Meet the Team
Sari Reisner, ScD
(He / Him / His)
Sari Reisner, ScD is Director of Transgender Research in the Section of Men’s Health, Aging and Metabolism, in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Hypertension at Brigham and Women's Hospital. Dr. Reisner is also Director of Transgender Health Research at The Fenway Institute at Fenway Health, Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, and Assistant Professor in the Department of Epidemiology at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Trained as a social and psychiatric epidemiologist, his research addresses health disparities in sexual and gender minority (SGM) populations, with specialization in transgender health and in adolescent and young adult health. Dr. Reisner is an investigator of multiple LGBTQ health studies funded domestically and internationally, including a Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) project to enroll and follow a cohort of 4,500 transgender patients in Boston and New York City to prospectively assess the impact of medical gender affirmation on physical and mental health outcomes. He has co-authored more than 200 peer-reviewed journal articles in LGBTQ health. In 2016, he was profiled in The Lancet as a global leader in transgender health, and was honored as a member of the 2015 Trans100 List which celebrates work “by” and “for” transgender people, in recognition of his contributions in transgender health.
Cassie Vuong
(She / Her / Hers)
Research Assistant, The Fenway Institute
Cassie Vuong is a Research Assistant within the Epidemiology Team at The Fenway Institute in Boston, MA. She is passionate about promoting the health and wellbeing of the LGBTQIA+ community, especially LGBTQIA+ people of color. Currently, she works on the LITE Plus study, a new longitudinal study working with Black and Latina transgender women. Outside of work, she’s a thrill seeker who loves adventure, traveling and experiencing new things.
Juwan Campbell, MA
(They/Them/Theirs)
Jr. Programmer/Analyst, The Fenway Institute
Juwan is a Programmer/Analyst at Fenway Health. They assist in managing data and analysis for research projects within The Fenway Institute. Juwan is most passionate about addressing social determinates of health through research in clinical settings and lessening the burden of research on patients through innovative methods. During their spare time, Juwan enjoys board games, table-top games, and video games with friends.
David Pletta, MPH
(He / Him / His)
Epidemiology Analyst, The Fenway Institute
David R. Pletta, MPH is an Epidemiology Analyst at The Fenway Institute at Fenway Health. He currently oversees data analysis for the LEGACY Project. His research focuses on: (1) sexual and psychiatric health inequities affecting sexual and gender minority (SGM) populations; (2) the epidemiology of sexually transmitted infections and HIV among SGM young adults; and (3) how sociopolitical environments influence the psychiatric health of SGM people. David earned his Master of Public Health (MPH) in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from the Boston University School of Public Health. He also holds a BS in Cognitive Science and BA in Psychology from the University of California, Santa Cruz.
Andrew Asquith, BA
(He / Him / His)
Study Coordinator, The Fenway Institute
Andrew is a transgender man who works at The Fenway Institute as a Study Coordinator. Andrew coordinates a panel of transgender health research projects, of which the primary focus is sexual health, HIV prevention, and gender affirmation. He holds a bachelor's degree in Women’s and Gender Studies from Syracuse University. He most recently presented his research at the APHA Annual Meeting and the WPATH Symposium. He believes that centering trans voices is imperative for positive change.
Genesis Valera
(She / Her / Hers)
Senior Research Assistant, The Fenway Institute
Genesis Valera works as a Senior Research Assistant on the LITE Study for the Epidemiology Team at The Fenway Institute. She is passionate about working on the development and progress of trans health, and has been heavily involved in the LGBT community for many years. During her free time she takes care of her many animals, some of which are different types of birds and aquatic species. She loves to travel and eat!
Rodrigo Aguayo-Romero, PhD
(They/Them/Theirs)
Postdoctoral Fellow, Brigham and Women's Hospital
Meg Quint, BS
(They/Them/Theirs)
Research Assistant II, Brigham and Women's Hospital
Previous Team Members
Dana Pardee, BS
(He / Him / His)
Director of Epidemiology Projects, The Fenway Institute
Dana is currently the Director of Epidemiology Projects at The Fenway Institute at Fenway Health in Boston, MA. In this role, he oversees the development, implementation, and operations of multiple transgender health studies, with particular focus on preventive sexual health screening, and development and implementation of HIV prevention interventions with transgender individuals.
Lauren Sava, MPH
(She / Her / Hers)
Study Coordinator, The Fenway Institute
Lauren Sava is a Study Coordinator on the Epidemiology Team at Fenway Health. Her current work focuses in qualitative and mixed methods research and research coordination. Lauren is passionate about LGBTQ+ youth health needs in schools, including inclusive sexual health education, mental health services, and preventing and responding to bullying. Lauren has her MPH in Global Health and Epidemiology with an emphasis in Sex, Sexuality, Gender, and Health from Boston University and her BA in Health, Behavior, and Society from the University of Rochester. She enjoys traveling and spending time with her cat.