Our Team

Eden is currently attending San Francisco State University's undergrad Public Health program and has future plans to pursue her MPH. She currently works at CSUH as a Recruitment Assistant. She previously has spent her summers in Ethiopia, working in harm reduction. She is passionate about maternal health, reducing stigma around substance use and is a fierce advocate for social and racial equity. In her free time she enjoys live music, going to the beach, and practicing self care.

Andrew received his BS in Public Health from San Francisco State University as well as a BA in Music. He currently works at CSUH as a Recruitment Assistant. He plans to pursue a Master's in Public Health and continue his work towards health equity and social justice. In his free time, he enjoys live music, all things pop culture and brewing kombucha at home.

Grace received her Bachelor of Public Health from the University of Waterloo and MPH in Epidemiology from the University of Toronto. She is passionate about health equity and social determinants of health and previously worked at the Public Health Agency of Canada analyzing Canadian youth acute toxicity deaths using coroner and medical examiner data. In her free time, Grace enjoys trying new restaurants and travelling.

Allie recently graduated from UC Berkeley with a B.A. in Anthropology and a minor in Public Policy. Her research interests include medical anthropology, poverty, and public health-- topics she hopes to explore through her work on the Harness and HiNT studies. Allie hopes to use her time at CSUH to make a positive impact on San Francisco communities and to explore her own passion for health research. In her free time, Allie enjoys backpacking, taking pictures of her cat Jelly Bean, and making music playlists for every mood.

Janet received her Masters of Education from Stanford University and trained at the Center for AIDS Prevention Studies at UCSF. Janet went to Guatemala on a Fulbright Scholarship and then became a fellow at the CDC outpost at the Universidad del Valle studying the TB and HIV pandemics in rural Guatemala. 

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Xochitl received her BA in Health and Societies and Master of Public Health from the University of Pennsylvania. Previously, she worked as a Research Coordinator for Penn’s Center for Public Health Initiatives, contributing to various projects on digital health privacy, adolescent health, and harm reduction. In her free time, Xochitl enjoys outdoor activities and Latin dancing.

Vanessa is a Research Scientist at CSUH. She received her doctorate and Master of Science from the University of Washington in Health Services. She is dedicated to harm reduction and evaluating programs to improve well being among marginalized communities. Previously, Vanessa coordinated PrEP studies among people who use methamphetamine and has volunteered with syringe services programs since 2000.

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Emily graduated from UC Berkeley with BAs in Molecular & Cell Biology and English, and she received her MPH from the University of San Francisco. Before joining CSUH, Emily worked in supportive housing where she found a passion for harm reduction and end-of-life care. In her free time she likes to read in the park and dance in her kitchen. 

Judy received her BS in Human Science from Georgetown University and MPH in Epidemiology/Biostatistics from UC Berkeley. She has a passion for health equity, which threads through her previous work in youth opioid prevention and environmental health as well as her current work in harm reduction. When she is not working, Judy enjoys sourdough baking and any type of physical activity, most recently pickleball.

John is a research clinician at CSUH. He earned his Masters of Nursing at Samuel Merritt University in 2013 and is a board-certified family nurse practitioner. His interests include working with marginalized populations to improve their outcomes regarding substance use and access to health care. He also works to reduce the stigma associated with drug use. John has a Miniature Pinscher, Petal, who is the apple of his eye.

Marley recently graduated from CSU East Bay with a BS in Health Science. Since graduating, Marley has pursued a career in research which centers community input, health equity and social justice. Their passion for improving the health of marginalized communities has led them to join the team at CSUH a full-time Research Associate with the LASSO study. In her free time, Marley loves to cuddle up with her senior, three-legged dog or one of her 2 cats to watch a scary movie or read a book.

As a psychiatrist and epidemiologist, Alex brings quantitative methods to bear on policy-oriented research at the intersection of substance use, mental health, HIV, and the carceral system. He is passionate about harm reduction and health justice and is engaged with projects to understand and overcome clinical and structural barriers to care for marginalized populations in San Francisco, nationwide, and internationally.

Phillip is a board-certified and practicing internist, infectious disease specialist, and addiction medicine specialist. He attended or trained at Brown University, Columbia University, the University of California San Francisco, and the University of Washington.

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John graduated with an AS in business from Cape Cod Community College. John began work with SFDPH in 2004 and completed his BA in Sociology. He has a strong passion for working in the HIV-care field and creating better health outcomes for people who use substances. John loves film. His all-time favorite movie is ‘Mary Poppins’ and his favorite actors are Reese Witherspoon, Timothee Chalamet and Lucas Hedges.

Kat is a recent graduate of Boston University, where she received a Bachelors of Science in Human Physiology with a minor in Public Health. She has a background in maternal and child health, and is excited to switch focus to harm reduction and academic detailing. In her free time, Kat is often found channeling her inner grandma by crocheting or recklessly spending money to grow her novel collection.

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Rebecca is a board-certified family nurse practitioner, who completed her Master’s of Science in Nursing at UCSF in 2014. She has made her professional home at the intersection of HIV prevention, harm reduction, and primary care, and is energized by her community on a daily basis. Rebecca lived in Spain when she was 14 with her family and blames her parents for her ongoing wanderlust.

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Nicky is a Research Scientist at CSUH. She received her doctorate from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. She is interested in using applied epidemiology to help develop and advocate for policy change and interventions that support the health of patients who have been marginalized by the current state of healthcare infrastructure, in particular those who have suffered from substance use disorders, HIV, tuberculosis, justice-involvement, and homelessness. In addition to continuing to pursue community-based participatory research, she hopes to work in collaboration with community and political leaders to design and implement effective policy interventions that target the root causes of health disparities.

Milo is a Senior Research Scientist at CSUH and an Associate Professor in the Department of Community Health Systems at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF). He obtained his Ph.D. in Epidemiology and Translational Sciences at UCSF and his MPH in Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of California Berkeley.

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Born and raised in San Francisco, Sophia Tavasieff has spent the last few years pursuing her BA in Sociology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. Having lived in two cities with acute housing crises and overdose epidemics, Sophia is very passionate about harm reduction practices and systematic change that respects and uplifts our unhoused neighbors, and is thrilled to be channeling that passion into her work as a Recruitment Assistant with the Center on Substance Use and Health. She is currently pursuing her Community Heath Worker Certificate at CCSF and looks forward to pursuing an MSW or MPH in the coming years. When Sophia is not at CSUH, she enjoys performing comedy, clown, improv, and dance; gardening; spending time with her many cats; and exploring vegan and vegetarian restaurants around the city. 

Brian is a San Francisco and Bay Area native. He received a BA from UC Berkeley, an MPH from Harvard, and a Doctor of Occupational Therapy from USC. When not he’s not at work he likes to write. Maybe someday all his writing will culminate in a book! But just maybe.

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Dr. Ayesha Appa is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of HIV, Infectious Diseases, and Global Medicine at San Francisco General Hospital and a clinician investigator triply board-certified in Infectious Diseases, Addiction Medicine, and Internal Medicine. Her research program is centered on the integration of care for substance use disorders and HIV/serious infections, with an emphasis on implementing practical healthcare models.

Finn graduated from UCSF with a M.S. in Advanced Public Health Nursing. They've originally from Philadelphia, where a community of HIV activists introduced them to harm reduction. Finn continues to stay involved in harm reduction work in the Bay Area and is especially passionate about wound care, STI prevention, and peer-led public health interventions. When not working, Finn is either knitting fisherman's sweaters while listening to horror fiction podcasts or is off in the redwoods practicing traditional archery and going on bike camping adventures.

A Bay Area native, Rowan has been a fighter for equity and equality from a young age. They earned their Bachelor's of Science in Oceanography from Humboldt State University in 2017 and their Master of Public Health from Southern New Hampshire University in 2023. Trans health equity, harm reduction, and the impact of climate change on health are their main areas of interest. When not at work, Rowan can be found going on adventures with their dog, getting crafty, or doom-scrolling social media.

Annie graduated from Georgetown with a BS in Global Health before joining CSUH as a Research Associate. She is passionate about harm reduction and sex worker rights, and previously worked at HIPS in Washington DC and the Women's Community Clinic in San Francisco. Her favorite things are, in order: her fish (5 tanks currently), her poison dart frogs, egg salad sandwiches, and small versions of large things.

Cameron is a research associate for the M3 and Curb-2 studies. She recently graduated from UC Davis with a BS in Neurobiology and minors in Public Health and Anthropology. Before coming to CSUH, she volunteered in a transitional housing clinic, where she became passionate about holistic care, reducing the stigma associated with substance use, and patient-centered care. Through this role, Cameron is excited to be a part of research that reflects these principles, and hopes to continue to improve health outcomes for underserved communities. In her free time, she enjoys wheel throwing ceramics, exploring the outdoors, and cooking new recipes!

Tim is a clinical psychologist who has been employed at SFDPH for the past 18 years. Tim has a BA from the University of Denver, MS in clinical psychology from SF State University, and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the Center for Psychological Studies. Tim can be found outdoors engaged in some physical activity: hiking, backpacking, camping, bicycling, kayaking, paddle-boarding, rafting, downhill and x-country skiing, snowshoeing, ice skating, sledding, etc.

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Ella graduated from UC Berkeley with a BA, double majoring in Interdisciplinary Studies and Social Welfare. Her previous experience includes working in an inpatient psychiatric facility as a mental health case worker and shift supervisor where she provided substance use and mental health counseling for patients under LPS conservatorship. Ella has experience working in social movements where she worked in political education and provided dyad-model peer counseling with community organizers. Ella is interested in pursuing a career in public health research and mental health work and is dedicated to bettering the health of our substance-using and unhoused populations. In her free time Ella loves to bike, attend movie screenings and free concerts in the Bay, and cook!

Dr. Leslie Suen (she/her) is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the UCSF Division of General Internal Medicine at San Francisco General Hospital. Dr. Suen works as a primary care and addiction medicine physician and health services researcher. Her research focuses on using implementation science to improve health systems, policies, and outcomes for people with substance use disorders.

Kayla graduated with a BS in Public Health and minor in Biology from Santa Clara University. She is looking to become a Physician Associate in the future and eventually work in an international setting providing healthcare services to underserved populations. Kayla is passionate about holistic health and the mind-body connection. Previously she worked as a medical assistant in an Orthopedic Surgery Center, as well as in the business development side of a preventative care start-up. She is looking forward to dedicating her time to the advancing of treatments for vulnerable populations to bring more equity in healthcare. In her free time Kayla loves to practice yoga, read self-development books, listen to new music, and spend time working at her favorite vintage clothing & art store.

Petal’s research interests include determining canine tolerability of squeak versus crinkle toys and cheese versus other treats. Her favorite toy is a round, squeaky gingerbread man who lost his nose on the first day. In her spare time, Petal likes to lick her Dad’s head.

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