MICHAEL R. Adams
Administrative director of research
mradams@hunter.cuny.edu
M.S.W., Silberman School of Social Work
Michael has over twenty years of experience working in academic and research settings, as well as healthcare and social service. He has been both an administrator and direct service provider, primarily focused on HIV/AIDS intervention and service development. His experience includes over ten years supporting research programs at CUNY, managing award activities for city, state, and federal grants, as well as industry contracts. As a trained Social Worker, Michael has a deep commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration and institutional transformation, as well as education and training of the next generation of researchers.
Alexa Beacham
Doctoral Student, Basic and Applied Social Psychology
abeacham@gradcenter.cuny.edu
B.S., Biology & Applied Ethics, Ursinus College
Alexa is a doctoral student in Basic and Applied Psychology at the Graduate Center in the City University of New York. Alexa is interested exploring how individuals’ experiences in healthcare can promote HIV prevention and PrEP uptake & continuation. Before joining HART, Alexa held a technical assistance role where she worked with the Office of Addiction Supports and Services (OASAS) on system quality improvement. She also worked at Partnership to End Addiction on a mobile intervention intended to reduce risky drinking in postpartum people.
ELIJAH CASTLE
Study Coordinator
B.F.A, Filmmaking, Montclair State University
Elijah is a study coordinator at HART working primarily with Dr. Klein on projects related to trauma-informed approaches to healthcare and research, sexual health for trans men and trans masculine people, heatlh education and knowledge dissemination, and community engagement. Previously, Elijah worked as a research coordinator in the transgender surgery program at NYU Langone Health, and as a medical case manager in the Health Outreach to Teens (HOTT) program at Callen-Lorde Community Health Center. For over five years, he has provided peer and community support and education on topics related to trans healthcare and surgery navigation (especially genital surgeries). He is particularly interested in research related to patient-provider relationships, clinical ethics, and informed consent, as well as the relationship and interaction between trans surgeries and embodiment.
Ariel de Roche
Research Program Manager
ariel.roche@hunter.cuny.edu
M.S., Epidemiology, Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health
B.S., Biology, University at Albany, State University of New York
Ariel is a Program Manager who works primarily on Project PACE, evaluating the implementation of a new strategy to enhance equity-focused HIV prevention in New York City. Prior to joining the HART team, she supported research projects focused on adolescent sexual health, addiction medicine and using simulation to improve maternal health outcomes. She also has experience as a birth worker, supporting both birthing and postpartum families. Ariel is committed to reducing disparities in access to quality care and improving outcomes for those accessing sexual and reproductive health care services.
Elizabeth Furuya
Research Associate
elizabeth.furuya@hunter.cuny.edu
M.P.H. NYU School of Global Public Health
B.A., Asian Studies, Certificate of Advanced Study in Japanese Language & Literature, Carleton College
Liz works as a Research Associate with HART, where she focuses on ALAI-UP, Project PACE, and BLUPrInt. She has over 10 years of experience in qualitative research, strategic communications, and patient journey mapping. Liz is well-versed in a range of qualitative methodologies, such as: ethnography, standardized patient dialogue simulations, digital diaries, focus groups, and one-on-one interviews. Liz is committed to health justice—she seeks to dismantle racism and other forms of subordination that have prevented people from accessing resources and achieving the highest attainable standard of health. Originally trained as an art historian, she is a big believer in the power of design and visual health communications to make technical topics more widely accessible, digestible, and equitable.
Alison Goldberg
Doctoral Student, Basic and Applied Social Psychology
B.A., High Honors in Psychology, Wesleyan University
Alison is a doctoral student in Basic and Applied Psychology at the Graduate Center at the City University of New York. Prior to joining HART, Alison worked for the Population Council, a nonprofit organization that conducts social science research related to sexual and reproductive health. She also worked for the Center for Health Equity within the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Alison's current research interests include women's perceptions of sexual agency, and the ways in which sex education can mitigate gender- and sexuality-based stigma.
BRYANT GOMEZ
Doctoral Student, Basic and Applied Social Psychology
bgomez@gradcenter.cuny.edu
B.A., Summa Cum Laude, Honors in Psychology, Rutgers University-Newark
Bryant is a doctoral student in Basic and Applied Social Psychology at the Graduate Center, City University of New York. Before joining CUNY & HART, Bryant worked for Braven, a nonprofit organization that empowers promising underrepresented young people on their paths to quality economic opportunities. Bryant's current research interests are racial-ethnic identity integration, sociocultural norms, stereotype threat, well-being, and urban health disparities. His current goal is to apply community-participatory research principles/methods and intervention science to address the social psychological outcomes associated with identity integration and educational inequity among first-generation and BIPOC communities.
Ricky granderson
doctoral student, basic and applied social psychology
rgranderson@gradcenter.cuny.edu
M.P.H., Health Behavior & Health Education, University of Michigan
M. Phil, Basic & Applied Social Psychology, CUNY Graduate Center
Ricky’s research explores the boundaries of acceptable intimate touch behaviors within heterosexual men’s homosocial friendships—as well as the cues, rewards, and punishments driving these experiences of platonic physical touch. This work is part of Ricky’s broader research agenda, which seeks to investigate intimate homosocial friendship as a mechanism by which contemporary men (mainly heterosexual, cisgender white men) can build community and pro-socially adapt to the rapid changes in status, power, acceptable limits of behavior, and understandings of masculinity; changes they currently seem to be struggling to adapt to, as evidenced by concordant increases in adverse psychosocial outcomes (e.g., alienation, loneliness, suicide, alcoholism, political radicalization). This emphasis on the connection between gendered behaviors and psychosocial outcomes is informed by Ricky’s experiences at the University of Michigan, where he earned his M.P.H. working alongside Dr. Gary Harper investigating the intersection of masculinity, sexual behavior, and mental health outcomes. In his spare time, Ricky runs a book club, Book Brothers, bringing local men together to read and discuss books exploring men’s issues
Imani Hall
Study Coordinator
imani.hall@hunter.cuny.edu
M.S., Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pace University, Dyson College of Arts and Sciences
B.S., Biology, St. Joseph’s University New York
Imani is a Study Coordinator at HART, working primarily on Project PACE. She has long been interested in preventive medicine and understanding how a holistic approach to health care more efficiently meets the needs of patients. Prior to joining HART, Imani worked in human services as a direct support professional, a role that later motivated her decision to conduct graduate research on neurodevelopment and support qualitative research on the performance of public service systems. She has also worked in family medicine, providing administrative support to health care providers and patients. Imani is interested in research that sheds light on the social determinants of health inequity to improve access to quality care for marginalized populations.
Augustus Klein
Research Associate Professor, Director of Transgender Research Initiatives
augustus.klein@hunter.cuny.edu
Ph.D., The Graduate Center, CUNY
M.S.W., Hunter College, Silberman School of Social Work
B.A., Psychology, Antioch College
Gus is a social and behavioral scientist with interdisciplinary training in social work, public health, and psychology. He is a recognized expert in transgender health research. He has been a leader in and advocates for the representation of transgender researchers and community members in study design, implementation, and dissemination. Dr. Klein’s empirical research program is informed by over 20 years of professional experience working with diverse communities in a variety of settings, including young injection drug users, LGBTQ+ adolescents and young adults, and individuals living with mental health and substance use issues. His research focuses broadly on social and behavioral determinants of health and utilizes a practice-driven implementation science framework to identify mechanisms and processes at the structural, interpersonal, and individual levels that can promote health equity.
Haniya Rumaney
Doctoral Student, Basic and Applied Social Psychology
M.A., Applied Psychology, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai
Haniya's research interests primarily revolve around investigating the antecedents and consequences of religious and other identity-based stigma using social identity and intersectionality frameworks. In the past, she has conducted stigma and prejudice-focused research by employing survey experiments and natural language processing techniques. Her latest studies focus on how stigma drives endorsement of certain conspiracy theories. Prior to joining BASP and HART, Haniya worked at the Sidanius Lab (Harvard University), and was a research assistant and program manager for a project funded by the International Growth Centre, UK.
Maria Sobrino
Doctoral Student, basic and applied social psychology
msobrino@gradcenter.cuny.edu
B.S., Psychology, University of Florida
B.A., English, University of Florida
Maria is currently a second-year PhD student in CUNY’s Basic and Applied Social Psychology Program. Her research is grounded and contextualized in strengths-based and community-based participatory methodology and is broadly aimed at interrogating societal conceptualizations of risky behaviors, examining the protective psychological factors that buffer against stigma, exploring the social and structural context of substance use and disease transmission, and scaling up harm reduction efforts. Prior to coming to HART, Maria developed a repertoire of trans- and interdisciplinary skills and perspectives through her work at the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime, the National Drug Early Warning System Project, and the Developmental Social Neuroscience Lab at the UNC Chapel Hill. Maria is an enthusiast of the Oxford comma, roller skating, and all things music.
lila starbuck
data analyst
M.P.H., Epidemiology and Biostatistics, CUNY School of Public Health
B.A., magna cum laude, Psychology, Brandeis University
Lila works as a data analyst with HART. She has 15 years of diverse experience in the fields of sexual health, LGBTQ health, and community programs. Her experience prior to HART spans research and evaluation, program design and implementation, sex education and training, public health city government roles, data management and analysis, research dissemination and communication, stakeholder engagement and partnership development, and queer sex positive community work. She works on multiple projects within HART, with a focus on analytic methods, research dissemination, and data management. She is particularly interested in resilience and stigma, queer relationships and sexualities, interventions targeting social and structural contributors to health disparities, and longitudinal research design and analysis.
CARLY WOlfer
Doctoral Student, Basic and Applied Social Psychology
M.A., Health Education, Health & Behavior Studies, Teachers College, Columbia University
B.A., Psychological & Brain Sciences and Women’s Gender Sexuality Studies, Washington University in St. Louis
Carly is a doctoral student in Basic and Applied Social Psychology at the Graduate Center, City University of New York (CUNY). Prior to joining HART in May of 2022, Carly worked at The PRIDE Health Research Consortium managing a portfolio of NIH-funded studies aimed at promoting sexual and psychosocial health among sexual and gender minority populations ages 13 to 60+. She also currently works in The Health Emotions and Relationships Team (HEaRT) Lab at Brooklyn College. Carly’s research investigates the multi-level barriers and facilitators to sexual pleasure equity, relationship functioning, and health in intimate relationships across the lifespan. Her current project is a 21-day-diary study that applies theories of intimate justice and interdependence to examine gendered dyadic predictors of orgasm (in)equity in young heterosexual relationships.
Jahnae Vernon
research associate
jahnae.vernon30@hunter.cuny.edu
M.P.H., SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University: School of Public Health
B.A., Human Biology, Hunter College
Jahnae is a Research Associate working on Project PACE. She is earning her MPH in Epidemiology at SUNY Downstate School of Public Health. Before joining HART, she volunteered at Hunter's Anthropology Lab collecting and analyzing specimens for their NYC Brown Adipose Tissue Study. Jahnae was also an Infectious Disease Intern at Isabella Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing Care. She hopes to discover how she can best support the prosperity of organisms as they relate to one another. Her current interests include data science, environmental epidemiology, and One Health.
dakota barth
research associate
B.A., Psychology, Hunter College
Dakota is a research associate at HART, working on BLUPrInt. Her work focuses on research dissemination and website design. Her research interests center on the intersection of religious ideology, experiences of shame, narrative identity and sexual embodiment. Before joining HART, Dakota worked in commercial art as an in-house designer and mural artist. She currently works with food pantries and community gardens in her area to address food insecurity in her community.