jessica magidson, phD

Lab Director

MORGAN ANVARi

Clinical Psychology PhD Student

valerie bradley, MPS

Clinical Psychology PhD Student

Imani Brown, MPH

Clinical Psychology PhD Student

KRISTEN REGENAUER, MS

Clinical Psychology PhD Student

Jessica Anane, MPH

Graduate Research Assistant

Caroline Sacko, msn

Graduate Research Assistant

DWAYNE DEAN

Peer Supervisor

Jessica anthony

Interventionist

Gabrielle bozman

Interventionist

Gabrielle Atkinson, MPS

Faculty Specialist

Rithika baskar

Research Coordinator

Abigail Hines

Research Coordinator

Maretta Sonn

Research Coordinator

Antoinette Dorzon

Graduate Research Assistant

Sophia Nahabedian

Graduate Research Assistant

Joi Kenner

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Hasan Mirzoyev

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Chiara Sforza

Undergraduate Research Assistant

SYBIL MAJOKWENI, Bs

Senior Research Assistant

Nonceba ciya

Interventionist

neliswa kotelo, ba

Research Assistant

SIBABALWE NDAMASE, ba

Research Assistant

Thembelihle Pita, Mcom

Research Assistant

Yvonne Mdakane, MA

Interventionist

Bonga Mkhize

Research Assistant

Stefani Du Toit, PhD

Senior Research Officer

Millicent Kihiuria

Research Coordinator

Jessica Bonumwezi, phD

Postdoctoral Fellow

emily satinsky, msc

Faculty Research Assistant

Kayla griffin

Summer Research Institute Scholar

talya gordon

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Alison li

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Lakendra schwendig

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Elizabeth Hutman, BS

Graduate Research Assistant

Donovan Clemmons, BA

Summer Research Fellow

Scottie Farrin

Undergraduate Research Assistant

cj seitz-brown, phd

Assistant Clinical Professor

Zach Wright

Masters Student / RA

Melissa Coaxum

Masters Student / RA

Yvonne Ochieng

Masters Student / RA

samantha cohen

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Xavier Phelps

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Hannah Tralka

Undergraduate Research Assistant

MIWA JOHNSTONE

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Kavya Bhattiprolu

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Abdul-Aziz Baig

NIDA Summer Intern

Sara abdelwahab

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Alia Shields

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Jenn Belus, PHD

Postdoctoral Fellow

Khyati Suthar

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Beza Negash

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Anu Sangraula

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Sophia crooks

Summer Research Intern

alyssa precil

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Alli Buller

Undergraduate Research Assistant

christine wan

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Issmatu Barrie

Undergraduate Research Assistant

yosef bronsteyn, BA

Research Assistant

Tolu Abidogun, mbbs

Research Coordinator

Reuben Van Eck

Research Assistant

Meera Ragunathan

Research Assistant

Latonya Aaron, BS

Masters Student / RA

Emilia Toloza

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Alexandra rose, PhD

Lea simms, MPH

Program Manager

Mary kleinman, PhD

Jessica Magidson, PhD
Lab Director

Dr. Jessica Magidson is an Associate Professor in the Clinical area in the Department of Psychology. In January 2023 she assumed the position as the Director of CESAR, the Center for Substance Use, Addiction & Health Research, in the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences (BSOS), and an MPower Professor, through the University of Maryland Strategic Partnership: MPowering the State.

She received her PhD in Clinical Psychology from University of Maryland College Park in 2013 and completed her predoctoral clinical internship in Behavioral Medicine and postdoctoral fellowship in Global Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, where she was also an Assistant Professor and Staff Psychologist prior to returning to UMD in 2018.

She is currently the PI of nine NIH-funded trials to evaluate peer and community health worker-delivered behavioral interventions to improve substance use and other health outcomes locally and globally in sub-Saharan Africa. Overall, her program of research focuses on how to expand the reach of evidence-based behavioral interventions to address substance use in underserved settings in the US and sub-Saharan Africa using peer and lay health worker delivery. Her research program aims to foster bidirectional learning between ongoing research in sub-Saharan Africa and local collaborations in Maryland to improve the treatment of addiction and its impact on physical health comorbidities in underserved clinical settings globally.

Active Projects

Dr. Magidson is leading several trials funded by the NIH HEAL Initiative in partnership with University of Maryland School of Medicine evaluating peer-delivered interventions to improve retention in treatment for opioid use disorder, including (1) among low-income, minority individuals in Baltimore (R33DA057747; Magidson) and (2) in rural areas of Maryland via a telemedicine-enabled mobile treatment unit (R01DA057443; Magidson, Kattakuzhy). She is also leading a newly funded trial with Henry Ford Health to evaluate a peer-delivered intervention to support both substance use and depression outcomes in a certified community behavioral health clinic in Detroit (R01MH137237; Magidson, Felton).

In South Africa, she is leading a trial in partnership with University of Cape Town "Project Khanya" (R01DA056102; Magidson) to evaluate a stepped-care, peer-delivered intervention to improve HIV medication adherence and substance use in primary care in Cape Town, South Africa. She is also leading several NIH-funded projects in South Africa focusing on how to train community health workers to reduce stigma around substance use and mental health to improve engagement in TB and HIV care (R34MH122268; Magidson, Myers), how to develop a peer recovery coach model in HIV care in South Africa to reduce substance use stigma among providers and improve patient engagement in care (R21DA053212; Magidson, Myers), and how to support community health workers to deliver home-based mental health and HIV services (R21TW012347; Magidson, Myers, Carney).

With UMB, she is also leading a new initiative "ARTEMIS: Advancing Addiction Research and Treatment through Engagement with Rural Marylanders Impacted by PolySubstance Use" (R24DA061178; Magidson, Kattakuzhy) to create a national consultation model for engaging patients and community members in the research process in rural Maryland to support improvements in polysubstance use care delivery.

Education:

University of Maryland, College Park
PhD Clinical Psychology

University of Maryland, College Park
MS Clinical Psychology

Dartmouth College
BA Psychology

Contact: jmagidso@umd.edu

Imani Brown, MPH

Clinical Psychology PhD Student

Imani Brown is a doctoral student in the University of Maryland Clinical Psychology program. Her research interests include behavioral interventions for substance use disorder and co-occurring mental illness, with a particular emphasis on trauma-informed care. She is also interested in addressing the syndemics of comorbid physical and mental illness. She previously worked as a research coordinator in the Department of Psychiatry at Howard University, and where she was involved in a variety of projects: i) exploring supported employment for people dually diagnosed with opioid use disorder (OUD) and mental illness; ii) reducing symptoms of PTSD through exposure and medication therapy; and iii) uncovering and addressing barriers to engagement in treatment for OUD. She has also been involved in research on interventions for improving adherence to antiretroviral therapy for people living with HIV/AIDS in rural Zambezia province, Mozambique.

Education 

Vanderbilt University: MPH,  Global Health 

Dartmouth College: BA, Romance Languages

Mary Kleinman, PhD

Mary Kleinman received her PhD from the University of Maryland Clinical Psychology program in 2024. Her research interests include behavioral interventions for substance use and the intersection of mental health and infectious disease prevention and treatment. Mary previously worked as an epidemiologist at Maryland Department of Health where she monitored community-based programs to test and treat hepatitis C. She has also worked internationally on research investigating social and biological determinants of tuberculosis treatment outcomes, including the effect of alcohol use on TB treatment outcomes in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. 

Education:

University of Maryland
PhD Clinical Psychology

Boston University
MPH Epidemiology

Dickinson College
BS Biology, Minor in History, Certificate in Health Studies

Jessica Anthony
Peer Recovery Coach

Jessica is a certified Peer Recovery Coach. She works on the Peer Recovery to Improve Polysubstance Use and Mobile Telemedicine Retention (PRISM) study as a peer interventionist, delivering behavioral activation skill training for individuals struggling with polysubstance use. PRISM is implemented on a mobile treatment unit on the eastern shore of Maryland run by the Caroline County health department.

Rithika Baskar

Research Coordinator

Rithika Baskar is the Research Coordinator for the HEAL Together project, an NIH HEAL initiative aiming to evaluate how peer recovery coaches can improve retention in care for underserved, minority individuals with OUD, and is based in the University of Maryland Drug Treatment Center in Baltimore. In addition, she also works on data analysis for the Siyakhana-CHW R34 and Siyakhana-Peer R21 studies in Cape Town, South Africa..

Previously Rithika worked as a Research Assistant under Dr. Carla Hunter in the Cultural Heritage and Racial Identity Lab and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She worked on the ASPIRE project aiming to learn the effectiveness of community intervention programs for African American adolescents by working with local afterschool programs like DREAAM. In the future, she hopes to continue research related to health disparities in low-income and minority communities.

Education:

University of Illinois Urbana Champaign

BS Astrophysics and Psychology

Gabrielle Bozman
Peer Recovery Coach

Gabby is a certified Peer Recovery Coach. She works on HEAL Together, an NIH HEAL initiative which aims to evaluate how peer recovery coaches can improve retention in care for underserved, minority individuals with OUD. HEAL Together is delivered at the University of Maryland Drug Treatment Center in Baltimore, MD, in close collaboration with UMB Psychiatry.

Dwayne Dean, ICPR, CPRS, RPS
Peer Supervisor

Dwayne Dean works as the supervisor of the Peer Recovery Specialists for the HEAL Together and the PRISM studies. Dwayne previously served as the Peer Recovery Specialist and Interventionist for the HEAL Together study and prior to that, as the Peer at Paul's Place, a community outreach center in Southwest Baltimore. Dwayne is an Internationally Certified Peer Recovery Specialist, a Maryland State Certified Peer Recovery Specialist, and a Registered Peer Supervisor through the MD Addictions and Behavioral Health Certification Board. 

Millicent Kihiuria

Research Coordinator

Millicent Kihiuria is a Research Coordinator for the NIDA funded PRISM study, which looks at the efficacy of a peer-delivered behavioral activation intervention for individuals struggling with polysubstance use. PRISM is implemented on a mobile treatment unit on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. In addition to the PRISM study, she also works on qualitative data analysis for the Siyakhana-CHW R34, Siyakhana-Peer R21, and Masculinity R21 studies in Cape Town, South Africa, as well as the HEAL R61 study in Baltimore, MD.

Previously, Millicent conducted an observational clinical study at the University of Maryland School of Medicine under the guidance of Dr. Annabelle Belcher, where she investigated the existence of an association between substance use and mental health disorders in individuals with an opioid use disorder (OUD) who are incarcerated at a rural jail on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. She was then introduced to the Global Mental Health and Addiction Program (GMAP), where she was an undergraduate research assistant from 2022-2023, primarily working on the HEAL R61 study. She received a BS in Public Health Science from the University of Maryland, College Park. In her future career as a healthcare professional, she hopes to work diligently to deliver the highest quality of care to patients in resource-limited settings.

Education

University of Maryland, College Park

B.S., Public Health Science

Ever Sheplee

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Ever Sheplee is an undergraduate student at the University of Maryland seeking a Bachelor of Arts as a double major in Psychology and Criminal Justice and Criminology. She will be graduating in the spring of 2025. Her research interests include the school-to-prison pipeline and examining the sociocultural forces that disproportionately affect disadvantaged communities and lead to adverse mental health outcomes. After graduation, she hopes to pursue a PhD to continue investigating her research interests. In the lab, she has worked on the HEAL, Khanya, and PRISM projects.

Education:

University of Maryland, College Park

B.A. Psychology & Criminal Justice & Criminology (Expected 2025)

Caroline Sacko, MSN

Graduate Research Assistant

Caroline Sacko is a graduate student in the University of Maryland Clinical Psychological Science program and a research coordinator in the GMAP lab. Caroline works primarily on the PRISM study, a NIDA funded effectiveness-implementation study that evaluates the impact of a peer-delivered behavioral health intervention on retention and polysubstance use for patients with opioid use disorder in rural Maryland.

Previously, Caroline worked as a public health and infectious disease nurse at the Baltimore City Health Department HIV/STI clinics. She was also a nurse on a mobile clinic for medication assisted opioid treatment. Caroline’s research interests include implementation science, prevention research, the intersection of substance use and infectious disease, and ethical task sharing models of care. She is passionate about using participatory action research to eliminate mental and physical health disparities through community-informed interventions.

Education:

Johns Hopkins University

MSN, Master of Science in Nursing

Swarthmore College

BA, Education and Political Science

Maretta Sonn

Research Coordinator

Maretta Sonn is the Research Coordinator for the NIDA funded PRISM study which looks at the efficacy of a peer-delivered behavioral activation intervention for individuals struggling with polysubstance use. PRISM is implemented on a mobile treatment unit on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

Prior to coming to the lab, Maretta was a post-baccalaureate student in the psychology department at Columbia University. There she worked under social psychologist Dr. Tory Higgins on projects related to self-regulation and motivation. She also was a mentee of Dr. Randy Auerbach at the New York State Psychiatric Institute. Under his supervision she conducted research on reward anticipation and processing dysfunction in adolescents struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts and behaviors using EEG. Maretta has also completed course work at The University of Pennsylvania Center for Positive Psychology.

Education:

Dickinson College

BA English, Minor in Africana Studies

Hannah Tralka
Undergraduate Research Assistant

Hannah Tralka was an undergraduate research assistant at GMAP. She worked with Dr. Magidson on Project Khanya in South Africa and Peer Act!vate in Baltimore. Previously, Hannah had worked at the UMD Motivated Cognition Laboratory as an undergraduate research assistant. She researched regulatory mode theory, unethical behavior, attention, and public health message interpretations. Hannah was also a peer educator at the UMD Health Center for sexual health education. She is passionate about helping people improve their lives, especially through mental and sexual health in minority populations such as the LGBTQ community. 

Education: 

University of Maryland, College Park
BA Psychology, Minor in Neuroscience, Certificate in LGBT Studies

Stefani Du Toit, PhD
Senior Research Officer

Stefani Du Toit is the appointed Senior Research Officer in the HIV Mental Health Research Unit at the University of Cape Town. She is the director of Project Khanya, which is a peer-delivered intervention to improve ART adherence and substance use disorder in primary care. She holds a MA in Psychology, a PGDip in Addictions Care and a PhD in Public Health.

The primary focus of Dr. Du Toit’s research has been on investigating mental health and implementing mental health interventions is setting characterised by high adversity and among high-risk populations. Her current research focuses on substance use and chronic conditions, with specific focus on HIV and treatment adherence. She have managed several cross sectional studies and intervention trials that address issues such as HIV, child health, adolescent mental health, substance use, and community-based healthcare.

Education:

Stellenbosch University

PhD, Public Health

Stellenbosch University

MA, Psychology

Post Graduate Diploma, Addictions Psychiatry Residency Program

Stellenbosch University

BA, Psychology

Neliswa Kotelo, BA
Research Assistant

Neliswa Kotelo is a research assistant in the HIV Mental Health Research Unit at the University of Cape Town. She is the Research Assistant for Project Khanya, which is a peer-delivered intervention to improve ART adherence and substance use disorder in primary care. Previously she worked on the pilot study for Project Khanya as well as a study looking at the effectiveness of nurse-delivered care for adherence and mood in HIV in South Africa. Before joining the HIV Mental Health Research Unit, Neliswa worked at Matrix Alcohol and Drug Rehabilitation Centre as a psychological counselor while doing her Honours practicum. Her main interest is in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy--she favors this approach as it is evidence-based and effective for a broad base of problems of varying severity. 

Education:

University of the Western Cape
BA Honours in Psychology

Kavya Bhattiprolu
Research Coordinator

Kavya Bhattiprolu is an undergraduate research assistant at GMAP. She is passionate about mental health interventions and is interested in learning more about mental health research. Kavya has previously worked as an intern at the National Institutes of Health alongside a genetic counselor to better understand the psychological effects that follow the diagnosis of genetic eye disorders. She is excited to be a research assistant at this lab and gain important skills!

Education:

University of Maryland, College Park (expected 2023)

Issmatu Barrie
Undergraduate Research Assistant

Issmatu Barrie is an undergraduate research assistant at GMAP. She is a senior Community Health major with a specialization in Special Populations. She has conducted research in the Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Health (SOGI Health) Lab and on the Characterizing and Tracking College Health study. Issmatu is interested in research-based approaches in understanding and eliminating the underlying causes of health disparities such as poverty, affordability, accessibility, and medical mistrust, that contribute to health issues in marginalized communities.

Education:

University of Maryland, College Park (expected 2021)

Donovan Clemmons

Summer Research Fellow

Donovan Clemmons is a research assistant at GMAP. Donovan graduated from the University of Maryland in Spring of 2021 with a B.A. in Psychology and his research interests include counseling psychology and addiction science. Prior to GMAP, Donovan worked as a research assistant in the Interpersonal Relationships Lab at the University of Maryland. Additionally, Donovan worked as a teaching assistant for the Adult Psychopathology course at the University of Maryland for two consecutive semesters. Outside of school Donovan was also the Vice President of the University of Maryland Boxing Club for two years. After taking the next year off of school to gain some real world experience, he plans to attend graduate school and pursue a doctoral degree in Counseling Psychology. Ultimately, Donovan’s goal is to work with and provide care to communities that have been negatively impacted by substance use and poverty.

Education:

University of Maryland, College Park, 2021

B.A., Psychology

Alia Shields
Undergraduate Research Assistant

Alia Shields is an Undergraduate Research Assistant at GMAP, where she works on Project Heal Together and Project Peer Act!vate. She completed the Justice and Legal Thought Scholars program, during which she conducted a research project on the treatment of psychosis in federal prisons. She is very passionate about the intersection of mental health and social justice. Alia is looking forward to learning more about how qualitative research is performed and is excited about the opportunity to work at GMAP!

Education:

University of Maryland, College Park (expected 2022)

BA in Psychology

Scottie Farrin

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Scottie Farrin is an undergraduate research assistant at GMAP, as well as a student at Middlebury College pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Psychology. She is interested in studying global mental health and hopes to expand her knowledge of the field while working at GMAP. She is also interested in conducting research to improve clinical treatments and their accessibility, and she hopes to be involved in direct practice and become a therapist. Scottie eventually plans to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology.   

Education:  

Middlebury College (expected 2023) 

B.A., Psychology  

Khyati Suthar
Undergraduate Research Assistant

Khyati Suthar is an undergrad studying psychology and on the pre-med track in hopes to become a psychiatrist. She enjoys learning about human behavior and passionate about working with people with mental health problems. Outside of school, she is the social media coordinator for her club Medlife where she recently went to Cusco, Peru to provide medical help to communities without access to any. She also is currently interning for Med2lab, an assessment platform for medical education, to improve the platform for medical students. Khyati hopes GMAP not only strengthens her research skills and knowledge on mental health but also provides insight on future research projects.

Education:

University of Maryland, College Park (expected 2022)

Ebonie Massey
Research Assistant

Ebonie Massey received both her Master of Arts in Sociology and her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Criminology & Criminal Justice from the University of Maryland, College Park. She is currently working with GMAP as a research assistant on Project HEAL Together, an NIH HEAL initiative which aims to evaluate how peer recovery coaches can improve retention in a methadone treatment program for underserved, minority individuals with OUD by reducing stigma. Ebonie is also a faculty research assistant at the Center for Substance Use, Addiction & Health Research (CESAR) where she began working in 2017. She serves primarily as a quantitative data analyst on the national expansion of the Emergency Department Drug Surveillance (EDDS) system, funded by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), by managing databases and conducting analyses of electronic health record (EHR) data including urine toxicology results and other patient information from patients presenting to hospital emergency departments for drug overdose or drug-related health problems. Previously, Ebonie served as a quantitative data analyst on two projects within the Opioid Use Disorders Project funded by the University of Maryland Strategic Partnership: MPowering the State Initiative. She also has a background in qualitative data analysis which includes experience transcribing and thematically coding interviews for a project of the Capital Region Violence Intervention Program studying the experiences of Black male victims of violent injury being treated at UM Prince George's Hospital Center. 

Education:

University of Maryland, College Park
MA Sociology

University of Maryland, College Park
BA Sociology and Criminology & Criminal Justice

Reuben Van Eck

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Reuben Van Eck is an undergraduate research assistant at GMAP. Reuben previously worked as a teaching assistant in Dr. Scott Roberts’ Psychology of Evil course for two consecutive summers and is excited to expand his knowledge on research regarding mental health care accessibility and stigma reduction in his time at GMAP. When not in school, Reuben can be found singing in various music ensembles, including the University of Maryland Chorale, and the comedy a cappella group “Mockappella,” of which he is music director. After taking some time to amass more real world experience, Reuben plans to pursue a Ph.D. in counseling psychology, with the future goal of providing mental health care to underserved college and high school age students. 

Education: 

University of Maryland, College Park (Expected Fall 202)

B.S., Psychology

Zach Wright

Masters Student / Research Assistant

Zach Wright is currently a Masters of Clinical Psychological Sciences student at the University of Maryland. His research interests include increasing access to services/goods blocked by structural barriers such as food, education, employment, and health services in underserved populations, as well as the impact of community (i.e. support systems) on building resilience to environmental stressors. Zach has spent time as an AmeriCorp Member for the Choice Program in Baltimore, MD where he taught job training and retention classes, provided mentorship, and connected youth ages 14-24 to resources within the community.

Education:

University of Maryland, College Park

Masters in Clinical Psychological Science (Expected 2022)

Susquehanna University

BA Psychology, Minor in Africana Studies

Latonya Aaron, BS

Master’s-level Summer Intern

Latonya is a graduate student in the University of Maryland's School of Public Health. She is currently pursuing her Masters in Behavioral and Community Health. Her research interests include minority mental health, maternal and child health, and women's health. Latonya is currently a Graduate Assistant for the Alternative Breaks program. She is very passionate about community outreach and is very excited about working in the lab.

Education

University of Maryland, College Park

Masters of Public Health (Expected 2023)

Howard University

B.S. in Biology

Anu Sangraula

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Anu Sangraula is a senior studying public health science at the University of Maryland, College Park. She is currently in a 4+1 program offered by the School of Public Health at UMD in which she is working towards an MPH in behavioral and community health. Her research interests include substance use disorders and developing culturally competent evidence-based practices. Outside of school, she is involved as a team leader for the Maryland Mentor Corps’s reading program and is a project coordinator at another psychology lab at UMD.

Education:

University of Maryland, College Park

BS in Public Health (Expected 2022)

MPH in Behavioral and Community Health (Expected 2023)

Beza Negash

Beza Negash is an undergraduate student at the University of Maryland seeking a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Criminal Justice and Criminology. Originally from Silver Spring Maryland, Beza plans to continue her education to receive her Master of Arts in Forensic Psychology. She is passionate about mental health, specifically how stigma and institutional injustice both informal and formal contribute to disparities in resource allocation. Outside of school, Beza is a part of the University's Student Judiciary. There she serves on the Appellate Board to maintain the integrity of the student body at Maryland University. Beza is looking forward to growing in her research abilities and learning more about the interventions associated with mental health.

Education

University of Maryland, College Park (Expected 2023)

BS Psychology & Criminal Justice and Criminology

Emilia Toloza

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Emilia Toloza is a junior Neurobiology & Physiology and Psychology double major in the University Honors Program. Originally from Chapel Hill, NC, Emilia is on the pre-med track and hopes to pursue an MD/PhD, and ultimately become a trauma surgeon. She is passionate about increasing access to mental health resources and affordable health care and medicine to impoverished communities and disadvantage people. She is also interested in bridging the gap between medicine and physiology and psychopathology with the hopes of improving treatments for mental illnesses and disorders.

Education:

University of Maryland, College Park (Expected 2023)

B.S. Neurobiology and Physiology & Psychology

Hasan Mirzoyev

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Hasan Mirzoyev is a research assistant at CESAR and GMAP and has been primarily working on the MD-EDDS, HEAL, and PRISM projects. He is a Public Health Science major and is pursuing the pre-medical track. He holds a strong interest in community-based interventions and finding ways to achieve equitable access to care. In addition to his work with CESAR and GMAP, Hasan has experience working with substance use and mental health as an intern at the Maryland Department of Health and as an EMT at the College Park Volunteer Fire Department. 

Education:

University of Maryland, College Park

B.S. Public Health Science (expected May 2025)

Kathryn Driscoll

UM Scholars Summer Research Intern 

Kathryn Driscoll is a research intern participating in the MPower UM Scholars Summer Research Program (Summer 2024). She graduated with a BS in Biomedical Engineering from Rowan University in 2022 and is currently a medical student pursuing her MD at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. After graduation, Kathryn hopes to ultimately work as a physician in an underserved rural setting.  

Education:

Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ
B.S. in Biomedical Engineering

University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
M.D. (expected May 2027)

Se-Eun Lee

UM Scholars Summer Research Intern 

Se-Eun Lee is a research intern participating in the MPower UM Scholars Summer Research Program (Summer 2024). She is a medical student at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Her professional background includes nursing experience in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit and Neuroscience Critical Care Unit within the Johns Hopkins Health System, where she developed an interest in enhancing healthcare for patients grappling with complex conditions like HIV and substance use disorder (SUD). Her research interests are broad, encompassing acute and chronic pain management, SUD treatment, and addressing the interplay of physical and mental health issues, both locally and globally.

Previously, she worked as a research coordinator at the Colloca Lab, assisting with experiments utilizing virtual reality and pain modulation devices and conducting community outreach to address the opioid epidemic. She also collaborated with the Shock Trauma Center at the University of Maryland Medical Center, contributing to a study investigating the effectiveness of dose-extending placebos in relieving acute and chronic pain among trauma patients to reduce opioid usage.

Education:

University of Maryland School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD
B.S. Nursing

University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
M.D. (expected May 2027)

Antoinette Dorzon

Graduate Research Assistant

Antoinette Dorzon is in the Clinical Psychological Science Master’s program. Antoinette received her BS in Psychology from the University of Maryland, College Park, where she worked in the university’s health center as a mental health peer educator. She recently joined GMAP, as a research assistant and splits her time working on the PRISM and Siyakhana studies. The PRISM study evaluates the effectiveness of interventions delivered by peers on polysubstance use. The Siyakhana study evaluates the effectiveness of training community health care workers (CHWs) in South Africa to decrease stigma surrounding substance use and mental health. In both studies, Antoinette provides support for qualitative interviews by cleaning transcriptions and coding interviews. She is also interested in the stigma surrounding mental health in minority communities and sociocultural risk and protective factors for substance use.

Education:

University of Maryland School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD
B.S. Psychology

University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
M.P.S. Clinical Psychological Science (expected May 2025)

Gabrielle Atkinson, MPS

Faculty Specialist

Gabrielle Atkinson is a research assistant for the PRISM project, a NIDA-funded study which looks at the efficacy of a peer-delivered behavioral activation intervention for individuals struggling with polysubstance use. PRISM is implemented on a mobile treatment unit on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. 

Prior to coming to GMAP, Gabrielle worked on various research projects. Most recently, she worked in Dr. Jack Blanchard’s Laboratory of Emotion and Psychopathology, assisting with fMRI scans examining neural and behavioral correlates of paranoia in psychosis. She also worked for the University of Virginia’s School of Education and Human Development as an on-site classroom observer, examining social processes and culturally responsive practices in elementary and middle school classrooms across Anne Arundel County, Maryland. For her Master’s Capstone, Gabrielle wrote on implementing a peer-focused social skills training intervention for young adults with first episode psychosis to improve social functioning outcomes, paralleling her current work on the PRISM study and its peer-led intervention to improve treatment and recovery outcomes.

Education:

University of Maryland School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD
MPS Clinical Psychological Science

Salisbury University
BA Psychology, Minor in Sociology

Chiara Sforza

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Chiara is an undergraduate student at the University of Maryland seeking a Bachelor of Arts as a double major in Psychology and Anthropology (with a focus in Medical Anthropology). She recently joined CESAR as a research assistant on the Khanya project team in the Fall of 2024. She also formed part of the Honors Global Challenges and Solutions program where she learned about global issues and data science. Additionally, Chiara works at the Help Center at UMD, training to become a counselor for the peer counseling and crisis hotline. After graduating, she hopes to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology.

Education:

University of Maryland, College Park, MD
B.A. Psychology & Anthropology (Expected May 2025)

Sophia Nahabedian

Graduate Research Assistant

Sophia is a Clinical Psychological Science MPS student who joined GMAP to gain experience working with qualitative data and D&I research. She currently assists with qualitative data for Project Khanya DRI, which focuses on adapting an intervention for comorbid HIV and SUD in South Africa to better serve the community's needs and enhance treatment adherence.

In addition, Sophia is a research assistant in the Clinical and Cognitive Neuroscience Lab and teaches ceramics at UMD's Studio A. Her primary interest lies in improving health outcomes for individuals with mood disorders through the development of psychosocial interventions that address comorbid SUD to optimize treatment adherence. She is passionate about using community-based participatory research to ensure that interventions are responsive to the needs and concerns of the population she hopes to work with.

Education:

Tulane University
B.S. Psychology and Studio Art

University of Maryland, College Park
M.P.S. Clinical Psychological Science
(expected December 2024)

Joi Kenner

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Joi is a sophomore majoring in Community Health and a Federal UMD Fellow. They began working with the Center for Substance Use, Addiction & Health Research (CESAR) as a research assistant on the Khanya project team in the spring of 2024, contributing to research on public health and substance use.

Joi has a background in leading public health initiatives, including serving as the Sierra Leone Team Lead for Public Health Beyond Borders. Their research interests include the relationship between racial background, socioeconomic status, and adolescent sexual behaviors. Additionally, Joi works as a peer health educator with the Prince George's County HIV/STI Outreach Program (CHOP), focusing on HIV education.

Education:

University of Maryland, College Park
B.S. Community Health (expected May 2026)