Research Experience
The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Adolescent Initiative
Overview
Recruited, retained, facilitated visits, and provided technical assistance to trans feminine, trans masculine, and gender non-conforming youth to TechStep
TechStep is a two-condition, technology-based randomized controlled trial
The goal of this trial is to reduce sexual risk behaviors (e.g., condomless anal intercourse, engagement in sex work, sex while feeling the effects of alcohol or drugs) and increase PrEP uptake
Recruited, retained, facilitated visits, and provided technical assistance to youth assigned male at birth to GetConnected
GetConnected is a two-arm prospective randomized controlled trial
The goal of this trial is to increase youth uptake of HIV prevention services
Major Contributions
Enrolled over 50 participants in GetConnected in three months, the highest consecutive enrollment rate of any of the three sites (Atlanta, Houston, Philadelphia)
Helped TechStep to be entirely remotely conducted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including coordinating the shipment of HIV testing supplies in a discrete manner
Images of the applications are from the iTech Network website.
University of Pennsylvania, Drink Philly Tap
Overview
Assisted with data collection for the Drink Philly Tap Project, a campaign that empowers residents of Philadelphia with information and knowledge to choose drinking tap water over bottled water
The program hired neighborhood ambassadors to dispel myths about the harms of drinking tap water in Philadelphia
Data collection from the project is meant to help create a guidebook for paid ambassador programs focused on environmental issues, a guidebook for ambassadors for participating in programs, and a reflection on lessons learned in Drink Philly Tap in 2019 that will help to guide the future of the ambassador program
Major Contributions
Prepared for, created interview protocol, and conducted 10 individual interviews with previous Drink Philly Tap Ambassadors on their experience with the program
Led two, in-depth focus groups which I created a protocol for about improvements that could be made to make ambassador programs more useful for ambassadors and their communities
Created initial reports on the data collection efforts and provided feedback on key takeaways from the data collection
Creative Resilience Collective, Care Strategies and Spaces for Immigrant Youth
Overview
Contributed to the beginning stages of a community-based research study aimed at understanding the lived experiences of mental health support (or lack of support) among immigrant youth in Philadelphia
Stepped back from the project to apply to & attend graduate school
Major Contributions
Contributed to the poster and proposal which granted us funding by Jefferson College of Population Health at Community Driven Research Day
Research Objectives
Define and identify places, people, strategies, and barriers to care,
Understand what makes a safe space or home,
Understand what makes a safe and supportive person,
Understand strategies of safety,
Unwrap how teens are coming of age in a western culture that is different than nuclear family dynamics (e.g. western individuality, idea of code/language switching), and
Identify sustainable strategies that community sites can use to make safe spaces more accessible
Kluge Center, Library of Congress through the Paul Peck Humanities Institute Internship
Overview
Selected for the highly competitive Paul Peck Humanities Internship which allowed me the privilege of being able to intern for 240 hours at the Library of Congress's Kluge Center in Washington, D.C.
As part of this program, interns are required to write a research paper on a topic that is pertinent to their interests and studies
Briefed a Kluge Fellow ( Dr. Ruth Wasem) on significant findings relevant to her research on immigration policy
Major Contributions
Authored a 21-page research paper on transgender women of color and poverty
Presented research findings at the 2016 Undergraduate Research Day at the University of Maryland, College Park
