Susan Little, MD

MD, PI

Susan Little, MD is a Professor of Medicine in the Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases & Global Public Health, at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). Since joining the UCSD faculty in 1993, Dr. Little has developed one of the leading and most productive National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)-sponsored programs in the United States for the identification, enrollment, and treatment of individuals with acute and recent HIV-1 infection. She directed an NIH-funded Program Project at UCSD to evaluate determinants of HIV transmission and now serves as principal investigator (PI) of the San Diego Primary Infection Resource Consortium (PIRC), a program focused on research related to HIV prevention, transmission and pathogenesis. She also serves as the PI on the AstraZeneca and Janssen COVID-19 vaccine trials at UCSD.

Jason Diaz

Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Integrated Science, Business, and Technology at La Salle University

Jason Diaz earned his doctorate in Cell and Molecular Biology, with a focus on virology, at the University of Pennsylvania in 2015. His graduate studies centered on the regulation of the life cycles of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and the recently identified Merkel Cell Polyomavirus. At La Salle he teaches a variety of courses that explore advances in biotechnology and the translation of basic science research into therapies used in the clinic.

Martin Naradikian

Ph.D., Biotech Startup L.A.

Martin Naradikian, Ph.D. received his doctorate in Immunology at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) and did his postdoctoral fellowship at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI). While at Penn, he interrogated the B cell (producers of antibody) response in the context of aging, autoimmune disease, infection, and immunization including the mRNA vaccine platform. During his postdoctoral studies at LJI, Martin focused on identifying and engineering immune specificities against common cancer mutations. He is currently helping develop the next generation of genetically modified cell therapies against solid tumors.

Julia Shen

MPH, doctoral researcher at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

Julia Shen is a Ph.D. candidate in mathematical epidemiology and health economics at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). She also does data science work for the Health Foundation, a UK charity and think tank. Julia was previously a management consultant in life sciences and international development policy. She has taught grad students at LSHTM since 2017, after earning her MSc in Public Health with distinction. During the pandemic, Julia has provided COVID-19 technical advisory to various groups, including a research modelling consortium led by the former Argentina Minister of Health, the Kenya Red Cross, and the NHS England & Improvement data analytics community.

Marvin Hanashiro

Community Outreach Coordinator with the UC San Diego AntiViral Research Center

Marvin Hanashiro is a Community Outreach Coordinator with the UC San Diego AntiViral Research Center and has worked in clinical research at UC San Diego for over 16 years. His areas of expertise are in clinical research and community engagement coordination for studies on HIV and other infectious diseases, with particular attention to diversity and inclusion. His research areas of interest are in HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis and COVID-19 vaccines.

Wesley Burford

MSc., Doctoral Candidate in Microbiology focusing on host-pathogen interactions

Wesley Burford is a doctoral candidate in Microbiology focusing on host-pathogen interactions. He earned his MSc. in Molecular Biology developing assays to find viral drug targets for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). During his career, Wesley has taught biochemistry courses at a university level and worked with community health educators to increase community awareness and STI testing. He currently studies bacterial pathogenesis and microbial physiology. Wesley has worked in HIV prevention education in both San Diego and San Francisco as well as spearheading community outreach and advocacy for LGBTQA+ scientists and educators. 

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