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  • Team
  • Strategic Plan
  • Global Action Agenda
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• Projects
  • GAPPS Research
  • Harmonization
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  • Ethics
• Research
  • Our research approach
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  • Preventing Preterm Birth Initiative
• Advocacy
  • Understand the Problem
  • Set Priorities
  • Close the Gaps
  • Make A Difference
• Resources
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Team

Our Team

Craig Rubens, Executive Director
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Sarah B. Alexander , Director of Marketing and Communications 
Hao Bao, Clinical Data Manager
Andrew Barrer , External Affairs Advisor
Casey Calamusa, Sr. Communications Specialist
Amy Carmody, Executive Assistant
Donald Chaffin ,   GAPPS Repository Laboratory Manager, 
Gail H. Deutsch, GAPPS Repository Advisor
Courtney Gravett, Research Associate II
Michael G. Gravett, Scientific Director
Maureen Kelley, GAPPS Investigator
Eve Lackritz,  Senior Program Officer
James Litch, Perinatal Intervention Project Director
Brenda Majercin, Development Advisor
Louis Paolella, Research Scientist
Suzanne Roman, Senior Accountant
Amber Sexton, Clinical Study Manager
Lauren Stanton, Program Assistant
Christy Van Pelt, Senior Business Manager
Kurt White, Information Technology Support Lead

 

Craig E. Rubens, MD, PhD
Executive Director

Craig Rubens is co-founder and executive director of GAPPS. An internationally recognized infectious disease expert, Craig leads GAPPS work in program development and strategic partnerships that leverage cross-disciplinary science to accelerate a discovery-to-delivery pipeline for preventing prematurity and stillbirth. Craig is a professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine, and the endowed chair of Pediatric Infectious Diseases sponsored by Seattle Children’s Hospital. He is a member of the Board of Scientific Counselors for the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases and has been a consultant and reviewer for the FDA, CDC and NIH. His long-term research interests include diseases afflicting low-, middle- and high-income countries and he serves on the executive committee of the Washington Alliance for Global Health. His specific area of expertise is in exploring the mechanisms of infection during pregnancy and the early newborn period that result in poor pregnancy and newborn health outcomes. Insights from his work have helped identify new opportunities for vaccine development. Craig is a graduate of the University of Washington School of Medicine and received a PhD from the Department of Basic and Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, Medical University of South Carolina.

 

Sarah B. Alexander
Director of Marketing and Communications

Sarah Alexander manages messaging to increase awareness of prematurity and stillbirth, and supports GAPPS’ scientific and advocacy agendas through communications campaigns comprising media outreach, advertising and social media. Previously she was associate director for communications and external relations for the HIV Vaccine Trials Network, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. Sarah developed programs to maximize reach and impact of awareness of HIV vaccine research with the National Institutes of Health, pharmaceutical companies, non‐governmental organizations and international research organizations; conducted and evaluated audience research to evaluate attitudes and awareness of HIV vaccine; performed research in communities surrounding study sites; and developed strategic messaging development with scientist networks. She has extensive experience in advertising, market research, website, social media, and media relations in the technology and global health fields.

Hao Bao, PhD

Clinical Data Manager

Hao Bao is responsible for implementing GAPPS’ data management system as well as maintaining and tracking GAPPS Repository data. Hao’s previous experience includes working at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Biopathology Center, the only pediatric solid-tumor repository in the U.S., where she was responsible for designing and developing a biospecimen tracking and reporting system. She holds a master’s in Computer Science and a PhD in Chemical Engineering.

Andrew Barrer, PhD

External Affairs Advisor

Based in Washington DC, Andrew Barrer develops plans for GAPPS’ national and global strategies for engagement in policy and advocacy.  He most recently was the executive director of the U.S. Coalition for Child Survival, a member organization which includes GAPPS and many of its partners that is focused on newborn and child health policy and advocacy.  Andrew has more than 25 years of experience in healthcare management, program development, policy and advocacy, and has held numerous positions with government, academic and healthcare institutions.

Casey Calamusa
Sr. Communications Specialist

Casey Calamusa helps coordinate GAPPS’ media relations and social media and supports marketing and communications campaigns to increase awareness of prematurity and stillbirth. Previously he was an international news officer at the humanitarian organization World Vision, where he served as a spokesperson for the organization and worked with the media to elevate awareness of crises around the world. He has a bachelor’s degree in communication and journalism from Seattle Pacific University.

 

Amy Carmody
Executive Assistant

Amy Carmody provides administrative support to Dr. Craig Rubens. She has over 10 years of administrative experience and has been with Seattle Children's for three years.  She has a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Washington with an emphasis on Culture, Literature, and Art.

Donald Chaffin

GAPPS Repository Laboratory Manager

In addition to managing the GAPPS Repository laboratory, Donald Chaffin is responsible for quality control of repository biological specimens, from the point of collection to distribution. He helped design and implement a rigorous quality control program to assure the biological integrity of the collection. Donald holds a bachelor’s in Chemistry from Seattle Pacific University. He has more than 30 years of experience in the fields of biochemistry, microbiology and molecular biology.

 

Gail H. Deutsch, MD
GAPPS Repository Advisor

Gail Deutsch provides expert consultation to the GAPPS Repository on issues such as operations and expanding collections domestically and globally. Gail is a pediatric pathologist at Seattle Children’s and associate professor in the Department of Pathology at University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle. She has more than a dozen years of experience in perinatal and pediatric pathology at tertiary children’s hospitals, and has served as director of the perinatal autopsy service for several years, providing autopsy support and placental consultation. Gail is also a recognized expert in lung development and pulmonary pathology with an emphasis on lung disorders that occur in early childhood.

 

Courtney Gravett, MPH
Research Associate II

Courtney Gravett has a background in basic science research and public health. Prior to joining GAPPS, Courtney worked as a research scientist for Seattle Children’s where she explored the mechanism of infection of human herpes virus 8, which affects people with HIV and many children in Africa. At GAPPS Courtney is involved in a neonatal sepsis project focused on assessing the potential for the development of diagnostic tools to detect serious infections in newborns. She is also involved in a project focused on severe infections in mothers, which aims to identify the major clinical syndromes associated with maternal infections, the pathogens that cause these infections, and to pinpoint critical periods during pregnancy to prevent or detect infection. Courtney holds a master’s in public health from the University of Washington.

 

Michael G. Gravett, MD
Scientific Director

Mike Gravett is professor and vice-chairman, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, at the University of Washington, and GAPPS’ scientific director. Mike completed his residency in obstetrics and gynecology and fellowships in maternal-fetal medicine and in infectious diseases/immunology at the University of Washington. His research interests center on infectious and inflammatory causes and the consequences of preterm birth, and he developed the first experimental non-human primate model for infection-induced preterm birth. He has won numerous awards for his research and currently serves as president of the Infectious Diseases Society for Obstetrics and Gynecology.

 

Maureen Kelley, PhD
GAPPS Investigator

Dr. Maureen Kelley’s scholarship focuses on international research ethics with vulnerable populations and ethical issues related to maternal and child global health. She previously served on the philosophy and global health faculties of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. Her recent work offers international research ethics guidance for investigators working with orphans and other vulnerable youth, and building research ethics capacity in developing countries with a special focus on maternal health research. Maureen is an assistant professor of Pediatrics at the University of Washington (UW) School of Medicine; serves on the core faculty of the Treuman Katz Center for Pediatric Bioethics at Seattle Children’s; and is adjunct assistant professor in the departments of Bioethics & Humanities and Philosophy Affiliated Faculty, Center for Human Rights at the UW. Maureen completed her training in philosophy and bioethics at Baylor and Rice University in Houston.

 

Eve Lackritz, MD
Senior Program Officer

Eve Lackritz manages projects awarded through the Preventing Preterm Birth initiative, helps coordinate GAPPS’ cohort harmonization activities, and serves as a consultant on programming and strategy. She has devoted her 23-year public health career to research, surveillance, and programs both domestically and internationally, including malaria, HIV, and maternal and newborn health. Eve was most recently Chief of the Maternal and Infant Health Branch, Division of Reproductive Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), where she provided oversight of research and programs in the area of maternal and infant morbidity and mortality in the United States and developing countries. Dr. Lackritz received her Doctor of Medicine at the Ohio State University, completed her residency in pediatrics at Case Western Reserve/University Hospitals of Cleveland, and is board certified in pediatrics.

James A. Litch, MD, DTMH
Perinatal Intervention Project (PIP) Director

Jim Litch is director of the GAPPS Perinatal Intervention Project (PIP) and clinical assistant professor in the Department of Global Health and Department of Epidemiology at the University of Washington. Jim’s work in global health began more than 20 years ago and he has lived and worked in a number of settings in Africa and Asia, including serving as Senior Advisor for the Family Health Division of the Nepal Ministry of Health. He has held positions with PATH, CDC, University of Washington, and Johns Hopkins University.  Immediately prior to GAPPS, Jim was the Senior Newborn, Child and Maternal Health Specialist at PATH and directed a large portfolio of innovative implementation, technology and operational research projects.

 

Brenda Majercin
Development Advisor

Brenda Majercin provides development guidance to GAPPS in her role as senior director of development for Seattle Children’s where she manages programs designed to develop and strengthen relationships with key constituents of Seattle Children’s Foundation. Prior to joining Children’s, she was development director at the University of Washington. Before transitioning into the development field, Brenda served as the director of a domestic violence agency in San Francisco. She holds degrees in Philosophy and Classical Greek from Southern Illinois University.

 

Louis Paolella, BA
Research Scientist

Louis Paolella is responsible for implementing processes and performing quality control of samples at the GAPPS Repository. Prior to joining GAPPS, Louis completed an enology internship at Mercer Estates Winery where he monitored wine quality. Louis received his bachelor’s degree from Middlebury College in molecular biology and biochemistry, where he completed his senior honors thesis on antioxidant activity in developing bovine follicles. Louis also performs research on mammalian mediators of preterm labor.

Suzanne Roman
Senior Accountant

Suzanne Roman is the Senior Accountant for the Preventing Preterm Birth initiative, a series of grants within the Grand Challenges in Global Health. She comes to GAPPS from Seattle Children’s Research Institute’s Office of Research Finance, where she worked for 8 years on the financial reporting of federal and foundation grants. She holds a bachelor’s degree in art history and a graduate certificate in accounting.

Amber Sexton, MPA 
Clinical Study Manager

Amber Sexton manages the GAPPS Repository clinical collection sites, and oversees regulatory compliance of the GAPPS coordinating center and collection sites. Most recently, Amber worked in diabetes research at Seattle Children’s Research Institute, where she managed a registry network of clinics and hospitals that monitors the prevalence and incidence rates of diabetes in youth under 20.

 

Lauren Stanton
Program Assistant

Lauren Stanton has a wide range of responsibilities at GAPPS, including assisting the Marketing and Communications team with research and analysis, and compiling the daily GAPPS news summary LiveWire. She also performs administrative support for Dr. Michael Gravett and Andrew Barrer. Lauren received her bachelor’s degree in business administration with an emphasis in marketing from Seattle University.

 

Christy Van Pelt
Senior Business Manager

Christy Van Pelt has more than 15 years of research administration experience. She provides business and operational expertise, ensuring the maximization of available revenue to achieve strategic goals and business objectives. Christy focuses on developing budgets for funding applications, developing and implementing contracts, partnership actualization, financial performance and office operations.

 

Kurt E. White
Information Technology Support Lead

Kurt’s background is in Enterprise Class Information Technology project management and support. Prior to joining GAPPS, he worked with companies including Occidental Chemical, NOKIA and Microsoft focusing on project rollouts and support. Kurt manages GAPPS’ information technology needs.

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