Training Program in the Division of Preventive Medicine in the University of Alabama at Birmingham. As a T32 fellow her work focuses on sexual health promotion and HIV prevention among adolescent Latinas in central Alabama.

Carolyn P. Parks, Ph.D. (2007-2008)

Dr. Carolyn P. Parks came to the ORISE Fellowship with almost 20 years of teaching, research and practice experience at the university level as a community health education specialist. Dr. Parks earned a Ph.D. in health education from The University of Tennessee at Knoxville, an M.S. in health education from Western Illinois University, and a B.S. in biology from Wheaton College (IL). Her community research and practice has focused on the development, implementation and evaluation of grassroots health promotion and disease prevention strategies for African-Americans, vulnerable populations, and other groups of color. As an ORISE Fellow, Dr. Parks served as an active member of the SISTA (Sisters Informing Sisters about Topics on AIDS), SIHLE (Sisters Informing, Healing, Learning, and Empowering), and WILLOW (Women Involved in Life Learning from Other Women) Diffusion Team and the Science Application Team of the Capacity Building Branch (CBB) in the Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention. SISTA, SIHLE and WILLOW are the three major CDC-funded HIV and AIDS interventions for African-American women. Specifically, Dr. Parks developed the instrument and procedures for the administration of a capacity building training evaluation for the over 350 national community-based organizations that have sent staff to be trained in the SISTA Intervention. The evaluation also assessed implementation readiness and the technical assistance needs for delivery of SIHLE and WILLOW. In addition, Dr. Parks: conducted extensive reviews and revisions of all intervention packages associated with the SISTA, SIHLE and WILLOW interventions; participated in the SISTA Training of Trainers (TOT) and Training of Facilitators (TOF) course, and the pilots of the SIHLE and WILLOW Interventions; and conducted and/or moderated various workshops and presentations on HIV and AIDS in the African-American community and the role of faith communities in HIV prevention. After ORISE, Dr. Parks remained in CBB, where she serves as a behavioral scientist on the Science Application Team. Her primary work includes serving as the technical monitor and subject matter expert for the diffusion of three women-focused interventions: WILLOW, Sister to Sister, and Healthy Love. In 2012, Dr. Parks was admitted to Cohort 14 of the International Experience and Technical Assistance Program (IETA) in the Division of Global Health, where she completed a four-month TDY in Nairobi, Kenya, working with CDC Kenya staff to adapt and scale up HIV and AIDS interventions for women and youth. And, in 2013, she assembled and led a five member training team to conduct TOFs and TOTs on the WILLOW intervention for female community leaders and organizations in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.

Carols Toledo, Ph.D. (2002-2004)

Carlos Toledo received his Ph.D. from the University of Georgia in Child and Family Development in 2001. As an ORISE fellow, Carlos was assigned to the Program Evaluation Branch (PEB) in DHAP, Dr. Toledo worked on a number of projects including the evaluation of Program Announcement 01163, “HIV Prevention Projects for Community-Based Organizations Targeting Young Men of Color Who Have Sex With Men,” the evaluation of the Minority AIDS Initiative, and several other Branch evaluation activities. In 2006, he was accepted into the International Experience and Technical Assistance (IETA) program where he completed field assignments in Zambia and Thailand. Through the IETA program, Dr. Toledo worked on projects examining HIV infection and risk behaviors among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Zambia, Thailand, and Laos. He also completed a detail in the DHAP Office of the Director serving as an Associate Director for MSM Disparities in HIV/AIDS. Dr. Toledo served as the HIV Prevention Branch Chief at CDC-South Africa for four years and is currently the Team Lead for Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision in the Division of Global HIV and TB in Atlanta.

Lari Warren-Jeanpiere, Ph.D. (2007-2009)

Dr. Lari Warren-Jeanpiere earned a Ph.D. and an M.A. in sociology from Wayne State University, and a B.A. in sociology from Hampton University. Her research expertise includes qualitative methods, racial/ethnic health disparities, women’s health, the social construction of African American sexuality, and intergenerational sexual health communication within African American families, particularly related to mothers and daughters. As an ORISE Fellow, Dr. Warren-Jeanpiere was lead qualitative analyst on a project regarding the HIV/AIDS Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviors (KAB) among students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). These findings are published in the American Journal of College Health and the Journal of College Student Development. In 2008 Dr. Warren-Jeanpiere was a recipient of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NCMHD) Loan Repayment program based upon her commitment to becoming an independent HIV/AIDS investigator in order to combat the HIV/AIDS crisis in the African American community. Currently, she is working as a Research Fellow with the Women’s Interagency HIV Study (WIHS) in the School of Medicine at Georgetown University. In this position, Dr. Warren-Jeanpiere collaborates with an interdisciplinary group of investigators to conceptualize research ideas, develop proposals to acquire additional funding, and prepare manuscripts for scholarly publication. She is currently principal investigator and lead analyst on a qualitative project which describes older African American and Latina women’s experiences of aging with HIV and comorbid conditions. Preliminary findings from this project will be presented at the 2012 American Public Health Association Annual Meeting (APHA).

Kim Williams, Ph.D. (2002-2004)

Dr. Kim M. Williams earned a Ph.D in Medical Sociology from Howard University, an MSW in planning and administration from The Ohio State University and a BS in Social Work from Morgan State University. Her clinical experiences have been in the areas of mental health counseling and case management. As an ORISE Postdoctoral Fellow she designed and implemented a study that examined the use and provision of HIV/AIDS and STD services to young women at risk for infection. Dr. Williams is a Behavioral Scientist in the Prevention Research Branch in the Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention where she serves as Co-Project Officer for the “HIV/AIDS Risk Reduction Interventions for Heterosexually-Active African-American Men” study – a multi-site cooperative agreement funded to support the development and pilot testing of novel interventions targeting at-risk heterosexual African-American men. She recently co-lead development of funding opportunity announcement for the Secretary’s Minority AIDS Initiative Fund for Care and Prevention in the United States; a demonstration project to reduce HIV-related morbidity, mortality, and related health disparities among racial and ethnic minorities in the U.S. Dr. Williams also serves as a scientific steering committee team member for the project entitled, “An Economic Intervention for Impoverished Women in the Southeastern U.S: Effects on HIV/STD Risk Behavior,” in collaboration with ” the Division of Violence Prevention and Division of STD Prevention. She is the Co-Chair for the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention’s Health Equity Work Group and is a Guest Editor on a special supplement for Public Health Reports entitled, “Applying Social Determinants of Health to Public Health Practice.”

Leigh A. Willis, Ph.D. (2007-2009)

Dr. Leigh A. Willis earned a Ph.D. in Medical Sociology and an M.P.H. in Health Behavior from the University of Alabama, Birmingham and a B.A. with Department Honors in Sociology and Human Services from Albion College. Specifically, his research focuses on the sexual risk of heterosexual African-American men and adolescents. He has presented and published in all of these areas. As an ORISE Community of Color Fellow in the Prevention Research Branch he engaged in preventing the epidemic by : 1) leading a meta-analytical review of parent-child communication interventions; 2) by providing technical assistance on the Intervention Research Team (IRT) as a project consultant on the Preventing African American Transmission of Heterosexual HIV Project (for Men) (PATHH 4MEN), Groundbreaking Interventions Project (Transgender and Heterosexually Active African-American Men, Transit TV (African-American Youth); 3) as a team member on the Replicating Effective Programs (REP) Team for Project AIM, an intervention for which he was an original interventionist;. Dr. Willis is currently a behavioral scientist in the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention, Health Communication Science Office. His past research projects focused on social determinants of HIV among communities of color, HIV prevention among youth and African-American heterosexual Men and the use of media (traditional, social and new media) to prevent HIV/AIDS.

Dr. Willis is currently the Co-PI of an inaugural CDC Innovation fund project to develop and HIV/STI focused motion comic for young people ages 15-24. Dr. Willis serves on the White House working group for using games as a policy tool.

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