Course

Monique Tula is the Executive Director of Harm Reduction Coalition, a national advocacy and capacity-building organization that promotes the health and dignity of people affected by drug use. Previously, she was the Vice President of Programs with AIDS United where she oversaw the grant making and technical assistance portfolios. With more than 20 years of experience in the non-profit sector, Ms. Tula has devoted her career to harm reduction advocacy and infrastructure development of community-based organizations.

Hansel Tookes III, MD, MPH is an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and an attending physician, Division of Infectious Diseases, Jackson Memorial Hospital. Dr. Tookes joined the faculty of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases after completing his residency in Internal Medicine at Jackson Memorial Hospital. He is the Principal Investigator of the UM Harm Reduction Research Group, which houses the IDEA Exchange, Miami’s needle exchange program – the first of its kind in Florida.

Julius Wilder, MD, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Duke University School of Medicine. Dr. Wilder has an appointment with the Duke Clinical Research Institute and a secondary appointment with the Department of Sociology at Duke. He has authored several peer-reviewed articles in journals such as JAMA, Hepatology, and Liver Transplantation. He is Chair for the Duke Department of Medicine Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism Committee, and is Co-Director for the Duke Community Engagement Research Initiative. Dr. Wilder is a principal investigator on multiple clinical trials and has received research awards for his work on social determinants of disparities in gastroenterology and hepatology.

Tatyana Kushner, MD, MSCE is Associate Professor in the Division of Liver Diseases at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai here in New York, with a joint appointment in the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr. Kushner’s clinical and research interests focus on clinical predictors, epidemiological trends and outcomes in viral hepatitis and in liver disease during pregnancy. Her clinical practice encompasses the full spectrum of liver disease from non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) to cirrhosis and decompensated liver disease. She is a member of the AASLD/IDSA HCV Guidance committee, advisor to the CDC Coalition for Global Hepatitis Elimination Tip-HepC Registry and advisor to the Hepatitis C Mentor and Support Group.

Matthew. Akiyama, MD, MSc is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Clinician-Investigator at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center. In addition to providing care and treatment to people living with HIV, HCV, and substance use disorders, Dr. Akiyama conducts research focusing on HCV among socioeconomically marginalized populations. Dr. Akiyama is the recipient of a K99/R00 award from the National Institute on Drug Abuse to develop and test an innovative strategy to improve linkage to and retention in HCV treatment among individuals recently released from jail. He is also the recipient of an Avenir Award from the National Institute on Drug Abuse focused on HCV transmission networks among people who inject drugs. 

Andrea Acevedo, PhD is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Community Health at Tufts University. She has over 15 years of experience in health services research, most of which has been on services for substance use disorders. Much of her research has involved understanding inequities in treatment for substance use disorders, particularly those related to race/ethnicity.

Dr. Acevedo received her Ph.D. in Social Policy with a concentration in behavioral health services and policy from Brandeis University, and her Masters' in Health and Social Behavior from the Harvard School of Public Health.

Orla Kennedy, Senior Policy Analyst, Substance Use Disorder Program, Community Catalyst

Leah Hill, Clinical Engagement Special, University of Rochester, Strong recovery program

Ivette Chavez Gonzalez, Peer Outreach Worker

Jennifer Yiengst, Peer Exchange Worker Evergreen Health