Conference Hosts
Fred Ssewamala
William E. Gordon Distinguished Professor
Associate Dean for Transdisciplinary Faculty Research
Director and Founder, ICHAD
Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis
Email: fms1@wustl.edu
Dr. Fred Ssewamala leads innovative, interdisciplinary research, funded primarily by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), that informs, develops, and tests family-based economic empowerment and social protection interventions to improve life chances and long-term developmental outcomes for children, adolescents, and youth, particularly those impacted by poverty, civil strife, and HIV/AIDS in Sub- Saharan Africa. He has authored more than 180 publications on these topics. His research engages collaboratively with local institutions to ensure scale-up and sustainability. In addition, Dr. Ssewamala leads several NIH-funded research training programs focused on training early career researchers, including PhD students, recent PhD graduates, and medical doctors, from underrepresented backgrounds interested in children and adolescent health in a global context. Before joining the Brown School in 2017, Dr. Ssewamala was a tenured Professor at Columbia University in New York for 15 years, where he established ICHAD.
Ozge Sensoy Bahar
Research Associate Professor
Co-Director, ICHAD
Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis
Email: ozge.sensoybahar@wustl.edu
Dr. Ozge Sensoy Bahar’s global research focuses on child and family well-being in global contexts characterized by poverty and associated stressors. Within this broad research program, her research examines the multi-level factors that expose children, youth, and their families to social and economic vulnerabilities, such as engagement in child labor, sexual risk-taking behaviors, and mental health, all of which are associated with poverty. In addition, Dr. Sensoy Bahar serves as a co-principal investigator/co-investigator qualitative expert on NIH-funded projects that test the effectiveness of combined interventions that incorporate the family economic empowerment intervention on sexual risk-taking behaviors and other psychosocial and health outcomes among vulnerable populations, including children, in Uganda and Ghana.
Proscovia Nabunya
Assistant Professor
ICHAD Co-Director
Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis
Email: nabunyap@wustl.edu
Dr. Proscovia Nabunya’s global research focuses on global mental health, HIV-stigma reduction interventions, and family and community-based support systems as protective factors for the development and well-being of children and families impacted by HIV/AIDS. She has over 20 years of research experience conducting HIV-related research among children, youth, and families in sub-Saharan Africa. Dr. Nabunya’s current research studies, funded by the National Institutes of Health, are focused on: addressing HIV-associated stigma among adolescents living with HIV and their families; developing a mobile health app to address depression among youth living with HIV; and evaluating the long-term impact of economic empowerment intervention on HIV risk prevention and HIV care continuum outcomes among youth affected by HIV and transitioning to young adulthood in Uganda.
Laura Peer
Associate Director of Capacity Building, ICHAD
Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis
Email: lpeer@wustl.edu
Laura Peer supports ICHAD’s priority objective area of Capacity Building, overseeing four NIH-funded training programs: LEAD Global Training Program, Researcher Resilience Training Program, CHILD-Global Research Fellowship, and ACHIEVE, as well as overseeing Center communications and administration. She has worked at Washington University since 2015 and has nearly 20 years of experience in global and US public health, higher education, and research training and administration.
Nhial Tutlam
Assistant Professor
Associate Director for Research, ICHAD
Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis
Email: ntutlam@wustl.edu
Dr. Nhial Tutlam is an epidemiologist whose research centers on the intersection of the mental health impact of war trauma and the risk of health outcomes such as suicide, substance use, and HIV among youth affected by conflict, with the aim of developing and testing culturally congruent community-based interventions to address the myriad of mental health challenges in this vulnerable population both in refugee settlements and resettlement settings. Dr. Tutlam is currently leading an NIH-funded study in refugee settlements in Uganda to understand factors around adherence to HIV treatment, trauma-associated disorders, psychological functioning, and sexual decision-making, which will contribute to understanding the dual public health threats of mental health and HIV in this vulnerable population.
Bethel Mandefro
Center Coordinator, ICHAD
Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis
Email: b.mandefro@wustl.edu
Bethel Mandefro oversees the day-to-day operations of the ICHAD-U.S. office including post-award expense tracking and financial management, event and logistics coordination for Center activities, and supports the procurement, scheduling, and other administrative needs of ICHAD. She has worked at Washington University since 2011. She previously worked at the Africa Initiative and at the Harris Institute at the School of Law.
Mathias Ssemanda
Dissemination and Communications Manager, ICHAD
Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis
Email: m.ssemanda@wustl.edu
Mathias Ssemanda holds a Master of International Affairs from Pennsylvania State University, a Bachelor of Development Studies from Makerere University, and an Associate Degree in Law from the Law Development Center in Kampala, Uganda. He has served as a Development Specialist at Penn State and as the Head of Social Media Communications at Makerere University in Uganda. Mathias has engaged extensively with government and non-governmental agencies in Uganda. Notably, he conducted research as a graduate researcher at the Parliament of Uganda, gaining valuable insights into the workings of the country’s governance.
Chelsea Hand-Sheridan
Training Programs Manager, ICHAD
Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis
Email: c.hand-sheridan@wustl.edu
Chelsea Hand-Sheridan oversees ICHAD’s four NIH-funded Training Programs, including CHILD-GRF, LEAD, RRT, and ACHIEVE. She has 10 years of experience working with vulnerable global populations both in the United States and in East Africa. Prior to joining ICHAD, Chelsea worked for nearly eight years in refugee and immigrant economic integration and advancement with the International Institute of St. Louis. She also worked with the United States Peace Corps as a Health Extension Agent in Tanga, Tanzania.
Vicent Ssentumbwe
Data and Study Coordinator, ICHAD
Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis
Email: s.vicent@wustl.edu
Vicent holds a master’s degree in public health from Washington University in St. Louis. He is an incoming Ph.D. student in Computational and Data Science at McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis. He manages and analyses data at the International Center for Child Health and Development (ICHAD) and has previously worked on three NIH studies. His research interests involve using big data and machine learning to address mental health among adolescents living with HIV.
Conference Speakers
Honorable Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng
Minister of Health, Republic of Uganda
Email: info@health.go.ug
Hon. Dr. Aceng is a pediatrician expert. She has vast experience both as a manager and practicing medical personnel, which she accumulated while serving in various capacities as Medical Officer, Senior Medical Officer, Medical Officer Special Grade, Medical Superintendent, Consultant Pediatrician, Senior Consultant Pediatrician, Hospital Director. Prior to her appointment as Minister of Health, Dr. Aceng served as the Director General Health Services where she was responsible for coordinating technical functions for the delivery of Health services. As Minister of Health, she possesses the constitutional powers and functions of spearheading the Ministry. Among them are administration, policy formulation, and direction. She is also responsible for defending the Ministerial budget and issue orders and statutory regulations on the sector. In addition, she initiates and presents to the Cabinet, the Ministry memorandums and accounts for the State, operations, function, and achievements of the health sector.
Racheal Alinaitwe
PhD fellow, Department of Psychiatry
College of Health Science, Makerere University
Email: rarukiri@gmail.com
Dr. Racheal Alinaitwe is a practicing psychiatrist and researcher. She has expertise in mixed-methods research in community and hospital-based settings. She is passionate about mental health for vulnerable populations especially adolescents and older persons. She recently completed her research fellowship on the CHILD-GRF D43 fellowship where her research focused on the detection and referral of depression among adolescents living with HIV at Baylor Children’s Clinic in Mulago using a computer-assisted self-interview (CASI). She is currently a PhD student at Makerere University and her research is on unmet needs for caregivers of people living with dementia in Uganda.
Anita Arinda
Assistant Lecturer
Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine
College of Health Sciences, Makerere University
Email: arindaanita@yahoo.com
Dr. Anita Arinda is a psychiatrist who trained at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda. She has a great passion for child and adolescent mental health research in low-resource settings. Her focus lies in neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, and attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder. Beyond research, Anita also provides clinical services for children with neurodevelopmental disorders. As part of this training program, Dr. Arinda assessed the understanding and retention of HIV information among adolescents with intellectual disability. To further her work in neurodevelopmental disorders, she is currently a fellow on another D43 where she is investigating intellectual disability and associated factors in children with epilepsy.
Raymond Atwebembere
MPH Student
Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis
Email: atwebembere.r@wustl.edu
Dr. Raymond Atwebembere is a Medical Doctor pursuing a Master of Public Health at Washington University in St. Louis. He is also a research assistant on ICHAD’s NIH-funded Suubi+Adherence – R2 study (R01HD074949). With a passion for mental health, Dr. Raymond served as a CHILD-GRF Research Fellow, specializing in the study of suicide behavior among adolescents living with HIV. He is driven by a profound commitment to unraveling the intricate relationship between mental health- its associated risk and protective factors, and chronic diseases, with a particular focus on early interventions aimed at improving outcomes.
Laura Benoist
Director, McDonnell International Scholars Academy
Washington University in St. Louis
Email: laurabenoist@wustl.edu
Laura Benoist is the Director of the McDonnell International Scholars Academy at Washington University in St. Louis. The Academy provides the network with which Washington University incubates new ideas and mentors future leaders. In her role, Laura directs the Scholars admissions process, co-teaches the Leadership Seminar and communication skills, and unites the McDonnell Academy community. Laura also works to attract the most talented and leadership-focused international students to Washington University. Additionally, she partners with the Vice Provost for Graduate Education & International Affairs to build bridges both within Washington University and with external partners to expand the university’s reach and awareness.
Holly Campbell-Rosen
Program Official, Center for Global Mental Health Research
National Institute of Mental Health
Email: holly.campbell-rosen@nih.gov
Holly Campbell-Rosen, Ph.D. is a Program Official in the Center for Global Mental Health Research (CGMHR) at the National Institute of Mental Health. As Chief of the Human Mobility and Mental Health Research Program Holly is advancing research on the mental health of mobile populations. Holly also oversees a portfolio of research on the social determinants of mental health which is broad in scope and includes studies focused on topics such as climate change, poverty, gendered inequalities, and education. Prior to joining NIMH, Holly managed an extramural research program on psychological trauma at the Department of Defense. As an AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow at NIH she supported policy development for Federal Advisory Committees and reported to Congress on stroke and childhood neurological disorders at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Holly is a neuroethologist whose research examined the neural basis of behavior with an eye toward understanding the evolution of underlying neuronal circuitry.
Edgar Guma
Head of Psychiatry Department
Bombo General Medical Hospital
Email: gumaedgar97@gmail.com
Dr. Edgar Guma is a dedicated psychiatrist and mental health researcher and currently serves as the Head of the Psychiatry Department at Bombo General Military Hospital. With a deep focus on research, teaching, and clinical practice, Dr. Guma is firmly committed to advancing mental healthcare services in Uganda, particularly in the critical area of violence exposure mitigation. Dr. Guma is deeply immersed in a project aimed at comprehending the intricate relationship between violence exposure and antiretroviral non-adherence among adolescents living with HIV in Uganda. Dr. Guma’s leadership at General Military Hospital Bombo channels his expertise and unwavering dedication toward promoting the well-being of individuals grappling with mental illness and HIV.
Shenyang Guo
Frank J. Bruno Distinguished Professor of Social Work Research
Director, PhD Program in Social Work
Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis
Email: s.guo@wustl.edu
Professor Shenyang Guo is the author of numerous research articles on child welfare, child mental health services, welfare, and health care. He has expertise in applying advanced statistical models to solving social welfare problems and has taught graduate courses that address event history analysis, hierarchical linear modeling, growth curve modeling, propensity score analysis, and program evaluation. In addition, Professor Guo serves on the editorial board of Social Service Review and as a frequent guest reviewer for journals seeking a critique of advanced methodological analyses.
Mark Huffman
Professor of Medicine
Co-Director Global Health Center
Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
Email: m.huffman@wustl.edu
Professor Huffman is a practicing cardiologist, researcher, and educator with more than a decade of experience in global cardiovascular epidemiology, clinical trials, implementation research, and health policy research and training. His research spans the spectrum of disease prevention. He is interested in improving global cardiovascular health and health care in low- and middle-income countries through the implementation of evidence-based interventions and policies and in bringing lessons learned back to the United States.
Leyla Ismailova
Associate Professor
Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice
University of Chicago
Email: leyla@uchicago.edu
Dr. Ismayilova received her PhD and master’s degree in social work from the Columbia University School of Social Work (CUSSW) with a concentration in advanced clinical practice and was among the first Open Society Institute (Soros Foundation) fellows from the former Soviet Union at Columbia. Dr. Ismayilova was the founder and director of the Center for Psychological Counseling in Azerbaijan. The Center was the first mental health clinic in the country that provided counseling services to adults, children, and families with various emotional and behavioral problems. Her work experience also includes clinical practice at substance abuse and child and family mental health clinics in New York City.
Juliet Iwelunmor
Professor of Medicine
Associate Director for Global Health and Dissemination
Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
Email: ijuliet@wustl.edu
Professor Juliet Iwelunmor is a passionate advocate for health equity and sustainability. She is widely regarded for understanding how to make evidence-based interventions last, reshaping the focus on community engagement using participatory research, and improving the dissemination of health information, while amplifying the voices of young people in health interventions. She combines more than a decade of authority and leadership in the use of dissemination and implementation science to deliver cutting-edge health programs that create tangible impact.
Rt. Rev. Bishop Serverus Jjumba
Diocese of Masaka
Masaka, Uganda
Email: severjum@gmail.com
Rt. Rev. Serverus Jjumba was consecrated as a Bishop on 6 July 2019 at Kitovu, Masaka. He completed his theological studies at St. Mary’s National Major Seminary, at Ggaba, in Kampala, Uganda. Bishop Jjumba holds a Master of Education degree and a Diploma in Religious Studies awarded by Makerere University. He was ordained a priest on 20 June 1992 at Masaka. He served at Bikira Parish from 1991 until 1993 and as a formator and treasurer at Bukalasa Minor Seminary between 1993 and 2000. In 2000, he was appointed as the treasurer of the Catholic Diocese of Masaka, serving in that capacity until 2014. He was the Vicar General of the Masaka Diocese from 2014 until 2019. The diocese of Masaka is one of ICHAD’s longtime and strong collaborators in the region. This partnership was nurtured by the Late John Baptist Kaggwa, who welcomed ICHAD to partner with the diocesan schools and health clinics in the greater Masaka region in 2004.
Rev. Fr. Joseph Kato Bakulu
Parish Priest, Bisanje Catholic Church
Catholic Diocese of Masaka, Uganda
Rev. Fr. Joseph Kato Bakulu is the Parish Priest for Bisanje Catholic Parish located within the Catholic Diocese of Masaka, in Uganda; and he is the former Assistant Diocesan Education Secretary for the Diocese. In that capacity, and during his collaboration with ICHAD, he ensured and maintained sound educational policies, standards, and procedures within the Diocese. Rev. Fr. Kato became involved with the Suubi Projects in Uganda, even housing the first research offices at his Parish, Matale. Since then, he has been the leading community partner, representing the Diocese of Masaka, with Dr. Fred Ssewamala’s Suubi Projects, which have since grown into a fully-fledged center the International Center for Child Health and Asset Development (ICHAD).
Samuel Kizito
Doctoral Candidate
ICHAD Research associate
Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis
Email: Kizito.s@wustl.edu
Dr. Samuel Kizito is a PhD candidate in the Public Health Sciences Program at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis. He is a physician-epidemiologist interested in research methodology. Dr. Kizito’s work focuses on designing and evaluating public health interventions to improve outcomes among youth living with HIV in low-income settings. He has expertise in examining treatment efficacy in studies with longitudinal nested data assessing the effects of interventions on treatment outcomes. He has previously used advanced statistical methods, including multilevel mixed-effects modeling, generalized estimating equations, hierarchical linear modeling, survival analysis, latent growth curve modeling, and structural equation modeling, to assess the impact of interventions in our NIH-funded studies on treatment outcomes among adolescents and young adults.
Trish Kohl
Professor
Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis
Research Director, Hermann Center for Child and Family Development, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
Email: pkohl@wustl.edu
Professor Kohl’s scholarship, which draws upon several years of clinical social work practice with children and parents in low-resource communities, is focused on the development, testing, and implementation of interventions to promote the emotional development of young children, treat early childhood emotional and behavioral problems, and prevent child maltreatment. With a particular focus on families facing adversity, she has carried out this work with diverse populations within a broad range of service settings – locally, nationally, and globally. Dr. Kohl is also the Research Director of the Hermann Center for Child and Family Development in the Division for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the Washington University Medical School. The Hermann Center aims to advance the science of early childhood mental health to improve child and family outcomes prenatally through age 7.
Leticia Kyohangirwe
Study Coordinator/Staff Scientist
Medical Research Council/Uganda Virus Research Institute & London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Uganda Research Unit, & Psychiatrist at Butabika Hospital
Email: lkyohangirwe@gmail.com
Dr. Leticia Kyohangirwe holds multiple roles as a clinician (psychiatrist), research scientist, and study coordinator. Dr. Kyohangirwe is currently coordinating a study addressing medium- to long-term Ebola-associated psychological distress and psychosocial problems in Mubende district, central Uganda. Dr. Kyohangirwe’s research seeks to determine the impact of psychiatric disorders on clinical outcomes among adolescents with HIV/AIDS in Uganda using a longitudinal approach to inform targeted interventions and holistic care approaches that can significantly improve their quality of life and health outcomes. Dr. Kyohangirwe also fulfills her clinical duties at Butabika National Referral Hospital for Mental Health.
Isaac Makhuwa
Head-Research Inspections Unit
Uganda National Council of Science and Technology
Email: i.makhuwa@uncst.go.ug
Mr. Isaac Makhuwa is the Head of the Research Inspections Unit at the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (UNCST), the research ethics regulatory authority in Uganda. Isaac has expertise, and specialized qualifications in research ethics/bioethics, Quality Assurance (QA) systems, and Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) in addition to professional experience in research regulation processes for guaranteeing safe and ethical conduct of research in Uganda.
Larrisa Jenning Mayo-Wilson
Associate Professor, Department of Health Behavior
Associate Professor, Department of Maternal and Child Health
Gillings School of Global Public Health
University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Email: ljennings.mayowilson@unc.edu
Dr. Larissa Jennings Mayo-Wilson is a sexual and reproductive health behavioral scientist with methodological skills in epidemiology, biostatistics, and qualitative science. Dr. Jennings Mayo-Wilson’s research focuses on improving sexual and reproductive health (SRH), including HIV prevention, in vulnerable adolescents and young adults in the U.S. and sub-Saharan Africa. Specifically, she is interested in: (i) design and evaluation of economic-strengthening interventions to reduce inequities in HIV/SRH, including microenterprise, cash transfers, savings, and financial incentives; (ii) analysis of economic and structural causes of disparities in HIV/SRH, and (iii) use of mobile health technologies to improve implementation and evaluation of HIV/SRH interventions.
Mary McKay
Vice Provost of Interdisciplinary Initiatives
Washington University in St. Louis
Email: mary.mckay@wustl.edu
As the vice provost for interdisciplinary initiatives, Dr. McKay works to enhance interdisciplinary research and education across the Danforth Campus and to build collaborations the community needs to ensure the successful implementation of the university’s strategic plan. Dr. McKay joined Washington University as dean of the Brown School in 2016, continuing the school’s legacy of creating vital knowledge, initiating social change, and preparing leaders to address social and health challenges both locally and globally. Dr. McKay has received substantial federal funding for research focused on meeting the mental health and health prevention needs of youth and families impacted by poverty. She also has significant expertise in child mental health services and implementation research methods, as well as over 20 years of experience conducting HIV prevention and care-oriented studies, supported by NIH.
Emmanuel Mpamizo
Lecturer, Mental Health Department
Gulu University
Email: wizomymizo@gmail.com
Dr. Emmanuel Mpamizo has a Master of Medicine degree in psychiatry and is a registered medical doctor with 10 years of experience practicing medicine. For the past few years, he has been working in Northern Uganda as a psychiatrist with daily duties involving identifying, treating, and preventing mental illnesses even among children and adolescents. During this time, Dr. Mpamizo worked with Sheffield University, UK on a project to design psychological treatment to address alcohol use disorder. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he was part of the Ministry of Health team tasked with providing psychosocial support to health workers and community members affected by the pandemic. Dr. Mpamizo is interested in exploring anxiety in children and adolescents with HIV/AIDS, in addition to exploring in a qualitative and quantitative fashion, how HIV infection affects the way in which these young people interact with others in school, social settings, and in the community. His goal is to study and understand how effective psychological treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy, peer support, and group counseling are in treating anxiety in children and adolescents with HIV. Dr. Mpamizo also teaches psychiatry, psychology, and other mental health-related topics to medical students at Gulu University, and has additional interests in substance abuse, anxiety, and medical psychotherapy. Dr. Mpamizo believes that now is the time to embrace technology and social media to improve mental health. It is for this reason that he maintains a social media presence, frequently broadcasting mental health advice and using his skills in photography, music, and adventuring to reach wider audiences.
Massy Mutumba
Assistant Professor, Department of Health Behavior and Biological Sciences
University of Michigan School of Nursing
Email: mmutumba@umich.edu
Dr. Massy Mutumba has worked extensively within clinical contexts in Uganda. In addition to her clinical and research experience with pediatric HIV in Uganda, Dr. Mutumba has been involved in several projects related to building institutional capacity for health in areas related to sexual and reproductive health, mental health, and human resources for health. In collaboration with Dr. Ssewamala, she is currently engaged in several NIH- funded research projects related to use of economic strengthening interventions to reduce HIV stigma and reduce alcohol use among adolescents and youth living with HIV in Uganda.
Abel Mwembembezi
Executive Director
Reach the Youth-Uganda
Email: mwebembezi.abel@yahoo.com
Dr. Abel Mwebembezi serves as the in-country implementation partner for ICHAD in Uganda. Dr. Mwebembezi has previously managed a UNFPA grant supporting more than 12 NGOs implementing reproductive health and HIV/AIDS projects; coordinated the Advocacy Project for reproductive health and HIV/AIDS under the African Youth Alliance program funded by the Bill and Melissa Gates Foundation and has managed multiple child sponsorship education programs. Dr. Mwebembezi also served as a Planning Officer with the UN Africa Peace Keeping Mission in Darfur. He has been serving as an in-country co-investigator and implementation partner to ICHAD’s and SMART Africa’s NIH-funded studies.
Violette Nabatte
Pediatrician
Nakaseke General Hospital
Email: Nabatteviolette@gmail.com
Dr. Nabatte is currently a pediatrician at Nakaseke General Hospital in Nakaseke District in central Uganda. She holds a Masters of Medicine degree in Pediatrics and child health from Makerere University. Her research interest is depression among adolescents living with HIV and how this can be dealt with to improve adolescent well-being.
Noeline Nakasujja
Associate Professor
Chair of Psychiatry Department
College of Health Sciences, Makerere University in St. Louis
CHILD-GRF In-Country Program Director and Mentor
Email: drnoeline@yahoo.com
Dr. Noeline Nakasujja is a clinical/research psychiatrist with many years of experience and expertise in mental health research, with a focus on evaluating special populations of HIV-positive individuals. Specifically, her research interests include cognitive impairment in HIV/AIDS. Dr. Nakasujja’s work has focused on neurocognitive assessments across the lifespan as well as other areas in the field of psychiatry. Dr. Nakasujja is the research lead for the DIALOG+intervention at the NIHR Global Health Research Group focuses on developing psycho-social interventions.
Damalie Nalwanga
Assistant Lecturer, Pediatrics and Child Health
College of Health Science, Makerere University
Email: damalielwanga@gmail.com
Dr. Damalie Nalwanga is a pediatrician, assistant lecturer, and doctoral student at the Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Makerere University, College of Health Sciences. Her doctoral research is focused on nutrition among children hospitalized with severe pneumonia with the aim of improving their treatment outcomes and overall health after discharge. She has background training and experience in tropical infectious diseases, particularly HIV, TB, and pneumonia in children. Her interest in HIV dates back to her early years of medical practice at the Infectious Diseases Institute in Uganda, where she was exposed to the unique multidisciplinary challenges HIV-infected patients and their families face. Dr. Nalwanga is interested in identifying ways to improve the overall physical and mental health of children threatened by HIV and other infectious diseases in order to maximize their neurocognitive potential and productivity as adults.
Harriet Muwonge Nambozo
Principal Laboratory Technologist and Head of the Laboratory Department
Masaka Regional Hospital
Technical Advisor, ICHAD Uganda
Email: nambozodado@gmail.com
Ms. Harriet Muwonge Nambozo is the Principal Laboratory Technologist and Head laboratory department of Masaka Regional Referral Hospital and technical advisor on the biological markers of ICHAD Uganda. She holds a master’s in medical laboratory technology, with a specialty in Medical Histopathology and diagnostic Cytology, from Mbarara University of Science and Technology. Ms. Nambozo is a trained Clinical Research Associate, by the EACCR-IAVI, a field epidemiologist-intermediate graduate-UNIPH, and an Assistant lecturer at Equator University of Science and Technology.
Stella Laker Ayo Ondogo
Director
Pathfinding Countries, Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children- Hosted by UNICEF
Email: steayo@gmail.com
Ms. Stella Ayo-Odongo is a Child Rights, Child Protection, Social Policy expert and an advocate for social justice. Has been a thought leader in the child rights discourse providing strategic leadership at governance and management level. She currently is a board member of Africhild Center, Action Aid International Uganda and Uganda Child Rights NGO Network. Stella Ayo-Odongo has also held leadership positions at national, regional, and global level, she served as the Director for Pathfinding Countries, Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children – Hosted by UNICEF, Director of the Africa Partnership to End Violence Against Children and the Director Uganda Child rights NGO network. Stella is a motivated leader and development practitioner with over 25 years of progressive experience in strategic leadership, development management, and program operations. She has extensive knowledge and experience advocating for vulnerable groups such as children, youth, and the elderly. Stella is a visionary pan-African leader as demonstrated in the founding of national and regional level movements for social justice such as the African Wide Movement for the Children, Civil Society Organizations for Peace in Northern Uganda (CSOPNU), and the Uganda Parliamentary Forum for Children (UPFC), all of which have made significant contributions to voicing issues of the affected.
Byron Powell
Associate Professor
Associate Director, Implementation Research Institute
Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis
Email: bjpowell@wustl.edu
Byron Powell aims to improve the quality of health and social services by advancing methods in implementation research and practice. He is Co-Director of the Brown School’s Center for Mental Health Services Research, Co-Director of the Institute for Public Health’s Center for Dissemination & Implementation, and Co-Director of the Institute of Clinical and Translational Science’s Dissemination and Implementation Research Core. Additionally, he is the Associate Director designee for the Implementation Research Institute and core faculty for the HIV, Infectious Disease and Global Health Implementation Research Institute; Training Institute for Dissemination and Implementation in Health-Australia; Irish Implementation Science Training Institute; and the UK Implementation Science Masterclass.
Vijay Ramani
Vice Provost for Graduate Education and International Affairs
Roma B. & Raymond H. Wittcoff Distinguished University Professor
Washington University in St. Louis
Email: ramani@wustl.edu
Vijay is the vice provost for graduate education and international affairs and the Roma B. & Raymond H. Wittcoff Distinguished University Professor in the McKelvey School of Engineering. His administrative duties include advising the provost on graduate education trends, programming, strategic planning, and policy. He collaborates with school deans and vice-deans to advance graduate and professional education across the university. In addition, he collaborates with student leadership, including the Graduate Professional Council. Vijay will also lead the Doctoral Council, whose primary role will be to regularly review and support the enhancement and growth of the university’s PhD programs. Vijay maintains an active research group in the area of electrochemical energy conversion and storage and teaches chemical engineering courses at both the graduate and undergraduate levels.
Dorian Traube
Niedorff Family and Centene Corporation Dean of the Brown School and Professor
Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis
Email: traube@wustl.edu
Dorian Traube is the Neidorff Family and Centene Corporation Dean of the Brown School and a professor. Previously, Traube was a professor in the Suzanne Dworak Peck School of Social Work at the University of Southern California. Her research focuses on early child development, home visitation, and telehealth solutions for families with young children. Traube developed Parents as Teachers@USC Telehealth, the first partnership of its kind between a national home visitation model and a university-based telehealth clinic. She has expertise in children’s mental health, child maltreatment prevention, family support interventions, and home visitation. Her research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Parsons Foundation, the Queenscare Foundation, and the Overdeck Foundation. Traube served on the Board of Directors for California Emerging Technology Fund and Child 360.
Susan Witte
Professor of Social Work
Action Lab Founder and Faculty Co-Advisor
Columbia University |
Email: ssw12@columbia.edu
Professor Susan Witte is a social worker and associate professor. She teaches in the clinical and advanced generalist methods of the master’s and doctoral programs at Columbia University. Dr. Witte has also served for 15 years as the associate director of the Social Intervention Group. Dr. Witte’s research is broadly targeted to the evolution of more efficient and effective methods for evidence-based program implementation in local and global communities. Dr. Witte’s direct practice experience includes working in agencies that provide support to survivors of child and adult sexual violence as well as agencies that provide the spectrum of HIV/AIDS prevention, education, and treatment services. She has worked as a clinician and an administrator, providing direct care as well as developing and conducting needs assessments and new programs and evaluation plans.
Beverly Wendland
Provost
Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
Washington University in St. Louis
Email: provost@wustl.edu
As provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs, Dr. Beverly reports to the chancellor and is responsible for the academic enterprise across the Danforth Campus. She sets the academic strategy for the university in close collaboration with the chancellor, deans, faculty, and others across campus. Beverly convenes the deans of the major academic units, as well as the leaders of numerous centers, programs, and institutes, and works closely with them to promote academic excellence and scholarly activity, facilitate cross-disciplinary connections, foster improvements, and innovations in research, and further enhance Washington University’s deep commitment to student learning and success at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Dr. Beverly’s research focuses on fundamental cellular processes using yeast as a simple model system.