People

Dr. Ali (she, her) is a scholar activist who collaborates with communities and organizations to work on justice-led public impact research. She is committed to community-led solutions and strategies to build structures and systems that actually work.

Lladira Aguilar (she/her), MSW - Capacity Building Assistance Manager

Lladira Aguilar (She, Her, Ella) is a social worker and program director at the SUSTAIN Center with 15 years of experience working to end the HIV epidemic. Her roles have included health education, HIV testing and outreach, case management, and, most recently, capacity-building assistance with organizations across the US South.

Alejandra Avilés (she/her), MPH, MSW – Director of Programs 1

Alejandra (she/her/ella) is a public health practitioner and social worker with eight years of experience working on HIV and sexual health programs. She is passionate about creating engaging and meaningful media content and using storytelling to lift the work of community-based HIV service organizations and staff. In addition to her communications work, Alejandra has led programming and co-facilitated trainings centered on emerging leadership and trauma-informed spaces. 

Bec-Sokha Keo (they/them), PhD, MSW - Research Associate II, Language Justice Co-Lead, Public Impact Scholar

Dr. Keo, pronounced “gow,” (they/elle,, is a community-based participatory action researcher and justice focusedscholar-activist. Their approach to research, education, and organizational practice is centered around cross movement solidarity and justice. To know more about their work, email them at bskeo@uh.edu.

Katie McCormick (she/her), PhD, LMSW - Research Associate

Katie (she/her) is a social work researcher with 8 years’ experience working with community-based organizations addressing the HIV and opioid epidemics.  She is passionate about advancing harm reduction approaches and improving work-related well-being of the community-based workforce to ultimately enhance care for communities most impacted by these epidemics.

Megan Stanton (she/her), PhD, MSW - Director of Research and Evaluation

Dr. Stanton (she, her) is a participatory action researcher. She collaborates with communities and organizations to build on and share community-centered strategies to address complex structures impacting health. She is especially interested in how systems and organizations can implement programming in ways that center health equity and justice.

Masonia B. Traylor (she/her) - Emmy-Nominated Producer | B.S. in Public Policy | Project Officer, Transformative Grant Partner Liaison

Masonia Burgandy Traylor (pronounced Mah-sahn-yah / Bur-gan-dee / Tray-lor) is a graduate of Georgia State University, a certified community-based participatory action researcher, scholar, and strategist who has been living with HIV since 2010. She brings over a decade of experience working at the intersections of public health, racial equity, and lived experience.

Since 2012, Masonia has led and co-created initiatives rooted in trauma-informed care, maternal and perinatal HIV/STI prevention, reproductive justice, and leadership development. Her work places a strong emphasis on supporting those impacted by HIV and systemic oppression to lead, heal, and drive change.

Maria I. Wilson (ella/she/her), EdD, LMSW, LVN - Language Justice Co-Lead

Dr. Wilson (ella/she/her) is a social worker, scholar, and activist collaborating with folx and communities most impacted by physical and mental health disparities in the Deep South. She has dedicated over two decades to the area of health disparities, health promotion, prevention efforts, mental health, substance use disorders, behavioral health, sexual health, HIV/AIDS, language justice, capacity building, and enhancing interdisciplinary collaboration.