Principal Investigators
Karen Awura-Adjoa Ronke Coker
Principal Investigator
Karen is currently a 3rd Year PhD Student in the Department of Environmental and Global Health in the College of Public Health and Health Professions. Her work explores how climate change and social shocks impact health domestically and globally. She looks through a lens that encompasses history, culture, and community to name a few , in order to listen and grasp how mental wellbeing, resilience, healing and thriving mechanisms are conceptualized and lived by Black bodies.
Tyler Scott Nesbit
Co- Principal Investigator
Tyler Nesbit is a 2nd year PhD student at the University of Florida, studying Youth Development and Family Science in the Department of Family, Youth, and Community Sciences. His primary research interest is mindfulness and its role in preventing adverse outcomes in adolescents and healthcare settings.
Dr. Sarah McKune
Research Mentor
Sarah L. McKune, MPH, Ph.D. is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental and Global Health and the Center for African Studies. She holds a B.A. in French and Sociology from Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C., and earned a Master’s in Public Health from Emory University in 2002. She completed a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Ecology at the University of Florida’s School for Natural Resources and the Environment in 2012 and was a Post-Doctoral Fellow for a collaborative effort between UF and the CGIAR’s collaborative research program on Climate Change, Agriculture, and Food Security (CCAFS).
Dr. Larry Forthun
Research Mentor
Larry Forthun, Ph.D is an Associate Professor of Youth Development in the Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences. My educational background is diverse with a B.S. in Psychology, a M.S. in Marriage and Family Therapy, and a Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies with an interdisciplinary minor in adolescent risk taking.
Undergraduate Research Assistants
Kaylinn Escobar
Kaylinn is a 3rd Year Bachelor's of Public Health student and she is currently pursuing minors in Classical Studies and Medical Geography. Her passions are in health equity, particularly in reproductive health. This lab has been her first experience with undergraduate research, but she hopes to further explore this topic in a future honor's thesis. Her academics are informed by her family's experience with healthcare both in the United States and Colombia. She values the balance between Western medicine and home remedies having been raised with both. Kaylinn is currently an executive member of PODEMOS, a first-year professionalization initiative by the Department of Latinx Affairs. She is also the Print Co-Editorial Director for Rowdy Magazine and a Fellow at the City of Gainesville. When she isn't reading the latest historical re-telling of her favorite myths, she can be found hammocking outside Library West.
Nikita Morris
Nikita Morris is a senior at the University of Florida pursuing a Bachelor of Health Science through the limited access program. She dreams of becoming a pediatrician that understands the importance of being represented in medical spaces. In Fall 2021, she was inducted into the number one chapter of Alpha Epsilon Delta, where she currently serves as a co-director of the Global Diversity, Equity, Advocacy and Leadership division. Additionally, she is now the president of The Gator Chapter for the Children’s Heart Foundation. As part of the TRM team, she hopes that the study will transform the dynamic that Black women have with their physicians positively. Outside of academics, Nikita enjoys immersing herself in her Jamaican heritage, watching NBA games and spending time at the beach in true Floridian nature.
Manouchca Saintilus
Manouchca Saintilus is a third-year student at the University of Florida majoring in Public Health on a pre-med track. She was raised in an inner-city community in Miami, Fl. Her experiences and environment grew her passion for bringing attention to healthcare disparities that affected almost everyone she knew led her to pursue a Bachelor’s in Public Health to find more actionable ways to achieve health equity and bring resources to her own community and others like it. Her love for children prompted her to want to have a more direct impact on patients’ lives by becoming a Pediatrician to diagnose and treat all while making sure patients feel heard and cared for. Through a balanced and full schedule that includes pre-requisite classes for medical school, Manouchca achieved Dean’s list for the fall 2021 semester. With the honor of being a research assistant on the TSR team, she can start helping make real actionable change while growing future health care provider. In her downtime, she likes to explore the beauty of her college town springs by kayaking and tubing.
Paris Richardson
Paris Richardson grew up in Jacksonville Florida and graduated from Jean Ribault Senior High School. She is now an upcoming Senior at the University of Florida majoring in Public Health. In 2023, Paris has plans of becoming a double gator and obtaining her Master’s in Healthcare Administration with plans on becoming a Community Health Center Administrator. She is currently a member of the University of Florida Cheerleading team and along with cheering on the gators at nearly every event, she has had contact with countless high-status alumni and boosters at appearances and built many relationships. As a research assistant for the Trust Reconciliation and Mindfulness Study, Paris hopes to learn as much as possible about the dynamic between African American birthing persons and their physicians.
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Paola Sullivan
Alexa Velasquez
Paola, a first-generation Latina born in Los Angeles, California, has lived in ten states (Florida being her favorite). After a successful hiatus in the professional world, she refocused her life’s purpose on ways she could make a meaningful mark and returned to school. Currently, Paola is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in family, youth, and community sciences with a minor in communications at the University of Florida. She plans to continue her formal education via a graduate and doctoral program in mental health counseling with a focus on resilience, spirituality, and well-being research. Her goal is to design and implement evidence-based spiritual interventions to improve the flourishing and well-being of underrepresented minority populations. Outside of being a full-time wife, mother, entrepreneur, student, and researcher, Paola loves to co-create meaningful brands with her business partner at The Third Eye Collective.
Alexa Velasquez is a fourth-year undergraduate student at the University of Florida majoring in Family, Youth, and Community Sciences with a minor in Health Disparities in Society on the pre-med track. She is originally from Queens, New York but grew up in Palm Coast, Florida — two polar opposite environments. Her interests in researching health disparities and human development derives from her upbringing. Experiencing two contrasting cities has shaped her diverse background and influenced her decision in becoming an Obstetrics and Gynecology physician in a rural area. Currently, she works at a medical clinic in Gainesville that serves a diverse patient population. At clinic, she is able to interpret for Spanish-speaking patients to help strengthen the patient-physician relationship. As a research assistant of the TRM team, she hopes to continue to strengthen patient-physician relationships by establishing trust between Black women and reproductive healthcare providers. Outside of academics and work, she enjoys walking around the farmers market, gardening, and roller skating on the weekends.
Harrison Leslie
Harrison Leslie is a third-year student at the University of Florida. He is double-majoring in Family, Youth, and Community Sciences and Educational Sciences with a specialization in educational psychology. He holds interests in equitable community programming and education especially in his hometown of Gainesville, FL. In his free time, he enjoys playing sports with his friends and exploring Alachua counties springs.
Nathalie Aré
Nathalie Aré (Nat-uh-lee Ar-rae) is a third-year Family, Youth, and Community Sciences major at the University of Florida. As someone minoring in Sociology, she has an interest in human behaviors, diverse cultures, and how society functions as a whole. She plans to attend law school after she graduates in May 2023. Currently, Nathalie interns at a domestic violence outreach agency where she engages with survivors of abuse who come from diverse backgrounds. She is interested in pursuing the fields of human and civil right to help limit the disparities that correlate with being part of minority populations, especially for people of color. Her interest in TRM’s research came from her background as a Black woman and her own experiences with healthcare providers. She hopes this project will enhance the patient-provider relationships by solidifying the bonds and trust levels between Black women and reproductive healthcare providers. In her free time, Nathalie enjoys hanging with friends, exploring Gainesville, and educating herself on social justice issues.