Brigitte Abrego, MA
Ms. Abrego is a Research Medical Assistant. She performs phlebotomy procedures, processes biological samples, administers study measures, and assists with scheduling and other research activities. Prior to joining CBAM, Ms. Abrego had a decade of experience working as a Medical Assistant.
Oladunni Adeyiga, MD, PhD
Dr. Adeyiga is an Assistant Clinic Professor in the UCLA Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease. She works at our UCLA Vine Street as a study physician working across multiple research studies. Dr. Adeyiga received her medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine and her PhD in Bioengineering from UCLA.
Jennifer Baughman, MPA
Ms. Baughman is the Administrative and Program Director of CBAM, providing oversight of operations for all Center activities. She coordinates strategic planning efforts to ensure that Center goals and objectives are met and directly manages assigned projects. She provides financial oversight and oversees reporting requirements for contracts and grants and other funding. She is also responsible for personnel management and facilities oversight. Ms. Baughman earned a Masters of Public Administration with an emphasis in nonprofit…
Inez Bentancourt, MA
Ms. Bentancourt is a Research Medical Assistant. She performs phlebotomy procedures, processes biological samples, administers study measures, and assists with scheduling and other research activities. Prior to joining our team, Inez worked with Behavioral Research Specialists and Pacific Neuroscience Institute.
Christopher Blades, CCRP
Mr. Blades directs community engagement efforts and manages media relations for CBAM with special emphasis studies that are part of the HIV Vaccine and HIV Prevention Trials Networks. He also serves as a Study Coordinator on assigned projects and works closely with Investigators and staff to provide guidance and feedback on the development and conduct of recruitment/retention campaigns. Mr. Blades previous experience includes working with substance users and populations at risk for HIV transmission in…
Cherie Blair, MD
Dr. Cherie Blair is Assistant Clinical Professor, UCLA Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease. Her research focuses on the effects of methamphetamine use on risk behavior, systemic and mucosal inflammation, and sexually transmitted infection (STI)/HIV risk among men who have sex with men. She conducts research at the UCLA Vine Street Clinic. Dr. Blair is board certified in Internal Medicine and Infectious Disease. She obtained her medical degree and completed her residency at UCLA.
Ronald Brooks, PhD
Dr. Brooks is an Assistant Professor and Principal Investigator. His research efforts focus is on the development, implementation and evaluation of HIV prevention and treatment interventions for LGBT populations and people of color. He also provides training and technical assistance to health jurisdictions and community-based organizations involved in HIV prevention and treatment. Dr. Brooks earned his PhD in Urban Planning from UCLA and completed his postdoctoral training here in the School of Public Health.
Eren Cano, NP
Ms. Cano is a Nurse Practitioner working at the UCLA Vine Street Clinic. Working across multiple research studies, she administers informed consent, conducts histories and physicals, reviews lab results, and carries out other clinical duties in the context of research. Prior to joining CBAM, she worked as a registered nurse and prior to that as an LVN. She has worked in other departments at UCLA, as well as at Cedars Sinai Medical Center and local…
Jagroop (Jay) Chahal
Mr. Chahal is an Administrative Assistant working on our Mobile Unit. He performs a full range of front-desk clerical duties and is responsible for general support of all mobile unit operations, including daily set-up, tear down, and coordination of maintenance. Prior to joining CBAM, he held leadership positions in various guest service oriented roles.
Joy Chudzynski, PsyD
Dr. Chudzynski is a Clinical Psychologist. She leads CBAM’s behavioral medicine program for UCLA athletes and trains residents at the UCLA Family Health Center. Dr. Chudzynski earned her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University, where she conducted research examining the role of alternative reinforcement in substance abuse treatment. After completing her internship at the Loma Linda VA Medical Center, she completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences,…
Jesse Clark, MD
Dr. Clark is Professor in Residence in the Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease and in the Department of Family Medicine. He serves as Medical Director for the UCLA Vine Street Clinic (UVSC) and Investigator of Record for multiple clinical trials conducted at UVSC. Outside of CBAM, he is Director of the UCLA South American Program in HIV Prevention Research (SAPHIR) training program and he leads research on the integration of new HIV prevention…
Andraya Dolbee
Ms. Dolbee is a Program Manager at CBAM. She oversees all preproduction aspects of the Journal of Drug and Alcohol Dependence, for which Dr. Shoptaw serves as Editor in Chief. She also serves as a key point of contact for our collaborators and works with internal and external stakeholders on project development and implementation. Prior to joining CBAM, Ms. Dolbee held a similar position at Johns Hopkins University.
Cindy Fernandez
Ms. Fernandez is a Data Monitor for clinical trials at the UCLA Vine Street Clinic. She is responsible for reviewing study documentation in order to ensure completeness and accuracy. She prepares reports that summarize findings and provides recommendations. She also assists with development and maintenance of quality control manuals. She has extensive experience with site monitoring, coordinating, management, regulatory affairs and compliance for every phase of clinical trial.
David Goodman-Meza, MD, MAS
Dr. Goodman-Meza is Assistant Clinical Professor in the UCLA Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease. He works at our UCLA Vine Street as an Investigator and study physician. He currently leads our mobile clinic team. His work focuses on the impact of substance use on the treatment and prevention of infectious diseases. Dr. Goodman-Meza received his Medical degree from Autonomous University of Baja California and his Master of Applied Science from UC San Diego.
Usiel Gutierrez, LVN
Usiel is a Navigator on our mobile clinic. He is responsible for a caseload of research participants, assessing their needs and ensuring that they are directly connected to the healthcare and other services needed. He provides recovery coaching and HIV risk reduction counseling and assists with multiple aspects of research visits. Prior to joining CBAM, Usiel worked for five years as an LVN at a recovery center.
Timothy McCajor Hall, MD, PhD
Dr. Hall is a psychiatrist and anthropologist with research and clinical interests in substance use disorders, mood disorders, personality, sexuality, and HIV, among other areas. He is board certified in adult psychiatry and addiction medicine. He joined the Center for Behavioral & Addiction Medicine (CBAM) in 2011 as a postdoctoral fellow and later became assistant clinical professor in the Department of Family Medicine. He earned his AB magna cum laude Harvard College and then his…
Oluwadamilola (Dami) Jolayemi, MS
Ms. Jolayemi is a Program Coordinator on the CHIPTS grant (Center for HIV Identification, Prevention and Treatment Services). She provides project support including proposal development, publication compliance, regulatory management, research coordination, and data safety monitoring. She holds a Master of Science in Global Health and has global health experience in infectious diseases and health education.
Uyen Kao, MPH
Ms. Kao is Executive Director of the CHIPTS grant (Center for HIV Identification, Prevention and Treatment Services). She also leads special research projects for CBAM and conducts consultations, trainings, and capacity building efforts to scientists, health departments, community planning groups, and community based organizations in the areas of program design, implementation, and evaluation. She has spent her career working in the HIV prevention field in both research and community-based settings. She completed her BS in…
Michael J. Li, PhD
Dr. Michael Li is Assistant Professor in the UCLA Department of Family Medicine. Their research focuses on the role of stress biology and the links between social adversity, substance use, and HIV in sexual minorities of color. They conduct research at the UCLA Vine Street Clinic. Dr. Li received a Bachelor degree in Biological Sciences from UC Irvine, a Master of Public Health from Cal State Fullerton, and a PhD in Preventive Medicine from the…
Elvin Luccon, NP
Mr. Luccon is a Nurse Practitioner working at the UCLA Vine Street Clinic. Working across multiple studies, he administers informed consent, conducts histories and physicals, reviews lab results, and carries out other clinical duties in the context of research. Prior to joining CBAM, he served multiple roles at Los Angeles County USC Medical Center including Registered Nurse, Care Coordinator and Case Manager.
Sandy MacNicoll, MBA, CCRA
Ms. MacNicoll is Project Director for clinical trials and other research conducted at the UCLA Vine Street Clinic. She is responsible for development and implementation of assigned research projects and supervises staff carrying out day to day research efforts. She manages regulatory, compliance, and quality assurance. Prior to joining CBAM, she served as Project Director and Director of Operations for the outpatient clinical research center at the UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse programs. She is a…
Omar Nieto
Mr. Nieto is a Staff Research Associate with CBAM. He directs projects targeting populations at high risk for HIV. He carries out recruitment activities, conducts qualitative interviews, and provides general project coordination for assigned studies. Omar received his Bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies from UCLA with a minor in LGBT studies.
Esperanza Orozco
Ms. Orozco is a Research Medical Assistant working on our mobile unit. She performs phlebotomy procedures, processes biological samples, administers study measures, and assists with scheduling and other research activities. Prior to joining CBAM, she worked as a Medical Assistant at local community clinics.
Simone Riley
Ms. Riley is a Staff Research Associate. She carries out recruitment efforts for assigned studies and conducts screening and intake procedures. She also administers study measures to research participants, enters data, and assists with scheduling and other research activities. She received her Bachelor of Science in Cognitive and Brain Science Studies from Tufts University.
Allison Rosen, PhD
Dr. Rosen is a Senior Public Administration Analyst. She manages data and performs advanced statistical analyses for assigned research studies. She also assists with the preparation of grant applications, designs new data collection forms and databases, and participates in various writing assignments including presentations, manuscripts, progress and technical reports. She earned an ScB in Statistics and Public Health from Brown University and PhD in Epidemiology from UCLA.
Elena Rosenberg-Carlson, MPH
Ms. Rosenberg-Carlson provides project management, analytical and dissemination support for the CHIPTS grant (Center for HIV Identification, Prevention and Treatment Services) and other assigned projects. She received her Bachelor’s degree from Carleton College and her MPH from the University of Michigan. Prior to joining UCLA, she worked for the infectious disease division of the Minnesota Department of Health.
Edgar Enrique Sanchez
Edgar serves as the CHIPTS Core Coordinator. Responsibilities include supporting center-wide communications (maintaining the CHIPTS website, email listservs, and social media accounts); collecting and organizing information for evaluating center-related activities; supporting center data compilation and literature reviews; and providing administrative and coordination support for center events and meetings. Prior to working with CHIPTS, Mr. Sanchez provided administrative support to both government agencies and local non-profit organizations in Los Angeles County. He is heavily involved in…
Steven Shoptaw, PhD
Dr. Shoptaw is Executive Director of CBAM. He is a licensed psychologist and a Professor in both the Department of Family Medicine and the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at UCLA. He is also an Honorary Professor at the University of Cape Town. For nearly 30 years, Dr. Shoptaw has conducted a series of clinical studies in community clinic settings, primarily on topics that involve developing and testing medical and behavioral interventions to treat…
Omoyemi Shoroye
Ms. Shoroye is the Program Manager for CBAM. She serves as a key point of contact for our collaborators and coordinates with key stakeholders. She monitors progress for assigned projects and supports Dr. Steven Shoptaw, Dr. Jesse Clark and the Administrative Director in managing Center operations. Prior to joining CBAM, she was an Administrative Analyst at UCLA Office of Graduate Medical Education. She earned her BS in Healthcare Management from Howard University.
Jasmin Tavarez
Ms. Tavarez is a Staff Research Associate and Medical Assistant. She administers study measures and assists medical staff with collection and processing biological specimens. She conducts screening and intake procedures and assists with scheduling. Prior to joining CBAM, she held research positions with the USC Keck Medical Center and with the UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse Programs.
Schuyler Thomas
Ms. Thomas is a Staff Research Associate. She conducts outreach in areas where potential study participants are known to congregate, conducts participant screening and intake procedures, and presents to community organizations. She also administers study measures to research participants, enters data, and assists with scheduling and other research activities. She completed her Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology/Pre-Med from California State University, Northridge.
Dilara K. Üsküp, PhD, PhD
Dilara K. Üsküp, PhD, holds a joint appointment with UCLA and Charles Drew University. Her research focuses on issues of race and social justice, with current projects looking at the impacts of cannabis policy, COVID-19, and HIV on disparate populations. Dr. Üsküp is a joint doctoral graduate of the University of Chicago’s Department of Political Science and the Divinity School. She completed a T32 post-doctoral fellowship at UCLA in 2020.
Jonathan Veloz
Mr. Veloz is a Lab/Research Assistant working at the UCLA Vine Street Clinic. He performs phlebotomy procedures, processes biological samples and assists with all other activities in the clinic’s research laboratory.
Demetria Villanueva
Ms. Villanueva is the Laboratory Coordinator for the UCLA Vine Street Clinic overseeing the collection, processing and storage of biological samples. She is responsible for monitoring incoming and outgoing data, maintaining lab credentials, and consulting across projects in the development of workflow processes and protocols. She is also responsible for general management of clinic facilities, managing day to day operations across multiple clinical services and research protocols. She holds state and national certifications as a…