The Management Core of iTech is housed at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Led by Dr. Lisa Hightow-Weidman, the Management Core is responsible for the supervision and decision-making of the entire iTech network. The Management Core carefully monitors and evaluates performance of each research study at respective clinical sites.
The Management Core is part of the Behavior and Technology Lab (BATLab) at UNC’s Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases (IGHID). The IGHID is at the center of a campus-wide effort where scientists, researchers and clinicians from all over campus collaborate on all aspects of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The BATLab’s mission is to facilitate health behavior change through conducting technology-based research on all aspects of sexual health including factors that impact the acquisition and transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.
Lisa Hightow-Weidman, MD, MPH
Principal Investigator
Lisa B. Hightow-Weidman, MD, MPH is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Department of Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Dr. Hightow-Weidman completed her medical school training at the University of Virginia and became board certified in Internal Medicine in 2001 after completing three years residency training at Stanford University. She completed three years of fellowship training in Infectious Diseases at UNC-Chapel Hill. In 2004, she earned a Masters in Public Health in Epidemiology from the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Public Health. She has been directly involved with the management of HIV-infected and at-risk adolescents and adults at UNC-Chapel Hill since 2001. Dr. Hightow-Weidman is an expert on mhealth, social media and utilization and evaluation of technology-based interventions to address the HIV Care Continuum for youth and young adults, particularly among young men who have sex with men (YMSM). She has published over 60 peer-reviewed articles on these topics. Her research interests include HIV prevention for YMSM using both the Internet and other mobile technologies, interventions that use game-based elements and social networking to change behavior. She has developed technology-based interventions to address uptake and adherence to biomedical HIV prevention technologies, as well as intervening to increase HIV diagnosis, linkage and retention in care for YMSM.
Site: Chapel Hill
Lydia (Lyd) Ahlum Hanson, MPH, MSW
Management Core Director
Lyd oversees the administrative and operational aspects of iTech’s Management Core, including site performance evaluations and infrastructure development, and serves as the project manager for BATLab’s End the HIV Epidemic: Integrated Technology initiative. Originally from the blue ridge region of Maryland, Lyd brings over twelve years of experience working in the Midwest and South as an administrator, strategic thinker, network builder, and youth worker. They are passionate about advancing sexual and reproductive justice through strong academic-practice partnerships, transparent organizational structures, and stigma-reducing interventions. Lyd completed their graduate studies at the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor where they focused on sexuality and gender-related health disparities, youth-centered leadership, and community organizing. Outside of paid work, Lyd enjoys teaching sex ed to Quaker middle schoolers, cooking for friends & family, and supporting local organizing efforts to advance racial and gender equity.
Alissa Barbieri
Administrative Coordinator
Alissa Barbieri is a San Diego, CA native and is currently the administrative assistant for Dr. Lisa Hightow-Weidman focusing primarily on the current iTech grant. Alissa graduated from Northern Arizona University with a B.S in Biomedical Science with a focus in Psychology. As a team member of the BATLab, Alissa hopes to learn more about health policy, public health intervention and get involved with reducing the stigma surrounding various care outcomes for underrepresented populations. In her free time, Alissa loves all things Disney, exploring the outdoors, volunteering any chance she can and spending time with her family. Protocol: ePrEP
Site: Chapel Hill
Angie Eaton
Business Manager
Angie has been with UNC-Chapel Hill for over 5 years and has extensive knowledge in grant accounting. Angie has worked in Finance for 20+ years and has worked with Dr. Hightow-Weidman for the past 3 years. She brings experience in pre and post award implementation as well.Her grant experience has been with CDC, NIH, HRSA and the US Department of Education.
Kristina Felder Claude, MPH
Protocol Specialist
Kristina joins iTech as a Protocol Specialist. She received a MPH in Health Behavior from the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health and a B.A. from the University of Michigan. Kristina's public health experience has included project management and intimate partner violence response and prevention. Prior to joining the iTech team Kristina worked at the Durham VA Medical Center managing research projects within the Cooperative Studies Program Epidemiology Center and as a family violence case manager at a local domestic violence agency. In her spare time Kristina enjoys playing with her dog, reading, and trying new restaurants in the Triangle area. Protocols: Get Connected, P3, LifeSteps, We Prevent, ePrEP
Elijah Grossman, MSW
Systems & Communications Manager
Elijah joins the iTech team as the Systems & Communications Manager. He holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Washington with a focus on community-centered integrative practice. He previously earned a B.S. in Sociology from Virginia Tech and worked in crisis stabilization services for three years. Most recently, Elijah has worked as a researcher and community advocate developing an initiative to train healthcare providers on LGBTQ breast health and cultural sensitivity, managed digital communications for a student housing property, and was a transcriptionist for documentaries. In his spare time, Elijah tries to tire out his terror of a dog.
Cheryl Hendrickson
Regulatory Coordinator
Cheryl has worked in research for 20 years, previously with industry sponsors. She has been at UNC as a Regulatory Coordinator for four years, working on investigator-initiated and industry-sponsored trials in the areas of global women's health and infectious diseases. Protocols: P3, Life Steps, We Prevent, ePrEP, TechStep
Drew Mcgee
Recruitment & Retention Specialist
Drew is a Social/Clinical Research Assistant at the BATLab, where he works on content creation for P3: Prepared, Protected, emPowered. He recently graduated from UNC’s School of Public Health where he focused in Health Policy & Management and worked on My Rights, My Resources, a health care navigation workshop for transgender youth in North Carolina. He enjoys going hiking and going through drive-thrus with his dog Fang. Institution: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Dania Munson
Regulatory Coordinator
Dania is a regulatory coordinator and has been with the UNC Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases since January of 2008. Dania handles all UNC IRB and NC Department of Corrections/Department of Public Safety submissions, queries, and issues to ensure that studies are IRB and DOC/DPS approved. She works primarily with the iTech/BATLab, Acute HIV Infection/Cure, and Prison groups. She enjoys event planning, knitting, arts and crafts projects, and doing mosaics.” Protocols: YouTHrive, Get Connected, LYNX, MyChoices, COMPARE
Jessica Mitchell Roberts, MS
Protocol Specialist
Jessica Mitchell Roberts joins the iTech and BATLab teams as a Protocol Specialist. Jessica has over seven years of public and global health experience, including in project management, monitoring and evaluation, and grant and contract management. Before joining BATLab, Jessica worked on a chronic disease program at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, supported global sexual and reproductive health and rights programs at Pathfinder International and Population Services International, and worked on monitoring and evaluation for the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization in Sri Lanka. She holds an MS in Development Management from American University’s School of International Service, where she specialized in project monitoring and evaluation, and a BA in English from Tulane University. . Protocols: YouTHrive, MyChoices, LYNX, Tech Step, COMPARE
