Meet the Team

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Derek T. Dangerfield II, PhD

Principal Investigator

Dr. Dangerfield is a prevention scientist with expertise in behavioral and social science, life course theoretical approaches, and sexual health among racial and sexual minority men. His primary research promotes sexual health for Black sexual minority men throughout the U.S. and has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Johns Hopkins Center for AIDS Research, and the DC Center for AIDS Research. Dr. Dangerfield teaches concepts regarding health communication, community engagement, and misinformation at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health.

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Charleen Wylie

Supervisor, Laboratory Services

With over 35 years of experience, Charleen Wylie is a known and respected infectious disease research leader. Her extensive tenure includes managing multisite clinical studies at Johns Hopkins University and executing innovative concepts for military HIV prevention. Currently, Charleen manages the research program at PRIISE and ensures that ethical study protocols are established and maintained to provide a safe and secure environment for staff, students, and study participants. With the evolving landscape of public health, she continues to foster diverse, equitable, and inclusive research for everyone involved in laboratory research.

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Myla Lyons, B.S.

Graduate Research Assistant

Myla is a doctoral student at George Washington University’s Applied Social Psychology Department and a T32 fellow in the Training program in Approaches to Address Social-Structural Factors Related to HIV Intersectionally (TASHI). Her work focuses on HIV prevention among Black sexual-minority men and Black women. She received her undergraduate training at the University of Michigan in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Health, where her work focused on HIV and substance use for Black same-gender loving men and Black women in Kenya.

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Cherechi Nwabueze, MBBS

Graduate Research Assistant

Cherechi is a clinician who was trained at the University of Nigeria where she cultivated a genuine desire to address the unmet needs of minority and underserved populations globally. She is dedicated to mitigating the prevalence of infectious and chronic diseases globally, with a specific focus on HIV prevention. Currently she is completing her Master’s degree in Public Health at George Washington University.