Paul Drain, MD, MPH
Dr. Paul Drain is a Professor of Global Health, Medicine (Infectious Diseases), and Epidemiology (adjunct) at the University of Washington in Seattle. He is the Director of Clinical and Translational Research at the International Center for Clinical Research (ICRC) and the Director of the Clinical and Translational Science Core within the Seattle Tuberculosis Research Advancement Center (SEA-TRAC) at the University of Washington. Dr. Drain’s research group focuses on development, evaluation and implementation of diagnostic testing and clinic-based screening, including novel point-of-care technologies, to improve clinical care and patient-centered outcomes for tuberculosis (TB), HIV, malaria, STIs, and infectious diseases in resource-limited settings. He currently teaches “Global Population Health” in the School of Public Health, and has taught “Clinical Global Health and Social Medicine” for medical students. He research has been supported by several institutes of the National Institutes of Health, the Infectious Disease Society of America, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the US Department of Defense, the NIH Center for AIDS Research, as well as several biomedical corporations. He has authored several global health books and received awards from the Global Health Education Consortium, the Infectious Disease Society of America, and a Faculty Teaching Award from Harvard Medical School. Dr. Drain completed his medicine training at Stanford University, and his infectious disease training at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital at Harvard Medical School in Boston. He has been a faculty member at the University of Washington since 2015.
Ronit Dalmat, PhD, MPH
Dr. Ronit Dalmat is a clinical epidemiologist working to improve the diagnosis of tuberculosis, COVID-19, and other diseases. She joined the Drain research group in 2020 and has been involved in the design and analysis of large domestic and international cohort studies to study novel screening and diagnostic tests. Her methodological research focuses on selection bias and competing risks in observational research studies, as well as descriptive epidemiology. She earned both her PhD and MPH in Epidemiology from the University of Washington.
Xin Nui, PhD
Xin Niu completed his PhD in Epidemiology at University of Washington, Seattle. His research focuses on HIV PrEP adherence monitoring, evaluation of novel TB diagnostics. In addition to his academic pursuits, he loves stand-up paddleboarding and enjoys indulging in spicy cuisine.
Mark Fajans
Mark Fajans is a 4th year PhD student in Epidemiology focusing on improving pediatric diagnostics and detection of tuberculosis disease. He currently is a research analyst for the FACT and PROVE-TB Vietnam study, focusing on evaluating novel TB diagnostics in both children and adults. Prior to starting his PhD, he worked as an epidemiologist in the Global TB Branch at CDC, working primarily in Kenya, Mozambique and Vietnam. In his spare time, he enjoys backcountry snowboarding and hiking with his wife & daughter.
Noel Kalanga, MD
Noel Kalanga is a PhD student in the program of Global Health Metrics and Implementation Science. His current research focuses on methods to optimize antiretroviral therapy (ART) monitoring through point-of-care adherence testing. He previously worked with Partners in Health, where he served as a medical director, overseeing the delivery of the Essential Health Package (EHP) and implementing an integrated clinic for HIV and noncommunicable diseases in a rural district in Malawi. Noel completed his medical training at the University of Malawi and a Master of Medical Sciences in Global Health Delivery from Harvard Medical School. In his spare time, he enjoys playing and watching soccer.
Chinmay Laxmeshwar, MPH
Chinmay was born in Nashik, a town in western India that holds the distinction of being the wine capital of India and a holy site frequented for pilgrimage. He has joined the PhD program in Global Health Metrics and Implementation Science after working with PATH, Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders, and the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. He has a decade of experience working in Asia, Africa, and Eastern Europe, where he has led various studies looking to strengthen healthcare delivery, mainly for TB and HIV. At PATH, he was an integral part of the STAR III initiative, providing crucial evidence for introducing HIV self-testing in India. In his free time, he loves to read and go swimming. He loves to travel and explore new cuisines. While in Seattle, Chinmay hopes to pick up the hiking bug from the locals.
Julian Salim
Julian Salim finished his Master of Public Health study at the Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, in 2021. He is a public health professional with over six years of professional experience surrounding disease surveillance and health systems strengthening. He recently works as a director of Rakat Mengabdi, a Non-Government Organization in Indonesia. This TB- focused organization convenes local, national, and global actors and wide-ranging health campaigns to support research, decision-making, and policy. Julian has joined the PhD program in Global Health Metrics and Implementation Science at the University of Washington in 2023. He intends to focus his doctoral research on studying strategies to improve rapid diagnosis and clinical management of rural, low-educated, and poor populations living with TB disease, drug-resistant TB, and latent TB infection. He is also interested in rethinking existing health financing, technologies, and policies to better serve the needs of these populations who are often missed by adequate TB and other healthcare services.
Zeyu Zhu
Zeyu Zhu is a graduate student pursuing a Master of Science in epidemiology at the University of Washington. His current research focuses on evaluating the clinical performance of a rapid antigen test for Covid-19 diagnosis. Prior to starting his master study at UW, he worked as an internal medicine resident in Shanghai. In his spare time, he loves cooking and stargazing.
Parul Vaidya
Parul is a graduate student pursuing a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology at the University of Washington. Her current research focuses on evaluating diagnostic biomarkers for tuberculosis. Prior to this, she worked as a primary care physician and public health practitioner in the rural regions of the Himalayas in India for seven years. In her spare time, she enjoys reading historical fiction, memoirs, and writing poetry.
Vicky Le
Medical student, and soon to be Medical Doctor.
Erica Crittendon
Medical student, and soon to be Medical Doctor.
John Kearney, MS
John Kearney is a current 2nd-year medical student at the University of Washington School of Medicine. John is the recipient of a student grant from the Infectious Disease Society of America to study the impact that chronic diseases—particularly diabetes—can have on novel point-of-care tuberculosis diagnostics in resource-limited and high HIV-burden settings. When he’s not studying, John enjoys rock climbing, hiking, and eating all the wonderful food that the Pacific Northwest has to offer.
Carolyn Oliver
Carolyn is a medical student at the UW School of Medicine. She completed her MS in Epidemiology at Stanford University. She is passionate about the role research-based technology can play in preventive health. Prior to starting medical school, she worked at Apple Inc. on iPhone and Apple Watch features like Fall Detection, Mobility Metrics and VO2Max. When she’s not studying or working, she’s biking around Seattle or exploring new gravel roads. She is also an avid skier, runner and kayaker.
Mary Huynh
Mary is a senior at the University of Washington working towards her B.A. in Psychology with Departmental Honors and a minor in Bioethics. She is looking forward to traveling and preparing to apply for medical school after graduation. As a TB scholar, she has enjoyed researching health disparities in TB outcomes among TB patients in King County. In her free time, she loves going to cafes, collecting plushies, and taking care of her windowsill flower garden.
Albert Nath
Albert is an undergraduate student pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology at the University of Washington. In his free time, he enjoys listening to K-RNB music and immersing himself in shows and movies. Beyond his academic pursuits, Albert hopes to be a source of inspiration for underrepresented individuals like himself in the healthcare field.
Rachel Johnson, MPH
Managing Director of the International Clinical Research Center (ICRC).
Jenn Morton, MPH
Director of Research Operations.
Elena Rechkina, PhD
Dr. Elena A. Rechkina brings a wealth of experience in Operations and a passion for driving progress in healthcare through the development and implementation of diagnostic products. With a PhD in Virology and Molecular Biology, she is currently pursuing an EMBA to enrich her understanding of the business aspects of technology development. Elena thrives in collaborative environments, has a talent for cultivating efficient systems, and a keen eye for uncovering people’s working potential. Outside of work enjoys CrossFit dates with her husband, running, adventure travels with two teenage kids or taking naps with her cat.
Kathy Thomas, MS (she/her)
Kathy directs biostatistics at ICRC. She has over 20 years of NIH-funded research experience providing biostatistical consulting in the fields of sexually transmitted infections and HIV prevention and treatment. Current projects include studies of PrEP provision for HIV prevention, point-of-care testing to support HIV treatment, home-based point-of-care testing for HIV, TB and malaria, and cervical cancer screening. Kathy’s passion is to promote high quality research design and analysis for ICRC faculty, staff, and students.
Susan Morrison, MD, MPH
Dr. Susan Morrison has worked with the International Clinical Research Center in the UW Department of Global Health as a trial safety monitor since 2007.
Marie Bauer
Marie is a lab technician at the ICRC Biorepository. She received my BS in Biochemistry from the University of Washington. In my spare time I enjoy hiking the beautiful trails that Washington has and I also enjoy geocaching and reading.
Matthew Ikuma
Lab Technician at the ICRC Biorepository, graduated from the University of Washington Bothell with a major in Biology. Previously working in the food industry, k-12 education and basic science, I joined the ICRC during the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, it has been a privilege to work with many local and international projects in translating scientific queries to improve patient care and outcomes. I enjoy cooking, museums and discovering new cafes.
Meena Lenn, MPH
Meena is a Research Manager in the International Clinical Research Center (ICRC) in UW’s Department of Global Health. Her current studies focus on the implementation of diagnostic testing and clinic-based screening for tuberculosis in South Africa and the enhancement of PrEP delivery for adolescent girls and young women in Kenya. She received her MPH from Boston University and her BA from the University of Virginia.
Dea Deisher
My full name is Andrea Deisher but most people call me Dea (said like idea without the i) and I use she/her pronouns. I am a public health practitioner (MPH) experienced in the oversight of expansive multi-stakeholder research portfolios and complex program management. My clinical work as a Registered Nurse (BSN) in diverse settings further compliments my public health repertoire. I am excited to be a part of the ICRC team at UW as a Research Coordinator.
Amber Lauff, MPH
Amber serves as a Research Coordinator at UW’s International Clinical Research Center (ICRC), focused on implementation science studies. With over 7 years’ experience in global public health, she brings a wealth of knowledge in research and program design and coordination, monitoring and evaluation, and health communications. Her current studies focus on assessing the feasibility, acceptability, and success of interventions for improved PrEP care and adherence, and home-based testing for infectious and noncommunicable diseases. She holds an MPH from Emory University and a Bachelor of Science in Public Health from Temple University.
Ellie Hawman
Director of Fiscal and Grants Management.
Colin Pappajohn
I am a Grants Lifecycle Manager with over 7 years of experience in grants administration between the University of Washington and Washington State University. I have previously led a grants administration team at Washington State University during their transition to Workday. My expertise lies in financial analysis and customized financial reporting. I enjoy developing innovative financial tools that inform decisions, improve efficiency, and increase transparency.
Meagan Bemer
Data Scientist.
Gabrielle Stein
Data Scientist.
Elex Hill
Data Scientist.
Elvira Budiawan, MS
Elvira is a Data Scientist in the International Clinical Research Center (ICRC) within the University of Washington’s Department of Global Health. She holds a Master’s degree in Biostatistics from Columbia University in New York and a Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry from the University of Washington in Seattle. Elvira recently earned a Certificate in Machine Learning and is eager to apply her expertise in statistical analysis and machine learning.
Ashley Bardon, PhD
Dr. Ashley Bardon is a research scientist with the Drain Lab in the International Clinical Research Center working on several studies focused on several testing strategies for malaria and HIV. She recently completed her PhD in epidemiology at the University of Washington, and her dissertation focused on novel testing approaches to support HIV treatment and prevention. Prior to her doctoral studies at UW, she was a research coordinator in the Division of Infectious Diseases at UCLA and a program manager at the UCLA Center for World Health. She also holds an MPH in health policy from Saint Louis University and a BS in biological sciences from the University of Missouri. In her free time, Ashley enjoys traveling and family time with her husband and 3-year-old daughter.
Caitlin Moe, PhD
Research Scientist.
Melody Wang, MSPH
Melody Wang is a PhD Candidate in the Implementation Science program at UW and Research Associate with the Drain Lab group at the ICRC. Prior to joining the PhD program, she worked on implementation of point-of-care (POC) diagnostics across 10 countries in sub-Saharan Africa with the Clinton Health Access Initiative, as well as global vaccine policy with the WHO. She has a lab background in biotech, an MSPH in global disease epidemiology from the Bloomberg SPH at Johns Hopkins University, and her current research interests include implementation of POC technologies for HIV and barriers to differentiated service delivery. Outside of research, Melody enjoys learning new piano pieces at the UW School of Music, growing her community garden plot, and taking her cat for walks.
Jeremy Mandia, MD
Masters Student in Epidemiology.
Bobby Haynes, MD
Masters Student in Epidemiology.
Megana Shivakumar
Megana is a recent graduate from the University of Washington, with a B.S. in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. Within the lab, she is working on identifying risk factors for HBV within a cohort of people living with HIV. Her future ambitions revolve around attending medical school to make a tangible impact on public health and disease prevention. In her free time, she enjoys running with her dog, baking, and reading.
Katherine Buckley
Katherine is majoring in Biochemistry and minoring in both Chemistry and Global Health at the University of Washington. I joined the International Clinical Research Center(ICRC) as a research assistant during my sophomore year and have had the pleasure of working with an amazing and hardworking team since then. My experience with the ICRC has allowed me to deepen my passion for healthcare and research, motivating me to pursue a future in medical school.
Tashmee Sarwar
Tashmee Sarwar is a Research Assistant at the ICRC and a fourth-year student at the University of Washington majoring in Public Health – Global Health and minoring in Bioethics. She is an aspiring public health-driven physician and researcher with a passion for infectious diseases, neurodevelopment, and public health policy. Her future plans include pursuing a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology and continuing global health research in TB and HIV, as well as public health research to investigate environmental exposures on childhood development through Seattle Children’s Research Institute. As a Seattle native, Tashmee enjoys the nature of the Pacific Northwest in her free time.
Kristin Ciccarelli
Fiscal Specialist.
Daphne Hamilton
Laboratory Manager.
Aliza Lee
Research Coordinator.
Zarna Marfatia
Research Coordinator
Alemayehu “Alex” Beyene
Clinical Research Coordinator, International Clinical Research Center (ICRC)
Department of Global Health, University of Washington.
Serena Hansen
Laboratory Scientist.