Meet our Community Advisory Board!
Our CAB is composed of experts in LGBTQ+ mental health, whether due to their community work and advocacy, research experience, clinical experience, legislative work, or more. Integral to our projects, the CAB contributes to UMD-PRC efforts at all levels.
Ezra Halstead, MA is the Director of Education and Outreach at FreeState Justice. In their position, they work to build connections and resources through client advocacy, community organizing, education, and outreach to achieve equity for vulnerable LGBTQ+ Marylanders. Outside of their work with FreeState, they were a Law and Policy Committee Member of the Baltimore City LGBTQ Commission and a Core Team Member of Trans Healthcare Maryland, a trans-led group that aims to unify the transgender community of Maryland for the purpose of extending competent, accessible, and affirming healthcare to everyone in the state.
Ellen Kahn is the Senior Director, Programs and Partnerships at the Human Rights Campaign. In her role, Ellen provides national leadership and expertise in public education and advocacy efforts on behalf of LGBTQ youth and families. Prior to joining HRC, Ellen spent 12 years at the Whitman-Walker Health in various roles; Director of the Lesbian Services Program, Associate Director of LGBTQ Health Promotion, and as supervisor of a behavioral health program for people with HIV. She also was a founding Board member of Rainbow Families DC, the capital area’s support and education organization for LGBTQ-headed families and has facilitated “Maybe Baby” groups for over 15 years and consults with dozens of prospective LGBTQ parents each year.
Guin Davis, MA is an Educational Consultant. Born and raised in Decatur, Georgia, Guin Davis attended American University for their Masters in Philosophy & Social Policy. During their time there they began working in public health and reproductive rights and continued a career in advocacy for disenfranchised communities. They began teaching philosophy at Prince George’s Community College in 2018, and worked with various public health agencies at the same time. They currently work as a consultant and capacity builder for local businesses and agencies throughout DC, Maryland, and Virginia.
Jean-Michel Brevelle has been an activist fighting for the rights of LGBTQ people and people living with HIV for over 30 years. He devotes much of his time to providing capacity building training and technical assistance to improve HIV prevention services for LGBTQ communities and people living with or at risk for HIV. He sits on several Community Advisory Boards for current HIV research initiatives and is the Co-Chair of the Transgender Response Team.
Christi McGeorge, PhD has been a faculty member in the Department of Human Development and Family Science at North Dakota State University since 2003. Dr. McGeorge’s research has focused on the influence of heterosexism and homophobia on clinical practice and training, gender equity in therapy, gender equity in higher education, feminist theories, and societal perceptions of single parents.
Ellesse-Roselee Akré, PhD, MA is an assistant professor of The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice. Akré’s research portfolio focuses on health inequities, intersectionality, and access to healthcare. She utilizes tools from health services research and population health science to demonstrate how macrolevel systems such as heterosexism, sexism, and racism are determinants of health inequities.
Erica Hartwell, PhD, LMFT is the Program Director and founder of the Sexual and Gender Minority Mental Health Certificate at Fairfield University. She is also an Associate Professor in the Department of Family Therapy and Social Work, where her teaching, supervision, and scholarship focus on creating community, compassion, and justice. Erica is committed to elevating the lives and well-being of queer and trans people. To that end, she created Pride & Wellness, a health and wellness fair for the LGBTQ community in Fairfield County. She also serves on the Board of Directors at Triangle Community Center in Norwalk, CT, as the Past Chair of the AAMFT Queer and Trans Advocacy Network, as the Chair of the AAMFT CEO Workgroup on Guidelines for LGBTQ Affirming Therapy, and was recently elected to the AAMFT Board of Directors.
C. Paul Heins is Assistant Conductor of the Gay Men's Chorus of Washington, DC. He is also Assistant Conductor for the Washington Master Chorale and Accompanist for the Washington Men's Camerata. Previous positions include Interim Choir Director at the College of William & Mary, Concert Choir Director at Georgetown Univ., and Music Director of the Lesbian & Gay Chorus of Washington. DMA (choral cond.), Univ. of MD; M.Mus. (flute), Univ. of MD; B.Mus. (piano & flute), Bowling Green State Univ.
Caitlin Clark, PhD is a developmental psychologist committed to creating positive change for LGBTQ youth through applied research. Clark is a research Associate at GLSEN, a national organization working to ensure safe and affirming schools for all students, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression.
Paz Galupo, PhD (She/Her or They/Them) is Professor of Psychology and Director of the Sexual & Gender Identity Lab at Towson University. Dr. Galupo’s research interests focus on understanding the intersection of sexual orientation and gender identity, with a particular focus on understanding non-binary expressions of bisexual/plurisexual and transgender experience. Dr. Galupo serves as the Editor-in-Chief for both the Journal of GLBT Family Studies (2013-present) and the Journal of Bisexuality (2015-present). Dr. Galupo also serves as Editor for Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity (2019-present; the official journal for APA’s Division 44) and Associate Editor for the International Journal of Transgender Health (2016-present; the official journal for the World Professional Association for Transgender Health).
Francesca Gaiba, PhD is an IPR Research Associate Professor and its Senior Director for Operations and Outreach. She managed the Northwestern University Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing as its associate director from 2015–20. Dr. Gaiba brings a commitment to racial and LGBT justice and their intersections and policy implications to her scholarship and academic work. She has published op-eds in Time, The Hill, Rewire, RoleReboot, Medium, and TruthOut.
Antón Usigli, MPH is a public health leader with more of a decade-long career in sexual and reproductive health, HIV/STI prevention and management, and LGBTQ health. He is a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) Candidate at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and a Cheng Fellow at the Social Innovation and Change Initiative of the Harvard Kennedy School. Antón is also a Consultant at the executive level of AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) and for Wyckoff Heights Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY, where he previously served as the Director of HIV/STI Prevention.
John Pachankis, PhD is a Susan Dwight Bliss Associate Professor of Public Health at Yale University and directs Yale’s LGBTQ Mental Health Initiative, which serves as a home for scholarship devoted to understanding and improving the mental health of LGBTQ populations in the US and around the world. He has published 100+ scientific papers on LGBTQ mental health and stigma and recently co-edited the Handbook of Evidence-Based Mental Health Practice with Sexual and Gender Minorities published by Oxford University Press. You can learn more about his research at esteem.yale.edu.
Paul Poteat, PhD is an Associate Professor in the Department of Counseling, Developmental, and Educational Psychology at Boston College. His research focuses on the school-based experiences of sexual and gender minority (SGM) youth. His research on Gender-Sexuality Alliances (GSAs) has identified individual- and group-level mechanisms by which these school-based extracurricular groups empower and promote resilience among youth from diverse sexual orientations and gender identities. His research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) and published in journals in the fields of psychology, public health, and education.
Caleb LoSchiavo, MPH is a PhD Candidate in the Department of Health Behavior, Society, and Policy and a Doctoral Research Assistant in the Center for Health, Identity, Behavior and Prevention Studies (CHIBPS) at Rutgers School of Public Health. Caleb conducts research and teaches courses in LGBTQ health, with a focus on transgender health, sexual health and behavior, substance use, and social/structural determinants of health. His current dissertation research, funded by the New Jersey Commission on Cancer Research, is using qualitative and quantitative methods to explore transgender people’s experiences with HPV-related preventive healthcare.
Jasmine Anthony has worked in non-profit for years doing work around sexual health and reproductive rights. She has experience working with individuals experiencing mental health issues, with an educational background in social work. She is a passionate queer Black woman that has always worked from a lens centering clients and patients.
Sarah Gilden, MS, LCPC, NCC is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor specializing in LGBTQ issues, trauma, depression, anxiety, and career transitions. With a Masters in Clinical Community Counseling from Johns Hopkins University and a Psychology degree from Wesleyan University, she founded Outside the Box Counseling in Rockville, MD in 2013. Sarah's approach is person-centered and feminist, influenced by her background in fundraising for organizations like Smith College and the National Organization for Women. She also has experience as a Program Director for non-profits serving LGBTQ communities.