Nina Harawa, MPH, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator

Dr. Nina Harawa is an Assistant Professor with the Charles Drew University of Science and Medicine and an Adjunct Assistant Professor at UCLA. Trained as an epidemiologist, her research involves both documenting and understanding trends in the distribution of HIV infections and developing effective HIV prevention interventions.

She has conducted and led studies examining the prevalence of HIV infection and risky behaviors in a variety of high-risk populations, including men who have sex with men, the homeless, sexually transmitted disease clinic attendees, recent jail arrestees, female sex workers, and male-to-female transgenders.

She has ongoing HIV prevention research studies for African American men who have sex with men and women and for African American women in partnerships with high-risk men. She is also currently working to examine STD and HIV risk in older adults and condom use in a jail unit for gay males and male-to-female transgenders.

Sergio M. Avina
Principal Investigator

Sergio M. Avina bio will go here.

John K. Williams, M.D.
Principal Investigator

Dr. John K. Williams, completed his M.D. degree at the State University of NY at Syracuse, his Psychiatry residency at the University of Hawaii and an NIMH sponsored two-year HIV/AIDS research postdoctoral fellowship at UCLA. Dr. Williams has expertise in HIV risk reduction in diverse populations especially among minority men

who have sex with men (MSM), minority women, the use of the Internet for research purposes, and mental health disparities and cross-cultural Psychiatry (i.e., cultural predictors of depression and anxiety among ethnic minority youths).

Dr. Williams has worked on several projects targeting HIV risk reduction and overall improvements of health among African American women and their families. He was funded as a Minority AIDS Research Initiative (MARI) Investigator by the CDC to conduct an innovative Internet study entitled, Gay and Non-gay Identifying Black and Latino MSM Who Meet Male Sexual Partners Over the Internet. He is currently funded to develop an HIV prevention intervention for non-gay identifying behaviorally bisexual African American men. He has also received an NIMH funded R34 to develop an HIV risk reduction intervention for HIV-positive African American MSMW who have a history of childhood sexual abuse and to examine biomarkers of stress. Both interventions examine the stigma of being labeled “gay” and attempts to alter sexual risk behaviors.

Dr. Williams is also the Training Director for a Fogarty International Trauma Training Grant with the University of Limpopo in South Africa entitled, The UCLA-South African Research in Trauma Training Program (Phodiso) and Co-Director of Training & Education for the Prevention & Clinical Research Core of the UCLA AIDS Institute. He is also the Training Director and Community Liaison for the NIH funded Center for Culture, Trauma and Mental Health Disparities.

Kito Bridges
Senior Community Health
Worker/FemAALES Project

I have been working in the area of women's issues since 2000 when I began an internship as a Doula, (Childbirth Assistant), for a community clinic in Santa Monica. While attending Antioch University, I also interned at the Day Break Women's Shelter. My internship at Day Break

helped segue my way into a position as Resident Manager at the Downtown Women's Center, which provides outreach services and housing to homeless and mentally ill women in 2004.

That same year, I received a B.A. in Liberal Studies with a concentration in Psychology. I am currently involved with the FemAALES Project with JWCH and I am ecstatic to be a part of this "ground breaking" study.

Jacqueline Campbell
Community Health Worker

Ms. Campbell has worked in the area of HIV/AIDS for four years. Her repertoire of experience includes conducting HIV testing, facilitating groups with at-risk people of all color, both men and women, also providing Health and Risk counseling outreach on the streets of Skid Row and the surrounding cities.

She has a vast amount of knowledge of service in the downtown area. She currently co-facilitates a drug and health program called the Matrix. Ms. Campbell is trained in data management, maintenance, privacy and confidentiality. Ms. Campbell currently maintains HIV testing data as a part of her functions.

Barbara Ousley
Community Health Care Worker

Ms Ousley has worked in the social services field for 14 yrs serving underprivileged individuals in various capacities. She has served as a case manager at a homeless shelter facilitating groups in drug and alcohol studies, relapse prevention and other matters relating to health. She is currently the program manager for The Salvation

Army Bell Shelter Veteran Program. Ms.Ousley has an Associate of Arts degree in Human Services and has trained in privacy and confidentiality. She is involved in a large network of service providers helping those who deal with chronic mental illness, substance abuse and other at risk behaviors.

Lozette Craven
Peer Health Educator (Volunteer)

Ms. Craven has been a Peer Health Educator for JWCH Institute, Inc for one year. She has experience conducting outreach in Skid Row and has knowledge of the array of services in Skid Row. She has facilitated classes on HIV prevention and sexual Health. Ms. Craven has been thoroughly trained on data management, privacy and confidentiality.