Who is Behind the STRIVE Study?

Hazel Grace Roses, STRIVE Peer Support Specialist

Hazel Grace Roses (she/her) is a seasoned peer support specialist and group facilitator in the transgender community. She works closely with those in her local community to guide them on their journey to transition by providing emotional support as well as resources within the area to logistically help. She hopes to build confidence in future vaginoplasty patients through the STRIVE Study and that this research will create more normalized care in gender affirming surgeries overall.

Ada Tinnell, STRIVE Peer Support Specialist

Ada Tinnell (she/her) is a peer support specialist with the STRIVE program as well as a community organizer, mediator and artist. She is dedicated to creating spaces for transformative justice, mutual aid, and community healing, particularly within queer and trans communities. She lives in Los Angeles.

Deja Moore, STRIVE Peer Support Specialist

Deja Moore (she/her/ella) is an Afro-Hispanic woman of trans experience, born and raised in Colorado. She is a second year Doctoral of Public Health (DrPH) student at Rutger’s University School of Public Health studying Leadership, Research, and Practice. Deja works full-time at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) as the Comprehensive Human Sexuality Education (CHSE) Program Manager where she provides grant funding to public schools and districts to implement comprehensive sex education. In the community, she serves as a One Colorado Nonprofit Organization Board Member; Colorado HIV Alliance Voting Member; Former Denver HIV Resources Planning Council Vice-Chair; 1st Runner Up for Miss Black Colorado 2024. In her free time, she loves spending time with her partner Randy, best friends Alex, Ricky, and Philip, and sister Nas. She also enjoys watching Netflix shows, shopping online, and supporting sisters of trans experience and LGBTIQA+ folx in Colorado.

Jade Johnson, STRIVE Peer Support Specialist

Jade (she/her) has worked with organizations on initiatives related to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (“DEI”) and other community-building initiatives for six years professionally but points out that it has been part of her own journey for most of her life. She has delivered presentations to banks, hospital networks, educational support networks and social service centers. She is passionate about helping leaders realize their role (and relative ease) in improving DEI/community inclusion programs.  She also maintains a separate social media channel related to transgender transition and associated questions along the transition journey. More recently, Jade launched ‘Deivers City LLC’ which is a holding company utilized to launch community-building and life efficiency mobile/web applications; the first application was launched in June 2024, and the second is scheduled to go live at the end of 2025. Prior to her formal advocacy and presentation work, Jade’s career spans 16 years of experience with Financial Crimes Compliance at various international financial firms. As much as Jade loves presenting and creating, her favorite roles are traveling the world for speaking inspiration and being a “fur mommy” to a beautiful German Shepherd named Kostas. Jade and Kostas currently reside in New York City.

Julie Glines, STRIVE Peer Support Specialist

Julie Glines (she/her) is a trans woman living in Utah who began her transition over five years ago. With more than 20 years of experience as a software engineer, she brings patience, problem-solving, and empathy to her role as a Peer Support Specialist with the STRIVE study. Julie is passionate about supporting other transgender and non-binary individuals preparing for vaginoplasty, offering a safe, understanding space to share, learn, and feel empowered. She is a proud parent of two children and shares her home with five beloved cats, who bring plenty of love and just the right amount of mischief.

Sharmane Lenoir, STRIVE Peer Support Specialist

Sharmane Lenoir (she/her) has dedicated her life to community advocacy, a passion born from her own journey of recovery. Through her lived experience, she has embraced the principle of giving away what was so freely given to her — love, patience, and acceptance. Today, she serves as a Health Educator at The Aliveness Project, where she continues to uplift and educate her community. Known as both a “community auntie” and a mother within the ballroom scene, Sharmane has nurtured countless individuals by creating safe, affirming spaces for them to grow and thrive. She spends most of her time with her amazing boyfriend doing all kinds of fun and exciting things. You can also catch her on the stage either as a drag performer or pageant queen!

Gaela Solo, STRIVE Study Consultant

Gaela Solo (she/her) is a STRIVE Consultant and the Hotline Operations & Quality Assurance Manager for Trans Lifeline (TL). TL is a nation-wide organization that provides hotline peer support and material resources for trans people, by trans people. As an Out & Outspoken Latina Transgender Woman, Gaela strives to make her direct service work serve her community and leave TL better than she found it.

Dani Castro, MA, MFT, STRIVE Advocate Advisory Board Member

Dani Castro (she/her), former Project Director for the Center of Excellence for Transgender Health’s Community-Based Research at UCSF, is a nationally recognized and leading expert for health-related issues affecting trans and non-binary people. Dani has worked alongside her community to increase access to health and social services for trans and non-binary people on a national and international level throughout most of her life. She earned her graduate degree in counseling psychology from John F. Kennedy University in 2013. Ms. Castro utilizes her clinical training to develop community-driven social justice coalitions and provide mental health services at multiple organizations for LGBTQQI people and their families. She is a founding board member of the Center of Excellence for Transgender Health at UCSF, TAJA’s Coalition, and the Santa Clara County Transpowerment Program. She’s currently disabled and available for consultation on a case-by-case basis.

Emma Blackwell, RN, BSN, STRIVE Advocate Advisory Board Member

Emma (she/her) is an OR nurse at OHSU and has a profound dedication to providing exemplary care for the LGBTQ community, with a particular focus on gender-affirming care for transgender individuals. Emma co-founded OHSU’s Project Rainbow, an initiative aimed at developing inclusive curricula for the OHSU Schools of Nursing, Medicine, and Dentistry; she volunteers with the OHSU Transgender Health Program. Before moving to Oregon, Emma was a member of the University of Georgia’s Committee for Trans Affirming Practices where she trained multidisciplinary faculty across medicine, psychology, speech therapy, as well as staff, students, and the public in gender-affirming practices. Emma became a nurse with a vision to increase access to healthcare for the LGBTQ+ population. Her passion for providing gender-affirming care led her to work with gender-affirming surgeons at OHSU.

Gaines Blasdel, STRIVE Advocate Advisory Board Member

Gaines Blasdel (he/him) is a transgender man and current medical student at the University of Michigan. He intends to train as a Urologist, and has an academic focus on patient-centered outcomes, patient-facing quality measurement, and supporting patient decision-making. Personal experience of gender affirming surgery, receiving and returning peer-led health promotion, has motivated him to care for his community. Previously, he worked in transgender and HIV case management at a large federally qualified health center, eventually helping to establish a state funded gender affirming surgery care navigation program.

John Oeffinger, STRIVE Advocate Advisory Board Member

John Oeffinger (he/him) is the Director of eLearning and Training at the Texas Health Institute (THI). He has extensive experience in Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) initiatives, including serving as: Co-Project Lead and Project Strategist for the "Creating National Capacity to Disseminate Transgender & Gender Diverse PCOR/CER Results" project; PCORI Ambassador and Advocate Advisory Board member for the "Transgender and Non-Binary Individuals Seeking Vaginoplasty" research study; The PRIDE Study/PRIDEnet community engagement partner lead for THI since 2017. John has also been a driving force behind several impactful collaborations, including: Co-Project Lead and Project Director of "TransFORWARD: Texas Transgender Health," a six-year partnership between THI, Equality Texas Foundation, and Transgender Education Network of Texas;Co-Project Lead and Project Director for "TransFORWARD: Building a Statewide Transgender and Gender Diverse (TGD) Collaborative for Long-Term Effects of Post-Acute COVID-19 PCOR/CER Research in Texas." In addition, Oeffinger serves as the Site Director for the Region 6 South Central Public Health Training Center, supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). He has co-authored a highly-acclaimed 5-course Transgender Health Learning Series for the Region 6 SCPHTC.

Lotus Đỗ, STRIVE Advocate Advisory Board Member

Lotus (he/him) is a Licensed Therapist of Vietnamese descent and transgender lived experience. Over the last decade, he helped build the country's first gender-affirming surgery navigation program for low-income and undocumented adults, served hundreds of clients struggling with Gender Dysphoria (9+ years old) and written hundreds of Letters of Support for gender-affirming surgeries. Today, Lotus continues to specialize in gender-affirming care with a focus on those living with complex mental health and sociocultural needs. By participating in STRIVE's Advisory Board, Lotus hopes to bring a holistic and public health perspective into gender-affirming care.

Naiymah Sanchez, STRIVE Advocate Advisory Board Member

Naiymah Sanchez (she/her) is an award-winning transgender advocate and activist who is deeply committed to advancing the rights and well-being of our communities, particularly those from marginalized communities, such as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). She is well-known and recognized for her work in addressing issues of transgender healthcare, housing discrimination, and violence against transgender people. Naiymah has worked extensively to increase awareness about the specific challenges faced by transgender people of color and has been a vocal advocate for social justice, racial equity, and inclusive healthcare policies. She is an active participant in many TLGBQ+ organizations and has been involved in grassroots efforts to push for stronger legal protections and community support for trans and gender-expansive individuals. Her advocacy extends beyond policy, as she is also involved in education and public speaking, aiming to create more understanding about the lived experiences of transgender people and push for cultural and systemic change. She has been recognized for her leadership in pushing for the recognition of transgender rights in both local and national contexts. Throughout her career, Naiymah has used her platform to not only amplify the voices of transgender people of color but also challenge oppressive systems and promote equity within the broader LGBTQ+ movement.

Geolani W. Dy, MD, STRIVE Primary Investigator

Geolani W. Dy, MD (she/her) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Urology and Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery at Oregon Health & Science University, and Affiliate Associate Professor in the Department of Urology at the University of Washington. Dr. Dy specializes in gender-affirming surgery as part of the OHSU Transgender Health Program and is passionate about improving surgical outcomes by centering trans community voices in research. Dr. Dy co-created TRANS-ARC (Transgender and Non-Binary Surgery Allied Research Collective, www.trans-arc.org), a collaborative for patient-centered research, and the multi-center TRANS (Transgender and Non-Binary Surgery) Registry, to better understand long-term outcomes of genital gender-affirming surgery and improve surgical care. She is Principal Investigator of the Support for Transgender and Nonbinary Individuals Seeking Vaginoplasty (STRIVE) Study.

Amy Penkin, LCSW, STRIVE Partner Coordinating Center Co-Director

Amy Penkin, LCSW (she/her) is the Clinical Program Manager for the Transgender Health Program (THP) at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU). Since the program's inception, she has helped develop the THP into a comprehensive gender program that offers the full spectrum of gender-affirming medical and surgical services. Her training is in social work and her professional background incorporates LGBTQ+ care both in direct clinical care as well as patient centered program development, program management, and program evaluation. Over the last 8 years, her activities have spanned both mental health and medical/surgical care for TGNB patients with an emphasis on collaborative, community engaged program development that aligns with the needs of the communities being served. Amy's programmatic efforts also incorporate transgender health education across all academic programs while also building capacity across the state and beyond through transgender health educational opportunities in collaboration with community leaders. At OHSU, she leads community engagement efforts of the THP including monthly community meetings and a volunteer program comprised of TGNB community members and allies offering a peer-to-peer support model. Through the support of a PCORI Engagement Award (PCORI EA#18835), Amy has been involved as Project Co-Lead with Drs. Geolani Dy (PI) and Jae Downing for the Transgender and Non-Binary-Surgery Allied Research Collective (TRANS-ARC). The core efforts of this foundational research collaborative led to the development of the STRIVE study proposal. This seminal work has provided meaningful direction to develop research topic priorities that promote transgender justice in study design and conduct, centering peer support as a vital research priority.

Olivia Hnilicka, STRIVE Peer Support Coordinator

Olivia Hnilicka (she/her) joins the STRIVE study as the Peer Support Coordinator. Previously, she served as a Coordinator at Portland's Old Town Clinic's Hep C Elimination Program and worked in HIV and STI prevention as a PrEP Navigator in Oregon and Minnesota. Olivia is committed to harm reduction, health equity, and peer supported recovery. She brings these core values to her work supporting and empowering participants in the STRIVE study. When not at work, she finds joy in exploring Oregon's hot springs, taking care of her house plants, and eating roasted brussels sprouts.

Nolan Meyer, STRIVE Clinical Research Coordinator

Nolan Meyer (he/him) is a Clinical Research Coordinator for the STRIVE Study and works within the Department of Surgery at OHSU. Driven by curiosity and compassion, he is committed to advancing health equity through collaborative research. Prior to joining the STRIVE Study, Nolan managed clinical trial and health tech projects, bringing a multidisciplinary approach to improving health outcomes. Outside of STRIVE, you can find him swimming laps at the pool or walking around Portland searching for a new favorite restaurant with his spouse and dog.

Rodrigo Aguayo-Romero, PHD, STRIVE Partner Coordinating Center Co-Director

Rodrigo Aguayo-Romero, PhD (they/them) is a Research Scientist at the Whitman-Walker Institute. They are a clinical-psychologist by training and their research focuses on understanding how intersectional experiences of discrimination faced by gender, sexual, ethno-racial, and socioeconomically disadvantaged groups impact health overall. Their research examines risk behaviors and health disparities—with an emphasis on HIV—using epidemiologic quantitative methods and principles of Participatory Action Research. They believe transgender people should be active agents in research describing and impacting their lives and is committed to supporting the goals of the STRIVE study.

Liz Sage, MPH, STRIVE Intervention Coordinating Center Director

Liz Sage (she/her) is a Senior Research Scientist at the University of Washington, in the Department of Urology; she holds an MPH in Health Policy from Columbia University. She joins the STRIVE study as the Director of the Intervention Coordinating Center. Previously, she served as Project Manager for the Transgender and Non-Binary Surgery Allied Research Collective (TRANS-ARC). In her eight years as a staff member at UW, she has contributed significantly to patient-engaged projects in gynecologic oncology, vascular surgery, and urologic oncology. Outside of work, Liz enjoys sewing, gardening, and cooking.

Bryan Comstock, MS, STRIVE Data Coordinating Center Director

Bryan Comstock (he/him) is a Principal Biostatistician at the University of Washington in the Department of Biostatistics. He serves as the STRIVE Data Coordinating Center Director and study biostatistician. As the Director of Operations of the Center for Biomedical Statistics, he and his team have collaborated with investigators across a wide variety of medical and scientific disciplines on the development and conduct of more than 40 clinical research studies. He is excited to see and be a part of the overwhelming enthusiasm for the STRIVE Study. Outside of work, Bryan is a full-time soccer dad and enjoys planning his next multi-day river rafting trip.

Tonia Poteat, PhD, PA-C, STRIVE Co-Investigator

Tonia Poteat (she/her) is a health equity researcher and gender affirming care provider. She is committed to using the tools of research to advance gender and racial justice. She is excited to collaborate with the STRIVE study team on this community-centered study.

kai alviar horton, STRIVE Executive Committee Member

kai alviar horton (he/they) is a Trans, queer, gender expansive, neurospicy, child of immigrant parents, Filipinx/Andean/Latinx activist, poet, healer, and brujx born as a settler on the unceded homelands of the Chumash and Tongva people.

kai has the honor and privilege of being the Executive Director at Trans Lifeline. kai brings a wealth of experience in non-profit leadership. They have been a leader in trans advocacy and racial equity work for many years and apply this lens to the way they approach leadership within organizations. kai is passionate about world building with his beloved community, imagining a world where queer and trans folx of color are resourced, celebrated, and honored.

You will likely find kai reading “All About Love” by bell hooks for the thousandth time, hosting his monthly QT Dharma group, creating with his QTBIPOC artist collective House of Kilig, in a monotropic state about astrology, writing poetry, making connections between transexuality and nature, or cooking an epic feast for his beloved spouse and community in his free time.

Jae Sevelius, PhD, STRIVE Executive Committee Member

Jae Sevelius, PhD, (they/them) is a Professor of Medical Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University and STRIVE Executive Committee Member. They are a licensed clinical psychologist working with community-led research teams to develop, implement, and evaluate trauma-informed, gender-affirming HIV prevention and treatment interventions for transgender and gender expansive people in New York, California, and Brazil, including psychedelic-assisted therapy for identity-based trauma. They are known internationally for their expertise in gender-affirming intervention strategies and the role of social and psychological gender affirmation in health and well-being. Dr. Sevelius is also a dedicated mentor of early-stage investigators, with a focus on those with backgrounds and identities that are under-represented in academic medicine.

Ina Diwata Amarillo, PhD, FACMG, ErCLG, STRIVE Executive Committee Co-Chair

Ina Diwata Amarillo, PhD, FACMG, ErCLG (she/her), is the Director of the Clinical Genomics Laboratories (Cytogenomics and Molecular Genomics) at Penn State Health Hershey. She received extensive training at Florida State University, NYU, Columbia University, and UCLA, and began her career as a lab genomicist at Washington University in St. Louis. As a transgender woman, she brings firsthand experience as a member of the sex and gender minority community, driving her dedication to research and advocacy for inclusive and affirmative medical practices for gender-expansive and transgender individuals, as well as intersex people and those with variations in sex characteristics (VSC, or differences of sex development/DSD), collectively termed as GETV. Her current research focuses on the genomics of individuals with VSC, gender identity variations among those with VSC, and enhancing research and clinical trials by including GETV individuals. She is actively serving on several professional committees that are establishing best medical practice guidelines for providing care to GETV individuals. To maintain a balanced life, she enjoys traveling, cooking, dining, watching and playing tennis, and vegetable and flower gardening.

Jae Downing Corman, PhD, STRIVE Executive Committee Co-Chair

Jae Downing Corman, PhD (they/them) leads Clinical Analytics and Research at FOLX Health and serves as an affiliate Assistant Professor at the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health. For over a decade, Dr. Corman has dedicated themselves to improving healthcare access for LGBTQ individuals, inspired by their experiences as a gender non-binary, queer person. Starting as a graduate student, they identified gaps in LGBTQ health research, which led them to pursue a PhD in Health Services & Policy Analysis at UC Berkeley.

As a faculty member at the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health, Dr. Corman published extensively and secured grants to fund research on transgender and gender-diverse individuals and birth outcomes for LGBTQ people. They also collaborated with Dr. Dy on the TRANS-ARC initiative. In 2023, they transitioned from academia to build and scale the research program at FOLX Health, a national telehealth clinic for LGBTQ adults. There, they are privileged to conduct research with one of the largest and most geographically diverse clinical populations of transgender adults in the U.S.

Elijah Hart, MPH, STRIVE Project Manager

Elijah Hart, MPH (they/them) is a Research Project Manager in the Department of Surgery at OHSU and the Project Manager for STRIVE. They are a researcher based in NYC with expertise in supporting clinical research programs that improve mental health outcomes for historically marginalized and discriminated against communities. Elijah is passionate about building systems that support mutual aid and peer services in healthcare arenas.