2. Stroke Prevention & Brain Health Program
  3. Meet the Team

Meet the Team

TEAM OVERVIEW
Our team includes clinicians across disciplines, researcher investigators and staff, trainees, and administrative support personnel dedicated to stroke prevention and brain health research and outcomes.

DIRECTOR
Anjail Sharrief, MD, MPH, FAHA, FANA
Dr. Sharrief is a tenured Professor of Neurology who serves as Director of the Stroke Prevention & Community Brain Health Program, providing overall scientific and strategic leadership. She oversees programmatic initiatives, research development, community engagement efforts, and training initiatives.

KEY INVESTIGATORS
Stroke Program
Anjail Sharrief, MD, MPH, FAHA, FANA
Chigozirim Izeogu MD, MPH
Jerome Jeevarajan, MD
Sishir Mannava, MD
Elizabeth Noser, MD
Munachi Okpala, DNP, PhD, MBA, NP-C
Sunil Sheth, MD

Cardiology
Abhijeet Dhoble, MD
Simbo Chiadika, MD, MPH

UT Neurology at Harris Health (LBJ Hospital/Harris Health Clinics)
Shivika Chandra, MD

UT Neuropsychology
Kendra Anderson, PhD
Bethany Williams, PhD

UTMOVE (Movement Disorders Program)
Cherisse Onuigbo, MD
Mya Schiess, MD

UT School of Public Health
Maha Almohamad, PhD (Research Scientist)
Shreela Sharma, PhD, RDN
Ashley Shaw, MPH, PhD
Jose Miguel Yamal, PhD

McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics 
Elmer Bernstam, MD, PhD
Amy Franklin, PhD

UTHealth Cizik School of Nursing
Jennifer Beauchamp, PhD, RN

RESEARCH STAFF
Gabretta (Gail) Cooksey
Program Manager
Oversees day-to-day program operations, coordinates study activities, and ensures communication across teams remains aligned and efficient.

Ariana Aquino Hernandez
Research Coordinator,  Regulatory Manager
Leads regulatory compliance and documentation oversight for research initiatives.

Mariel Flake-Rojas
Research Coordinator, Community Brain Health Collaborative Project Manager
Provides strategic leadership for the Community Brain Health Collaborative Research Program while overseeing research coordination responsibilities.

Caitlynn Carter
Research Coordinator, Community Outreach Lead
Leads community engagement initiatives and coordinates outreach events in alignment with research and program objectives.

Louis Gonzales
Research Coordinator, Participant Experience & Outcomes Lead
Leads participant-facing coordination of study activities, integrating scheduling, engagement, and follow-up to optimize both participant experience and research outcomes.

Layomi Oladunjoye
Research Coordinator, Participant Engagement
Supports research implementation through participant interaction, informed consent support, data collection, study documentation, and event assistance.

Apneet Kaur
Research Assistant, Qualiative Lead
Leads qualitative research efforts for Community Brain Health Collaborative initiatives, including participant engagement, data collection, and analysis.

ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT
Phillip Gonzales
Senior Administrative Assistant
Supports program operations, scheduling, communications, and coordination across research and community initiatives.

MENTORSHIP & TRAINING
The Stroke Prevention & Brain Health Program is committed to mentoring trainees and early-career professionals through structured research opportunities, interdisciplinary collaboration, and hands-on engagement in community-focused initiatives. Please see contact section for mentoring and training opportunities.