Meet our staff

Sean Coleman

Sean is the Founder and Executive Director of Destination Tomorrow, a grassroots agency in the South Bronx that provides services for LGBT youth 13-25. He has been an advocate and service provider for the last 15 years working with homeless youth and within the House & Ballroom community designing programs for HIV prevention. He currently serves on the community advisory board for the Program for the Study of LGBTQ+ Health at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and the National House & Ballroom Coalition. Sean has been included on the 2014 Trans 100 list, is a 2014 fellow with the We Are the Bronx Fellowship, sits on the NYC Council speakers’ LBGT task-force and has recently started his own radio show “The Ramblin Rantics of a Self-Proclaimed Knowitall”. He is an accomplished speaker and offers transgender sensitivity workshops and courses geared toward companies and agencies that wish to make their work place more culturally competent for Transgender People of Color.

Cristina Herrera

Cristina coordinates the Gender Identity Project at the Lesbian, Gay Bisexual & Transgender Community Center (The Center). She has been working in the field of HIV prevention, advocacy and community organizing for 20 years. Her work includes individual and group counseling sessions for the LGBT community. She provides counseling services around identity, mental health, substance use, and immigration concerns to trans and nonbinary communities. She recently served as a board member for the Lorena Borjas Community Fund- This fund serves LGBT immigrant community members with collateral consequences associated with criminal convictions, jail time and court appearances. She is also the founder/president of the Translatina Network which is an organized leadership group that works to raise awareness on the vast array of needs of the transgender Latina community. Cristina is also a trainer/ consultant when it comes to working with LGBT communities.

Roystone Martinez, MEd, MA

Roystone J. Martinez hails from East Harlem, NY and his mantra is, “I change lives!”  He takes pride in helping first generation college students and students from marginalized backgrounds self-actualize and realize their true potential. Ever the educator, he currently serves as the College Prep Instructor for a prestigious charter school network in New York City. Prior to his work as a teacher, he worked for various non-profit organizations who focus on closing the access gap to prestigious institutions for underserved and underprivileged students. Before that, he worked as Associate Director of Admissions for a private, liberal arts college in Boston, helping that institution with their diversity recruitment and persistence needs. A graduate of Boston College, he received a B.A. in Human Development with a theatre minor and a concentration in Black Studies. He received his first Master’s degree from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education in Administration, Planning & Social Policy. His research interest at the time was identifying the variables which help students of color persist at predominantly white institutions. He received his second Master’s degree from Columbia University’s Teachers College with a dual focus in Human Development and Developmental Psychology. His research focus while at Columbia was focused on Hip-Hop music and culture perpetuation of the “Down-Low” phenomena among urban, black and Latino LGBTQ identifying people. A self-professed gender bender, Roystone’s passion lies in advocacy, education, the arts, and international travel. His interests in gender identity formation was piqued while conducting community service in the Dominican Republic and business travel across Central and South America.

Pauline Park, PhD

Pauline Park is chair of the New York Association for Gender Rights Advocacy (NYAGRA), a statewide transgender advocacy organization that she co-founded in 1998, and president of the board of directors as well as acting executive director of Queens Pride House (queenspridehouse.org), which she co-founded in 1997. Park led the campaign for passage of the transgender rights law enacted by the New York City Council in 2002. She negotiated inclusion of gender identity and expression in the Dignity for All Students Act (DASA), a safe schools law enacted by the New York state legislature in 2010, and the first fully transgender-inclusive legislation enacted by that body. In 2005, Park became the first openly transgender grand marshal of the New York City Pride March. She was the subject of “Envisioning Justice: The Journey of a Transgendered Woman,” a 32-minute documentary about her life and work by documentarian Larry Tung that premiered in 2008

Jama Shelton, PhD, LMSW

Jama Shelton is the Director of the Forty to None Project at the True Colors Fund, whose mission is to bring an end to LGBT youth homelessness. For more than a decade, Jama Shelton has worked in the field of LGBT youth homelessness. After receiving an MSW in 2004, Jama began a 9 year stint at the Ali Forney Center, an organization that provides housing and supportive services for gay and transgender youth experiencing homelessness. Having worked in various roles – first as a direct service provider, then developing and directing the expansion of AFC’s housing program, and finally as a researcher, program evaluation and trainer – Jama brings a comprehensive understanding of the issues facing both homeless gay and transgender youth and also the service providers with whom they work. As a trainer, Jama has led numerous workshops and has provided technical assistance to service providers throughout the United States and Canada. Jama received her doctorate in Social Welfare from the CUNY Graduate Center. Her award-winning dissertation examines the unique needs and experiences of transgender and gender non-conforming youth experiencing homelessness. She is also a professor at both the Hunter and NYU Schools of Social Work.

Kim Watson

Kim Watson is the co-founder of Community Kinship Life, known as CKLife that assists affirmed men and women with necessary life skills, medical needs, counselling, and access to the resources needed to improve their quality of life and contribution to society. CKLife provides a safe, secure space for affirmed people and allies to meet and learn about life inside and outside of transition. CKLife also sponsors a benefit to raise funds for the CKLife scholarship fund that has helped many affirmed people with paying for necessary transition related procedures. CKLife also participates in many conferences centered around affirmed people such as WPATH, PTHC in Philadelphia, and many more. People across the United States and the world have benefited greatly from the support of Kim Watson and the CKLife organization. CKLife has set a precedent for non-profit organizations that assist affirmed people and continues to do amazing things in the community at large.

Walter Bockting, PhD

Pronouns: He/Him/His

Walter Bockting, Ph.D., is the Principal Investigator of Project AFFIRM (together with Dr. Edmondson). He is Professor of Medical Psychology (in Psychiatry and Nursing), Columbia University and a Research Scientist with the New York State Psychiatric Institute. He is Director of the Program for the Study of LGBTQ+ Health at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, and the Director of the Columbia Gender Identity Program. Dr. Bockting has 35 years of clinical experience working with trans and nonbinary individuals, their families and communities. In the early 1990s, he pioneered the first HIV prevention program tailored to the specific needs of the transgender population. Since then, he has worked with trans and nonbinary communities across the country to promote their health and wellbeing. Dr. Bockting served on the Institute of Medicine Committee that produced the report “The Health of LGBT People: Building a Foundation for Better Understanding” (2011). He is a past president of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health. For AFFIRM, he will lead a team of investigators and community leaders in deepening our understanding of the lived experiences of trans and nonbinary individuals of all ages and backgrounds. Findings will be translated into innovative interventions to reduce stigma, promote wellness for both mental and physical health, and improve access to care.

Curtis Dolezal, PhD

Dr. Dolezal is a Research Scientist at the Division of Gender, Sexuality, & Health and has been at the HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies since 1991.  He is a co-investigator and data analyst for several projects at the HIV Center and has documented and manages several data sets covering the entire history of the Center.  He has been involved in the development of several research instruments, with a particular focus on assessing sexual behavior, in a wide variety of populations (adolescents and adults; heterosexual, homosexual, and transsexual; individuals and dyads) both in the United States and internationally.  He has extensive experience with programming and managing surveys using computer-assisted technologies (e.g., online, web-based surveys).  His research interests include sexual risk behavior, substance use, childhood sexual experiences, psychoendocrinology, and methodology/measurement.

Don Edmondson, PhD, MPH

Pronouns: he/him/his

Dr. Edmondson is Co-Principal Investigator of Project AFFIRM, bringing his expertise in psychosocial and behavioral influences on cardiovascular disease risk, and the measurement of cardiovascular risk markers during daily life.

Renato Barucco

Pronouns: He/Him/His

Renato is the Coordinator of The Program for the Study of the LGBT Health and the Project Director of Convoy Q, a study on social support, mental health, and successful aging of LGBTQ+ people. He has been part of Project AFFIRM since 2015!

Kasey Jackman, PhD, RN, PMHNP-BC

Pronouns: He/They

Kasey is an Assistant Professor at the Columbia University School of Nursing, jointly appointed as a Nurse Scientist at New York-Presbyterian. Dr. Jackman is also a board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner with almost two decades of clinical experience. Dr. Jackman’s research focuses on mental health among sexual and gender minority populations with the goal of identifying mechanisms contributing to mental health disparities and developing tailored interventions to reduce these disparities.

Matei, MPH

Pronouns: He/They

Matei, MPH, is the Project Manager for AFFIRM. Based in New York City, he coordinates and supports research staff across the study's three sites. Matei earned his master's degree in public health from Columbia University, and is now planning a hopeful return to academia to pursue a PhD in epidemiology. Outside of research, Matei proudly serves on the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's transgender community advisory board (TCAB). Matei approaches his work with profound gratitude and respect for his fellow community members: past, present, and future. Through research and advocacy, he hopes to help improve the quality of life of trans and nonbinary individuals across New York City and beyond.

Jeremy Kidd, MD, MPH

Pronouns: He/Him/His

I work with the AFFIRM team on projects related to understanding how tobacco, alcohol, and other drug use impact the health of transgender and nonbinary individuals, including how to improve treatments for trans and nonbinary individuals with problems related to these substances.

Theresa V. Navalta

Pronouns: She/Her

Theresa V. Navalta is a valued study staff member of Project AFFIRM. She graduated from Hunter College of the City University of New York with a Bachelor's in Psychology. Theresa has worked extensively with the LGBTQ+ population and her research has focused on HIV prevention and treatment, trans and nonbinary identity development, and LGBTQ+ aging. She has been active in various aspects of Project AFFIRM, ranging from participant recruitment to data collection and project management. However, the most rewarding part of Theresa's career has always been the one-on-one interviews with participants wherein she is able to learn the most by listening and understanding each of their experiences. She is very excited to be a part of the team and believes that her international experience in customer service will be an additional asset. Theresa plans to continue her education by obtaining a Master's Degree in Psychology.

Chase Ross, M.A.

Pronouns: He/They

Chase Ross is a trans activist, speaker, YouTuber, entrepreneur, and researcher. His love for research began during his undergrad when he noticed the large gap in trans research literature. From then on, he decided to focus all of his research projects on trans-related topics. During his graduate studies, he explored the connection between trans men, identity, and tattoos. He is currently working as a research assistant with S.J. Langer on the Trans Phantom Project, which explores trans masculine and nonbinary individuals who experience having a phantom penis. He is excited to bring in his community and research experience to Project AFFIRM.

Joseph Belloir, MSN, PMHNP-BC, PhD Candidate

Pronouns: he/him/his

I'm a predoctoral fellow mentored by Dr. Bockting investigating the associations and underlying mechanisms of adverse life experiences on sleep health in gender minority adults.

Maggie Murdock

Pronouns: She/They

I am a member of the Center for Behavioral and Cardiovascular Health (CBCH) at Columbia Medical Center, and I serve as a liaison between this Center and Project AFFIRM!

Winston Luhur

Pronouns: They/Them

Winston is a second-year Epidemiology MPH student at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health. Winston has been a research assistant at AFFIRM for the past year working on a paper around minority stress and suicide outcomes. In the past, Winston worked on research around LGBTQ+ public opinion, immigration, experiences with COVID-19, and policing.

Ian Chiu, RN

Ian is a Doctoral of Nursing Practice (DNP) student at the Columbia University School of Nursing, specializing as a Family Nurse Practitioner. Ian has previously worked on a medical-surgical step-down unit caring for post-operative patients including individuals who had gender-affirming surgery. He has a strong passion for working with the LGBTQ+ community and his primary research focus is related to the coming out stories of trans and nonbinary individuals of different cultural backgrounds and on the development of resilience.