Katie Brooks Biello
she/her
PhD, MPH
Katie is Chair of the Department of Epidemiology, Associate Professor of Epidemiology, and Associate Professor of Behavioral and Social Sciences at Brown University. Her research interests are in identifying and understanding the underlying risk factors for social inequities in HIV/STIs and developing behavioral interventions to reduce risk among racial, sexual and gender minorities and those in resource limited settings, both domestically and globally.
Jaclyn White Hughto
she/her
PhD, MPH
Jackie, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology and Assistant Professor of Behavioral and Social Sciences at Brown University, is a social epidemiologist with expertise in epidemiology, behavioral science, and mixed-methods (qualitative and quantitative) research. Her research examines the individual, interpersonal, and structural drivers of health inequities, with a focus on the impact of stigma on the health of sexual and gender minority populations, people who use drugs, and those living with HIV.
David Pletta
he/him
PhD, MPH
David is a Data Scientist at Brown University. He is a social and psychiatric epidemiologist who studies structural, interpersonal, and individual-level factors influencing the mental and sexual health of stigmatized populations, including sexual and gender minorities, people who use drugs, and people living with HIV. David received his PhD in Population Health Sciences from Harvard University. He also holds an MPH in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from the Boston University School of Public Health and a BS & BA from the University of California, Santa Cruz.
Jennifer Olson
she/her
MBA
.Jenny is the Project Director for FRESH Research. She has been committed to public health research for over 25 years, with a primary focus on drug user health, harm reduction, and HIV prevention and care. Her expertise is in protocol implementation in clinical and community settings, and grant administration.
Madeline Noh
she/her
MPH
Madeline “Maddy” is a Project Coordinator at the Center for Health Promotion and Health Equity, where she supports numerous studies around substance use and overdose prevention, sexual and reproductive health, intersectionality, and LGBTQ+ issues. She is experienced in qualitative research. Madeline has a background working around health justice issues and has an interest in policy and advocacy. She is personally and professionally passionate about prioritizing community engagement and intersectionality in public health. She is a graduate of Brown University, where she received an MPH and BA in Anthropology and Public Health.
Vanessa Silva
she/her
BA
Vanessa has a background in social sciences, cardiovascular health and social and behavioral health and her research interests lie in socioeconomic and racial impacts on health outcomes and one's mental health. She hopes to one day take the skills she has learned in medical and social science research and apply them to research in social sciences. In addition to research, she enjoys gardening, running and organizing local community efforts.
Evan Davis
he/him
BS, MSW
Evan has a background in social work with an interest in community-based behavioral health research. Much of his experience lies in working with children and families as well as racial and gender minority groups. He hopes to continue working in public health research studying mental health and addiction from an Afrocentric perspective. When he is not working, Evan is often found taking care of his plants, playing video games, or sleeping.
Lance Nelson
he/him
BA
Lance is a sex worker rights advocate and project coordinator on the PrEPare for Work and Project IMPACT studies. A graduate of Columbia University, where he wrote his thesis on peer-led outreach for male sex workers, he worked previously as a research and advocacy intern with the Sex Workers Project of the Urban Justice Center. He has organized expert panels on the decriminalization and destigmatization of sex work, and worked as a project advisor at the prison abolitionist organization Black and Pink, where he helped build a healthcare toolkit for current and former sex workers. He is also pursuing his MPH at Brown University School of Public Health as a Health Equity Scholar.
Jonathan Rascon
he/him
BA
Jonathan received his BA in Liberal Arts from St. John’s College in May of 2023, where he studied the
“Great Books” program. Jonathan feels that in order to change the world for the better we must understand how it is today; how the histories, ideas, and philosophies of the past—and especially those of the western world—inform and uphold the inequities of the present. Jonathan also identifies as an addict in recovery and brings this experience and perspective to his work as a Research Assistant. In his free time, Jonathan might be found riding his bicycle, playing with his daughter, studying physics, or having a good cry.
Siena Napoleon
she/her
MPH
Siena earned her BA in Cognitive and Linguistic Sciences and Psychology from Wellesley College and her MPH in Health Policy and Management from Boston University. Siena has diverse practical experience in multiple sectors of public health. Currently a PhD student in Behavioral and Social Sciences at Brown, she is advised by Drs. Katie Biello and Rosemarie Martin. Her main research interests include implementation science and the neurocognitive impact of stimulant use in young adulthood. Outside of school, Siena loves cooking, outdoor sports, and spending time with her daughters.
Patrick Kelly
he/him
MPH
Patrick "Pat" is a second-year doctoral student focused on the psychosocial and structural factors that influence medical decision making among LGBTQ populations and people with substance use disorder(s). He created the makeshift medicine framework that aims to understand how people meet their healthcare needs when excluded from formalized healthcare systems. Pat primarily contributes to data collection and qualitative analysis for the POINTS Study. He holds an MPH in Social and Behavioral Sciences from Temple University, and is advised by Drs. Hughto and Biello.
FRESH Research Alumni
William Lodge II
he/him
PhD, MSc
William II received his PhD from Brown University School of Public Health in the spring of 2024. His work has focused on HIV primary and secondary prevention research—both domestically and in resource-constrained settings across the globe. His research interests include investigating barriers and facilitators to suboptimal antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence among gender and sexual minorities living with HIV. His dissertation research used syndemic theory and intersectionality to understand the impact of substance use and other psychosocial factors on ART adherence among transgender women in India. Before Brown, he worked for several years at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Harvard Medical School on a range of research projects such as knowledge and attitudes on polio immunization, Ebola and Zika viruses, quality of surgical care, and cost-effectiveness of a national immunization program. While his work has primarily been focused in South Asia, he has also worked on projects in Tanzania, Somalia, Guinea Bissau, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the United States.
Tyler Alexander
she/her
MPH
Tyler received her MPH from Brown University School of Public Health in the spring of 2024 as a Health Equity Scholar. At Brown, she concentrated in interdisciplinary studies that focus on epidemiology and health services research. She was a research assistant with FRESH Research under the supervision of Dr. Katie Biello where she worked primarily on the PrEPare for Work study. Tyler completed her undergraduate degree in Chemistry at Xavier University of Louisiana. Her research interests include sexual and reproductive health, health equity, and gender and sexual minorities.