Goal with HISTP
"By participating in HISTP, I hope to gain additional knowledge and skills in developing culturally-tailored interventions, as well as network with other junior scholars and mentors in the field of HIV prevention."
Goal with HISTP
"I look forward to learning, networking and working towards submitting a winning HIV implementation grant."
Dr. Memiah is a Forward Fellow with HISTP.
Goal with HISTP
"I hope the program will provide essential training and support which will enable me to submit a K01 application and enhance my ability to transition to a career as an independent researcher focusing on developing interventions to increase uptake of PrEP and reduce HIV disparity among Black men who have sex with men (BMSM)."
Dr. Walcott is an Assistant Professor in the department of Health Policy, Management, and Behavior at the University at Albany School of Public Health. She completed a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) degree at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), and her dissertation examined the role of gender norms on sexual and reproductive behaviors and acceptance of male circumcision for HIV prevention. Her research interests include social and structural factors associated with HIV risk behaviors and developing and implementing patient-centric biomedical and social-behavioral interventions to increase equity in HIV prevention and treatment among marginalized populations. Her current research focuses on assessing the association between patient-provider relationship and experience of racism in health care, and engagement in HIV care, and viral suppression among Black men who have sex with men (BMSM).
Dr. Megan Threats is an Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan School of Information. She is also Visiting Research Faculty at the Yale School of Public Health. In her work, she uses anti-racist praxis and methods to document the existence and elucidate the magnitude of individual, social, and structural-level determinants of health and information inequities related to race/ethnicity and sexual orientation. The goal of her research program is to empower racial/ethnic minoritized LGBTQ communities to engage in the design and implementation of informatics interventions and consumer health technologies that aim to combat racism and sexual orientation discrimination; as well as, translate her findings into the development of policies, programs, and practices that reduce health disparities and improve health outcomes among racial/ethnic minoritized LGBTQ communities. Dr. Threats is an affiliate with the Center for Critical Race and Digital Studies, and a Forward Fellow at the Columbia University Social Intervention Group. Her work has been supported by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, National Institute on Mental Health, and National Library of Medicine. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2020.
Dr. Keosha T. Bond is a Behavioral Scientist and Sexual Health Educator who has centered her work on the complex intersections of race, sexuality, social justice, and health equity among individuals of marginalized genders. Dr. Bond’s primary research interests have focused on understanding how socio-structural and cultural factors influence the transmission of HIV and the use of digital technology to develop culturally appropriate interventions to address these factors. Specifically, her work is focus on the exploration of the relationship between race, gender, and power imbalances in society that increase vulnerability to sexually transmitted infections and sexual inequality among individuals of marginalized genders. Dr. Bond ‘s most recent work has concentrated on the development of innovative eHealth education interventions using digital technology and social media for a broad dissemination of behavior change interventions related to sexual health for both cisgender and transgender women of color.
“As part of HISTP, I seek to gain mentorship to strengthen my research career and advance my technical skills in designing sexual health interventions that utilize digital technologies and telecommunication. “
"Through HISTP, I would like to gain mentorship and guidance regarding my academic and research career, as well as the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues who are interested in using technology and computer science in the efforts to prevent HIV."
Dr. E. Wairimu Mwangi is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Trinity Washington University in Washington D.C. Her research focuses structural factors that influence HIV and related outcomes in Africa and the US. In line with this interest, Dr. Mwangi previously worked as a consultant for the International Food Policy Research Institute in Washington, D.C. ’s, and her work focused on the interactions between agricultural contexts, food insecurity and women’s vulnerability to HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. Dr. Mwangi is expanding her research to explore social structural factors, particularly food insecurity, that influence the synergistic effect of HIV and neurocognitive disorders.
Goal with HISTP
"As part of the HIV Intervention Science Training Program for Underrepresented Scholars, I hope to deepen my knowledge of the mHealth literature, network with potential collaborators, and obtain the necessary skills and mentoring to prepare a successful R01 application."
Goal with HISTP
"To develop culturally relevant technology-delivered HIV and sexual health interventions that can better address linkage to and retention in care."
Dr. Kingori is a Forward Fellow with HISTP.
Goal with HISTP
My goal is to gain mentorship and foundational skills in the intersection between behavioral science and mHealth technologies. This would support my goal to exploit novel mHealth strategies to promote engage in care and treatment among highly marginalized people living with HIV.
Dr. Aima Ahonkhai is an Infectious Diseases and HIV physician and researcher. She is an Associate Physician in Medicine at the Massachusetts General Hospital where she also serves as Associate Director of the Bio-behavioral and Community Science Core and Director of the Community Engaged Research Program for the Harvard University Center for AIDS Research.
Dr. Ahonkhai is passionate about health equity and has focused this passion on the care of people living with HIV both in the US and in Africa. She has particular interest in the health needs of adolescents and young adults and has worked to implement care models for this population in globally. With expertise in epidemiology, implementation, and community-engaged research, Dr. Ahonkhai has active research programs in Africa and the US. Her program, Care4Life focuses on improving engagement in HIV care in Nigeria by leveraging mobile technology to improve medication adherence and engagement in care, and to address mental health needs for the most marginalized individuals. Dr. Ahonkhai has worked extensively in the SE United States, a region disproportionately burdened by HIV, and maintains an adjunct faculty appointment at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. She has collaborated with Tennessee Department of Health as well as local health departments and community-based organizations in TN, to identify and address disparities in HIV care. She is utilized novel strategies including partnering with Black barbers in TN to address HIV stigma in the state.