our team

Shanice completed a BS in Biology at MIT, and an interdisciplinary PhD in Bioengineering, Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, and Pharmacology & Toxicology at the University of Louisville. She currently works as a research scientist at Elanco Animal Health. She spearheads the Hood Med Chats web series, directs scientific content development, & manages community partnership efforts

Jonathan completed a S.B. in Biology at MIT and later matriculated to Suffolk University Law School. Mr. White runs a small courier service and also works to support the anti-racism organization Overcoming Racism. He is focused on partnership development in support of our mission.

Jay completed a BS in Chemistry and a PhD in Pharmacology & Toxicology at the University of Louisville, and is a Diplomate of the American Board of Toxicology. He completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship in renal toxicology at the Medical University of South Carolina and is now a Senior Research Scientist at Elanco Animal Health.

Doug is an Epidemiologist for the CDC Foundation, and has a BS in Philosophy from MIT and a Masters in Public Health in Epidemiology from Emory University. He is focused on shaping public health programming and policy for implementation in minority communities.

Melissa is a Patient Service Representative and Advocate based in Honolulu who works tirelessly coordinating patient care and ensuring the underserved in her community have access to critical care and basic needs. She is focused on developing programming to provide pandemic relief to struggling communities.

Jennifer has a BS in Biology from MIT and an MA & MS in Health Advocacy & Human Genetics from Sarah Lawrence College. She works as a genetic counselor at Integrated Genetics/LabCorp. Her efforts are focused on engagement in underserved communities to advocate for science and health education, and preventative medicine.

Garmell completed a BA in Criminal Justice at Indiana State University and his JD at Indiana University School of Law. He currently works as a Senior Business Advisor at Anthem. He is our expert on healthcare systems and provides legal counsel & compliance guidance to our organization.

Khendra is a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist in Washington DC. She earned her BA in Pre-medicine and Psychology from Wellesley College, and an MD from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine. Dr. Peay is an Assembly Representative for the Greater Washington region of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. She has practiced in outpatient and inpatient clinical settings and consults for clinical training and community education programs. She directs mental health programming at Hood Medicine and works on our steering committee to improve access to mental health services and care.

Melanie is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has built her career fostering empowerment and promoting advocacy for populations who are underserved by the systems that provide their care. She earned her BS in Psychology from Northeastern University and a Master of Social work from Boston College. She served as the first Black woman to chair the Board of Registration of Social Workers in Massachusetts, and she also sits on the Advisory Board of the Office of Returning Citizens. Her private practice provides therapy and executive coaching, and she serves as an adjunct professor at Boston College and Simmons College. She is currently pursuing a doctorate in Neuropsychology and Forensic Psychology. Her work at Hood Medicine is focused on initiatives to improve access to mental health services and build community care networks.

Benaias is a medical student, small business owner, and organizer in Nashville, TN. He has a BA in neuroscience from Amherst College and is the founder of the Black Mental Health Alliance of Nashville. He is interested in decolonizing mental health through the use of data, community based interventions and psychedelic psychotherapy.

Troy oversees the STEM Education Program, Hood Geek Seek. He is a computational scientist who has a PhD in Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics from Purdue University and a BA in Biochemistry from William Jewell College. He is currently the Head of Computational Sciences at Elanco Animal Health.

Dolio obtained his SB in Mechanical Engineering at MIT and works as a software developer and technical instructor specializing in full-stack application development and data engineering. His experience spans diverse industries, having applied his skills in development & instruction domestically and abroad. Originally from Pensacola, Florida, he is now based out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Jared is an artist, musician, and logistical solutions architect dedicated to activism on issues of systemic racism, oppression and economic inequality. He is also a painter, media artist, as well as the lead singer and songwriter of the Boston based band The Heartsleeves. Jared grew up in Schenectady, NY with a loving family who raised him to lead with empathy & fight for justice.

Anise has a Bachelor’s in Organizational Development from Rosemont College and a Master’s Degree in Internet/Digital Marketing from Full Sail University. Her professional background merges sales, digital marketing, and education in the technical and biopharma analytics space. She directs marketing & promotions for our organization.

Laurene completed her BS in Animal Science at Purdue University and an MBA in Applied Management from Indiana Wesleyan University. She works to scout and cultivate vital partnerships for our organization, and build promotional networks for our platforms.

Peter is a professor of Pediatrics and Molecular Virology & Microbiology, and the founding Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine where he is also the Co-director of the Texas Children’s Center for Vaccine Development (CVD) and Texas Children’s Hospital Endowed Chair of Tropical Pediatrics. He is also University Professor at Baylor University, Fellow in Disease and Poverty at the James A Baker III Institute for Public Policy, Senior Fellow at the Scowcroft Institute of International Affairs at Texas A&M University, Faculty Fellow with the Hagler Institute for Advanced Studies at Texas A&M University, and Health Policy Scholar in the Baylor Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy.

He developed the protein-based Corbevax COVID-19 vaccine with his colleague Dr. Maria Bottazzi, for which they both were nominated for the Nobel Prize in Medicine. He is a fierce crusader for global vaccine equity & protecting vulnerable populations.

Quinn is a retired Psychologist who formerly served as the Counseling Coordinator for the University of Louisville Health Sciences Center. He earned a BA at Rice University, and also holds a Master’s of Divinity from Southeastern Theological Seminary. He earned his MA in Clinical Psychology, MD, and PhD from the University of Louisville. His passion is focused on abstinence-based, peer-support recovery communities and transitional living for those in recovery from addiction, and he currently serves on the board for Beacon House, a local sober transitional living facility in Louisville, KY. He is currently completely retired and holds himself as an volunteer advocate for social justice rather than as a practicing licensed professional. He has no financial or relevant institutional connections to acknowledge.

Charles is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Library and Information Science in the School of Communication and Information at Rutgers University. He is a visiting MLK Professor at MIT for 2020-2021, and his research is focused on vulnerable patient populations. He aims to enhance the collection and use of health information to identify and address barriers to care in order to improve health outcomes and reduce cost of care. He advises on public health and data science initiatives at Hood Medicine.

John is the Director of Anti-Racism Initiatives for the Office of Undergraduate Medical Education at the University of Louisville School of Medicine. He has a Master of Library & Information Science from the University of Kentucky, and earned an MA and a PhD in Pan African Studies from the University of Louisville. He is also an accomplished librettist, poet, and playwright who was nominated for an Emmy Award for penning the script for Young Men Grow Older. He advises on medical education, the history of medical racism, and health advocacy initiatives for Hood Medicine.

Eric is a dedicated pediatrician who has been practicing in the inner-city of Indianapolis, IN for over 40 years. Dr. Yancy began his practice as a resident in the newborn intensive care unit of Indiana University Medical Center/James Whitcomb Riley Hospital for Children, the first African-American resident at that hospital. He was named chief resident of Pediatrics in 1979. He is the Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine and a fierce advocate for the health and wellness of his community.

Jayne is a Cardiologist and serves as the Executive Director of the COVID Task Force at Piedmont Healthcare Corporation. She develops ongoing outreach between Piedmont and the African American community it serves to promote health equity. Dr. Morgan has been evaluating the disproportionately negative impact of COVID-19 on minority communities with the goal of optimizing triage, screening, and algorithms for the overall outcomes management of disadvantaged populations. She is also a dedicated advocate for clinical trial diversity.

Ryan is an epidemiologist with over 15 years of experience in global public health and pharmacy, with a diverse background in managed care and drug channels. He is the CEO of Holden Fitzgerald (HF) and Wellyfe. HF is a global public health practice specializing in health and pharmacy equity for vulnerable and marginalized communities in North America, Latin America, the Caribbean, Western and Central Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa and West, Central and South Asia. HF helps safety-net providers, foundations, governments, international organizations, NGOs and healthcare companies address urgent healthcare challenges and crises, prioritizing access to equitable, sustainable, and high-quality healthcare for vulnerable and marginalized populations.