Research Team
Principal Investigator, Coleman Research Group
Director, Johns Hopkins Division of Gynecologic Specialties
Medical Director, JHOC Women's Health Center
Associate Professor of Gynecology and Obstetrics
Dr. Jenell Coleman is an assistant professor in the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics with a joint appointment in the Department of Medicine. Dr. Coleman earned her M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and completed Ob/Gyn residency at the University of California, Los Angeles. She completed a fellowship in reproductive infectious diseases at the University of California, San Francisco and received a Masters of Public Health from the University of California, Berkeley.
Dr. Coleman joined the Johns Hopkins faculty in 2010 to further her research. Her areas of clinical expertise include comprehensive gynecologic care of women from adolescence to menopause. She has a particular interest in reproductive health care among disadvantaged or marginalized women including women who inject drugs, sex workers, poverty-stricken women, and women living with HIV. Her other research interests include safer conception among HIV serodiscordant couples, cervical cancer prevention in resource-constrained countries, contraception in HIV infected women, STD prevention and management, surgical site infections, HIV prevention technologies including pre-exposure prophylaxis and microbicides, and the interaction between violence against women and STD/HIV. She has published numerous articles, written several book chapters, and presented her research in national and international settings.
Research Staff
Research Program Coordinator
Saumya Sao (she/they) graduated from Duke University in 2020 where she earned her BA as an Angier B. Duke Merit Scholar in Global Health and Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies. In undergrad, she was involved in several research projects at the Duke Global Health Institute, namely exploring contraceptive use dynamics with data science, HIV stigma reduction, and male engagement in pregnancy care. She is also a volunteer doula. Saumya is interested in examining how constructs of race and gender impact and determine health and educational outcomes, as well as stigmatize vulnerable populations. With the Coleman Group, she runs the team website, is the creative director of violetproject.org, and supports the HPV vaccination study and other studies. Her research and career goals include improving healthcare service delivery and access to sexual and reproductive health, and she hopes to eventually pursue an MD/PhD in Population Health Sciences or Epidemiology.
Post-Doctoral Fellow
Runzhi Wang (she/her) is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. She earned her MD from Sun Yat-sen University in China and her MHS in Epidemiology from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Her research interests include clinical epidemiology and evidence-based medicine. With the Coleman Group, Runzhi has been involved in HPV self-sampling studies, the postpartum HPV vaccine study, and STI-related studies among adolescents and young women. Her career goal is to become a physician and researcher to improve sexual and reproductive health among women.
Research Program Assistant, Study Coordinator
Hi, I am Alexa Nicolas (she/her), a Research Program Assistant and Study Coordinator for the CHIPPER Study working out of the OB/GYN and Subspecialties Clinic at the Johns Hopkins Outpatient Center in Baltimore, MD! I graduated from George Washington University in May 2023 and began helping out with the project later that year. During this time, I am also working to complete the requirements necessary to apply to PA school. I am grateful for this opportunity to be able to work in a clinical setting and provide such a crucial service to patients and male partners in our efforts to End the HIV Epidemic!"
Senior Research Program Coordinator
Crystal Christie (she/her) graduated from Liberty University where she earned her MPH in global health. Before joining our team, Crystal worked with the President's emergency plan for AIDS relief (PEPFAR) and found her passion in the field of HIV/AIDS research. With the Coleman group, Crystal is the Sr. Research Program coordinator with the Division of GYN Specialties and is one of the leads in the coordination of the CHIPPER study which seeks to increase PrEP use among women in Baltimore.
Administrative Staff
Mindy Hollifield
Administrative Supervisor
Mindy Hollifield is the Administrative Supervisor at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in the department of OB/GYN under the subdivision of GYN Specialties in Baltimore, MD. She has over 16 years experience in health care and over 10 years experience within Johns Hopkins.  Her primary responsibility is the overall management of administrative services with the department of GYN Specialties. Mindy’s professional goals are to continue growth and expand experience within Health Administration while contributing to significant positive outcomes for patients, staff and faculty.
Prior Mentees
​
Aishwarya Rajagopalan, DO, MHS, 3rd year Psychiatry resident at Harvard Medical School; DO at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine ‘18; MHS ‘14 and BA ‘12 from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
​
Richa Pardikar, MD, 2nd year Anesthesia resident at UCSF; Medical School at New York Medical College ’18; BS in Public Health Studies at Johns Hopkins University ‘13
​
Jaleesa Jackson, MD, Anesthesiologist and Assistant Professor at University of Arkansas; residency and fellowship at Harvard/Massachusetts General Hospital; Medical School at Johns Hopkins; BS in Chemistry at the University of Florida
​
Elizabeth Ludwig, MD, 3rd year OB/GYN resident at Columbia; Medical School at Yale ‘18; Post-baccalaureate certificate at Johns Hopkins ‘13
​
Stephanie Wagner, MD, 1st year Pediatrics resident at Brown; Medical School and MPH in Epidemiology at Emory; Post-baccalaureate certificate at Johns Hopkins ‘14; Undergrad at Yale in Global Affairs
​
Devon Malone, BS, Business Manager at Resolvit tech consulting firm; Research Assistant in OB/GYN at Johns Hopkins; BS in Psychology from Loyola University
​
Emmeline Friedman, MD, 1st year OB/GYN resident at the University of New Mexico; Medical School at Mount Sinai; post-baccalaureate certificate at Johns Hopkins ‘15
​
Megan Orlando, MD, Minimally Invasive Gynecology Surgery fellow at Cleveland Clinic, OB/GYN residency at UCSF ’20; Medical School at Johns Hopkins ’16, BA in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at Princeton ‘12
​
Kristen Lee, MD, Medical Fellow at Baltimore City Health Department; Residency in OB/GYN at Johns Hopkins; Medical School at Johns Hopkins ’18; BA in Sociology at Duke University ‘13
​
Monica Kao, MD, MPH, 4th year OB/GYN resident at University of Missouri; Medical School at Saint Louis University ‘17; MPH at Johns Hopkins ’16; BS at Johns Hopkins
​
Conisha Cooper, MD, 2nd year Psychiatry resident at UCLA; Medical School at Johns Hopkins ’19; Program Coordinator at Harvard Medical School; BA in Psychology at Wellesley College
​
Clarissa Diniz, BS, Medical Student at Johns Hopkins ‘21; BS in Biology at Juniata College; IDSA Scholar Award ‘17, Gibbons Award ’17; Dean’s Year of Research at Johns
​
Jennifer Quin, MD, 1st year OB/GYN resident at UCSF; Medical School at Johns Hopkins ’20; BA in Public Policy and Biology at UChicago ’16; Best Poster IDSOG’17, Dr. Small AMWA award at Johns Hopkins ‘17
​
Holly Everett, MPH, Medical Student at Johns Hopkins ’22; MPH at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg ’20; BA in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Wesleyan ‘15
​
Tanique Bennett, Undergraduate Student at Johns Hopkins '21; studying public health on pre-health track
​
Nneoma Okonkwo, BS, Medical Student at Johns Hopkins ’24; BS in Biological Engineering at MIT ‘18
​
Anna-Marie Young, MD, MPH, Medical Student at Johns Hopkins ’21; Resident (OB/GYN) at Northwestern '25
​
​
Lillee Izadi, BS Florida Southern College 22'; Johns Hopkins DDP Scholar 24'; Medical Student and McDonnell International Scholar Academy Fellow at Washington University in St. Louis '28
​
Virginia Mensah, MD, Physician (OB/GYN) at Women & Infants Fertility Center in Providence, RI; Fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Brown; Residency at Johns Hopkins; Medical School at University of Illinois
Dipa Joshi, MD, Attending physician (OB/GYN) at INOVA Fairfax Hospital; Residency at Johns Hopkins; Medical School at University of Michigan ‘11
Maame Sampah, MD, PhD, Postdoctoral Researcher at Johns Hopkins; General Surgery Residency at Georgetown; MD/PhD at Johns Hopkins ’16; BA in Biological Chemistry and French at Grinnell College
May Semilan, MD, Attending physician (Internal Medicine) at West Virginia University Hospitals; Internal Medicine Residency at Wayne State University ‘18
Caiyun Liao, MD, MPH, Clinical Instructor at Howard University Hospital; OB/GYN residency at the University of Tennessee ’20; MPH in Epidemiology at Johns Hopkins ’14; Medical School at Sun Yat-Sen University ’12
Esther Han, MD, MPH, Fellow in Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery at Columbia; OB/GYN residency at Johns Hopkins ’18; Medical School at Boston University ’14; MPH at George Washington University ’06; BS in Biological Anthropology & Anatomy and Spanish at Duke ‘03
Marielle Gross, MD, MBE, Assistant Professor at University of Pittsburgh; Hecht-Levi Postdoctoral fellowship at Johns-Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics; OB/GYN residency at Johns Hopkins ‘18; Johns Hopkins Williams Senior Resident Research Award ’17; Medical School at University of Florida with Honors in Research ‘14; Master’s in Bioethics at New York University ’10
Okeoma Mmeje, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan; Reproductive Infectious Disease Fellowship at UCSF ’13; OB/GYN residency at University of Pennsylvania ’10; Medical School and MPH at University of Michigan ’06
Sangini Sheth, MD, MPH, Associate Professor at Yale; ACOG Immunization Champion Award ’18; OB/GYN residency at Johns Hopkins ’13; Johns Hopkins Community Physicians Resident Ward ’13; Medical School and MPH at Johns Hopkins ’09; BS in Molecular, Cellular, Developmental Biology at Yale ‘03
Tiffany McNair, MD, MPH, Director of Division for Health Innovation at Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS); White House Fellow ’15; MPH and OB/GYN ‘12 and Preventive Medicine ‘14 residencies at Johns Hopkins; Medical School at Harvard ’08; BA in History and Science at Harvard
Runzhi Wang, MD, MHS, Postdoctoral fellow with Gynecology Specialties at Johns Hopkins; MHS in Epidemiology at Johns Hopkins ’19; OB/GYN residency at Peking University ’17; MD at Sun Yat-Sen University ’13
Monique Shaw, PhD, MPH, CHES, Program Officer at Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; PhD in Health Policy at University of the Sciences in Philadelphia ’20; MPH in Community Health in Prevention at Drexel ’09; BS in Psychology, Biology, Chemistry at Howard ‘05
Thesis title: Concurrent Sexual Partnerships among Pregnant Women, Thesis advisor
​
Jeanne Murphy, PhD, CNM, FACNM, Assistant Professor of nursing at George Washington; PhD at Johns Hopkins; MSN at Yale; BA in Comparative Literature at Brown
Thesis title: A Test of an intervention to improve Pap testing for women living with HIV, Thesis committee alternate
Hilary Robbins, MSPH, Scientist in Translational Epidemiology at WHO; PhD in Epidemiology ’18, MHS in Biostatistics ’17, and MSPH in International Health ’12 at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; BS in Chemistry at Duke ‘10
Thesis title: Optimizing Screening for HPV-Related Cancers among People Living with HIV, Thesis committee alternate
Sally-Ann Peprah, PhD, MSPH, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the National Cancer Institute; PhD in Epidemiology ’17 and MSPH in International Health ’13 at Johns Hopkins; Bachelor of Pharmacy at Kwame Nkrumah’ University of Science and Technology, Kumasi ‘09
Thesis title: Invasive Cervical Cancer Among High-Risk Women: Infection, Screening and Spatial Epidemiology, Thesis committee alternate
​
2012
​
​
2012
​
​
2012
​
​
9/12 -
12/12
​
9/13 -
5/14
​
5/14 -
8/14
​
2014 -
2016
​
2015 -
2016
​
2015 -
2018
​
2015 -
2016
​
2016 -
2017
​
2017 -
present
​
2017 -
2019
​
2018
​
​
2020
​
2020
​
2019 - 2021
​
2022-2024
​
​
​
2010 -
2011
​
2011 -
2014
​
2011 -
2016
​
2013 -
2014
​
2014 -
2016
​
2014 -
2018
​
​
2018
​
​
​
2006 -
present
​
2011 -
present
​
​
2012 -
2014
​
​
2019 -
2023
2008 -
2010
​
​
​
May
2014
​
April
2016
​
​
July
2017