Community Coalition for Equity in Research: Past Members
Elana Brochin, MS, MPH, is program director for health equity at the Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations (MACDC), where she works to promote health equity through the convergence of community development and health via policy, partnerships, and technical assistance to MACDC members. Prior to working at MACDC, Brochin worked as the healthcare project manager at the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office (AGO), where she managed the update of the Attorney General’s Community Benefits Guidelines. Previous to her work at the AGO, she worked as a research coordinator and research associate at the Institute for Aging Research. Brochin earned an MS in food policy and applied nutrition, an MPH from Tufts University, and a BA from Cornell University.
Glavielinys Cruz, PsyD, is a behavioral health clinician at Lynn Community Health Center (LCHC). As the lead clinician and site manager at a school-based health center, she oversees and facilitates the effective integration of behavioral health services into the LCHC team and within the Lynn Public School community. Cruz performs comprehensive diagnostic evaluations and creates patient centered treatment plans, provides ongoing treatment, engages in case management and case consultation, and assesses patients’ needs and progress within an integrated team as a bilingual/bicultural clinician. She is also a member of the board of directors for the Integrated Center for Group Medical Visits in Lawrence, MA. Cruz received bachelor degrees in both psychological and brain sciences, and Spanish literature from Dartmouth College. She also holds a master’s degree in professional psychology and a doctorate in clinical psychology from William James College.
Jamila Gordon, MSW, is an independent public health and business consultant. She is also an adjunct professor for Boston College School of Social Work. Previously, Gordon worked as a senior associate in the commercial operations and strategy department at Ginkgo Bioworks, a cell engineering biotech company. The COVID-19 pandemic prompted Gordon to learn more and apply her public health knowledge to the technology sector, given that public health can play an integral part in biosurveillance and increasing health outcomes for various groups of people by innovating health tech interventions. Gordon innovates programs and projects on a domestic and international level that will increase our nation’s capacity for managing biothreats (such as COVID-19). She also leads the messaging and communication efforts to various communities, with an emphasis on under-resourced and historically underrepresented communities who might benefit from the interventions.
Maame Obeng, BS, is a registered nurse with an interest in establishing a community-based clinic or hospital. She has volunteered at the Hospital of Central Connecticut for two years and has also been a part of the Hunger and Homelessness Project (a subgroup of UConn Public Interest Research Group), Urban Service Track as an urban scholar due to her interest in urban health and a mentor in the Ron Burton Training Village.