Alexis Ceja is currently an assistant clinical research coordinator working with Dr. Annesa Flentje at the University of California, San Francisco. Alexis works on several projects investigating the effects of intersectionality on sexual and gender minority (SGM) health disparities. Alexis’s goal is to pursue a career in nursing and continue investigating the effects of intersectional stigma and minority stress on health disparities and ways to reduce these disparities within SGM communities, particularly those of color. Outside of their research, they volunteer with Científico Latino, a program aimed at increasing the diversity of graduate school applicants and STEM professionals. Alexis is very excited to join The PRIDE Study and work towards reducing health disparities among our diverse SGM communities.

Zubin believes in promoting health and wellbeing through cutting-edge, evidence-based empirical research. At Columbia School of Social Work, he worked with disenfranchised and low-income families by implementing socially-driven prevention trials in New York. At Weill Cornell Medicine, he helped introduce survey technology in HIV/AIDS community-based hospital clinics in Queens and the Bronx. He managed multiple therapeutic trials that offered innovative therapies for all subtypes of breast cancer at Yale School of Medicine (Comprehensive Cancer Center) and Yale-New Haven Hospital. He has also managed multi-million-dollar NIH/NCI-funded, pharmaceutical-sponsored, and investigator-initiated trials at New York University (Cardiology) and University of Hawaii (Oncology). Zubin has been trained in providing culturally-responsive care for transgender and gender non-binary communities at Harvard School of Medicine.

Zubin earned a Master of Science (MS) degree in Health Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University and a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree in Social and Behavioral Sciences from the University of Alabama Birmingham. He hopes to get his PhD in LGBTQ Studies in the future to reduce healthcare inequities and health disparities among sexual, gender, and racial minority and marginalized populations.

In his spare time, Zubin loves to lounge on a beach, try different cuisines, travel to Paris, and incessantly watch British comedies. He comes to Stanford from Kaiser Permanente Hawai’i where he learned the importance of Social Work, and hopes to spread the Hawaiian principles of aloha (love), mahalo (thankfulness), and ho’ihi (respect).

Orlando O. Harris, PhD, RN, FNP, MPH, is an Assistant Professor of Nursing in the Department of Community Health Systems, School of Nursing, and an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Prevention Science in the Department of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. His research focuses on the exploration of risk and protective factors in sexual and gender diverse communities of color. He also focuses on understanding the relationships between intersectional stigma, violence, mental health, HIV, and other health-related behavior outcomes. Dr. Harris leverages multi-methods data, using community-based participatory research methods, to inform culturally relevant interventions that improves the lives of vulnerable sexual and gender diverse communities. His research aims to reduce disparities in health within these communities by developing programs that improve self-efficacy and promote resilience.

Ell Hundertmark values utilizing research to advocate for underserved populations, instill systemic social change, and subvert harmful, misinformed narratives surrounding stigmatized groups. They have learned, through their past experience working with and for underserved populations, the importance of integrity when conducting impactful, action-oriented research, and seek to implement this further as a member of PRIDEnet and in future applied work. 

While working toward their undergrad degree at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Ell participated in community-based action research on psychosocial factors affecting LGBTQ+ mental health, access to quality mental health care and trans/nonbinary affirming therapy, and evidence-based methods to teaching about equity and diversity. They also assisted in conducting research on the intersections of race, gender, and social values in fields of computing and how the workplace environment can influence epistemic hierarchies in cultures of tech.

Ell aspires to be a resource for queer love and marginal experience. They are excited to join PRIDEnet as the LGBTQ+ Assistant Clinical Research Coordinator to further actualize this, build resilience within their community, and employ liberatory praxis in their day-to-day life.

Daniel Moretti, MSc has more than fifteen years of experience working at the cross sections of community engagement, social justice, research, and non-profit arts in diverse locations including San Jose, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, London (UK), and Cebu (Philippines). He is excited to apply his passion for centering intersectional storytelling and lived experience to his role with PRIDEnet.

Prior to joining PRIDEnet, Daniel was Program Manager and Interim Manager at the County of Santa Clara Office of LGBTQ Affairs, the first ever county office of its kind established in the nation. In this position he focused on policy, programs, and research to support LGBTQ+ communities to thrive, including playing a lead role for one of the largest local studies with LGBTQ+ older adults. At Frameline, he was Director of Distribution and Educational Programming and oversaw a national education program that developed LGBTQ+ inclusive curriculum and partnered with more than 1,400 middle and high schools. Through his tenure as National Community Engagement Manager at ITVS, Daniel spearheaded more than a dozen national film-based campaigns focused on social issues such as racial justice, LGBTQ+ equity, homelessness, and more.

Daniel holds a BA in Visual and Media Arts with a minor in Gender Studies from Emerson College, and an MSc in Gender, Media, and Culture from the London School of Economics where he conducted primary research within queer film festival audience studies. In his personal time, he likes to watch and chat about the latest in LGBTQ+ film and television, travel, and feed his passion for fashion.

Ari Pefley is excited to support community-engaged research as a LGBTQ+ Operations/Administrative Specialist with PRIDEnet. As a student of Stanford University, Ari studied Sociology with a minor in Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality studies. They served as teaching assistant for the Sociology department and a research assistant to help study demographic survey measures for LGBTQ+ populations. Between classes, they interned for the San Francisco LGBT Center and the Djerassi Resident Artists’ Program. For their honors thesis research, they interviewed transgender, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming folks to better understand how these groups applied gender and sexual identity labels to themselves. The resulting paper was awarded the Michelle Zimbalist Rosaldo Prize in the Social Sciences. 

Prior to working with PRIDEnet, Ari worked with the queer ensemble theater company Eye Zen Presents as an Associate Communications Manager. Ari’s other passions include theater, studying Yiddish, sculpture, painting, and campy films. Looking toward the future, their ultimate goal is to pursue a PhD in Sociology and become a social researcher and community-engaged scholar.

Nguyen Tran, PhD, MPH is a social epidemiologist who is committed to research that advances the health and human rights of communities facing social and structural forms of discrimination such as racism, homophobia, and transphobia. His work focuses on the impact that social and political conditions have on health inequities among queer and transgender communities. His areas of interest include addressing the methodological challenges of measuring structural discrimination; its impact on healthcare access, infectious disease prevention, and mental health; and the feasibility and effectiveness of health and policy interventions that will eliminate these inequities.

Nguyen holds a PhD and an MPH in Epidemiology from Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health, and a BS in Public Health from the University of Texas at Austin. Prior to joining The PRIDE Study, he was a former graduate research fellow for the Health Equity Advancement Lab whose long-term goal is to enhance HIV PrEP access and prevent opioid-related overdoses among people who use drugs in Philadelphia.

Joelle Maslak is employed as a network engineer for a streaming video company, where she is a leader for the Trans* employee resource group. She has over 20 years of neurodiversity advocacy experience, and is particularly interested in the intersection of gender and neurodiversity. She is also involved in AASPIRE (Academic Autism Spectrum Partnership in Research and Education) team. She co-founded and facilitates a peer support group for trans people on the spectrum. She is currently working towards a second degree in Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies at Metropolitan State University of Denver.

Kara Sprague (she/her) is the Director of Strategy & Impact at SAGE, the nation’s oldest and largest organization dedicated to improving the lives of LGBT+ older adults, where she has worked since 2014. In this role, Kara is responsible for implementation and measurement of SAGE’s Strategic Plan, providing consultation on program evaluation and impact assessment across the organization, and promotion of a data-informed culture. Prior to SAGE, Kara worked in a variety of program evaluation and implementation roles across HIV services and international development. Kara has a B.A. in Sociology from American University and an M.S.W. from Fordham University.

David Utuone is a gay Sāmoan HIV advocate and community organizer residing in the traditional Tongva and Gabrieleno lands (presently known as San Bernardino, California). He is the current director of Mai Le Pogisā (Out of the Darkness) at a community based organization called The Young Serving All Mankind Our Alofa (SAMOA). He has dedicated his life to raising better awareness and cognizance of sexual health and queer identities both in his local Inland Empire and Pacific Islander communities.

Bria Brown-King uses they and she pronouns and is a Black, queer, masculine-presenting, non-binary, and intersex person. Bria works as the Director of Engagement for interACT Advocates for Intersex Youth. Bria got their start in intersex advocacy in 2018 as a Youth advocate, and in 2019 they became the first openly intersex person to speak about intersex issues on the steps of the Supreme Court. Bria now serves on multiple advisory boards, representing intersex people both nationally and internationally.

Hanh Nguyen was born and raised in San Jose, California. As the daughter of refugee parents, she experienced disparities in health and privilege which motivate her to pursue a career at the intersection of medicine, public health, and social justice. She attended the University of California Davis where she graduated with a BS in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior. She returned to San Jose to work in education, health engagement, and outreach among the community she grew up in. She is now gaining clinical experience while working as a scribe at a hospital and health center. In her free time, she practices yoga, reads, eats, and helps facilitate a community for queer Christians.

Miranda J. Stinson is a queer asexual woman living in New York City, where she has worked in book publishing for the last five years. She is a founding member of Disability in Publishing, a new organization that advocates for disabled employees in the industry, inspired by the work of organizations such as People of Color in Publishing and Latinx in Publishing. As a neurodivergent person who is also navigating chronic illness, Miranda is a fervent believer in making health education accessible so that disabled people can more confidently advocate for themselves in healthcare and research settings.

Miranda also has longstanding ties (though not by heritage) to the Irish community in New York, including serving on the organizing committee for the St. Pat’s for All Parade, NYC’s longest running LGBTQ-inclusive St. Patrick’s Day celebration. She’s excited to broaden her connections into working with other diaspora groups in the city as well.

Paul Vila is a freelance web developer and writer. He attended New College of Florida, where he graduated with a BA in Political Science and Environmental Studies. His academic work has focused on marrying scientific literacy and in-depth understandings of sociopolitical structures with the goal of disassembling systemic injustices. With that in mind, much of his current activist work centers on outreach for LGBTQ+ health issues, with an emphasis on Latinx communities. 

Jeffrey Worthington, known under his moniker "Jaycee Dubyuh", is the founder of the Gaymer Allied People of Color.  This movement has one simple mission: to build, house, and protect black and brown queer bodies as they intersect with normative spaces in technology and fandom.  Coupled with his decade of experience as a tournament and esports organizer, Jaycee continues to spread awareness of his brand and consult with those in need of guidance through the esports community.  As PRIDEnet becomes the latest addition, Jaycee extends a resume of being featured in interviews and panel discussions from several organizations and educational institutions. He looks forward to creating new avenues that will conjoin PRIDEnet with a unique gaming perspective that minorities will be certain to enjoy and learn from. 

Branden Barger, MAS is the program coordinator for the UCSF Office of Diversity & Outreach LGBT and Multicultural Resource Centers where he provides program, curriculum, and graphic design assistance in the centers’ efforts to increase visibility and inclusion of marginalized and underrepresented students, staff, and faculty throughout the UCSF health system and its various health professions training programs. Branden holds a Master of Advanced Studies in Clinical Research from the UCSF School of Medicine Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics and is a graduate of University of California, Berkeley with a degree in Public Health. Branden partnered with The PRIDE Study as part of his graduate program to examine substance use health disparities and resiliencies among sexual and gender minorities and he continues to support these efforts as a volunteer research assistant with the Sexual and Gender Minority Health Equity Lab in the UCSF School of Nursing Department of Community Health Systems.

Victoria Bruno is an undergraduate student at San José State University majoring in Psychology. As an ally to the LGBTQ+ community, she joined The PRIDE Study to develop a greater understanding of the factors that contribute to the national scenario of health disparities faced by folks in sexual and gender minority (SGM) communities. As an aspiring psychologist, she hopes to learn from the data available, and from LGBTQ+ people’s experiences, in order to help advance all aspects of LGBTQ+ health and well-being.

Alexis Ceja is currently an assistant clinical research coordinator working with Dr. Annesa Flentje at the University of California, San Francisco. Alexis works on several projects investigating the effects of intersectionality on sexual and gender minority (SGM) health disparities. Alexis’s goal is to pursue a career in nursing and continue investigating the effects of intersectional stigma and minority stress on health disparities and ways to reduce these disparities within SGM communities, particularly those of color. Outside of their research, they volunteer with Científico Latino, a program aimed at increasing the diversity of graduate school applicants and STEM professionals. Alexis is very excited to join The PRIDE Study and work towards reducing health disparities among our diverse SGM communities.

Ethan Cicero, PhD, RN is an Assistant Professor in the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing and a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Future of Nursing Scholar. Prior to joining Emory in August 2020, Dr. Cicero completed a two-year postdoctoral fellowship in the Biobehavioral Research Training in Symptom Science Program at the University of California, San Francisco, School of Nursing. He earned a PhD from the Duke University School of Nursing in 2018 and a BS in Nursing with Highest Honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2014. Their program of research is focused on evaluating the interrelationship between social inequities and the effects of adverse and affirming social conditions on the health and well-being of transgender populations, with a particular interest in methods used for transgender health research.

Shane Lamba is a Health Science Specialist in the Spinal Cord Injuries and Disorders (SCI/D) Center at the VA Palo Alto Healthcare System. He works on a multidisciplinary team, where he serves as one of the exoskeleton trainers collecting data on how its usage with Veterans can help improve quality of life for those living with a SCI. Additionally, he has brought to his team at the SCI center, a rejuvenated need for LGBT centered health research, he is diligently working alongside collaborators in applying for funding to initiate qualitative research on topics related to health equity and disability.

He also serves as a member on the Cultural Competency committee for the VA SCI/D Center, working alongside clinicians to bring diversity and inclusion trainings regarding LGBT Veterans. Shane will be enrolled in the Fall as a Master's of Public Health graduate student at the University of New England, where he intends to focus on community health promotion and education. He is a Bay Area native, and enjoys being active outdoors and relaxing at the beach. Shane is super excited to be a part of The PRIDE Study, as he believes it will help broaden his skill sets working with community engaged research methodology and health equity.

Pip G. Lipkin, BA is a medical student at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University applying into OB/GYN. They came to medicine by way of studying English and Art History as an undergraduate and working in hospice, where they witnessed the power of care, attention, art and humanism in the practice of healing. In medical school they have focused efforts on making healthcare approachable and accessible through health education courses for incarcerated youth and folks experiencing chronic homelessness. Pip has also been dedicated to the advocacy and support of trans* and gender diverse (T/GD) medical students by founding a T/GD support group as well as creating a T/GD training for medical clerkship directors and coordinators to ensure T/GD medical students are supported in the clinical space. Their current research is at the intersection of family building, fertility preservation and the reproductive health needs of T/GD individuals. 

Daryl Mangosing, MPH is currently a graduate student in the Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) program at the University of California Berkeley (UCB), School of Public Health (SPH). Within the SPH Community, they serve as a Graduate Recruitment and Diversity Service (GRADS) Ambassador for the DREAM (Diversity Respect Equity Action Multiculturalism) Office. Prior, they have worked for over three and a half years at the Center for AIDS Prevention Studies and Prevention Research Center in the Division of Prevention Science at the University of California San Francisco, where they drove communication efforts and disseminated HIV prevention and public health research. 

Daryl’s research interests lie within the intersection of LGBTQ+ health disparities, community-engaged research, mixed-methods, public health discourse, and Critical Theory. For their doctoral studies, Daryl is interested in sexualized drug use (i.e., recreational or illicit drug use to facilitate and enhance sexual activity) and health outcomes among the sexual and gender diverse community in the context of HIV prevention. As a queer Filipino-American born and raised on the island of Guam, they pursued an independent major in health sciences at Berea College in Berea, Kentucky with a full-tuition scholarship in 2013. Afterwards, they attended Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts and graduated in 2015 with an MPH, concentrating in health communication.

Nicholas Panyanouvong is an undergraduate student at Stanford University who, although undeclared, is considering a major in mathematical and computational science or biomedical computation. As an aspiring MD/MPH, he is interested in investigating the relationship between genetic and environmental factors in determining health outcomes, particularly with respect to groups that have been traditionally underrepresented in medicine. Here at the PRIDE lab, I’m studying the epigenetic basis of minority stress in sexual and gender minorities, as well as the various ways that stress manifests itself in the body.

Outside of population health, my research interests include cognitive and behavioral science; at Stanford, Nicholas works with the O’Connell lab to study spatial navigation in amphibians. He also a patient health navigator at Pacific Free Clinic, and an advocate for disabled/neurodiverse individuals with the Stanford Neurodiversity Project.