Meet Our Team
Jose R Lopez de Victoria Martinez
Sr. Manager, Research Support (A)
Doctoral Candidate Ankit Acharya is a doctoral student in the Prevention Science and Community Health program at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. He received his academic training in Public Health and Economics from Nepal. Ankit’s current research focuses on evaluating and enhancing HIV prevention strategies across South Florida communities. His research integrates health economics methods, such as Cost-Effectiveness Analysis, to examine the economic feasibility and long-term sustainability of preventive health interventions. Doctoral Candidate Lilliana Vilchez is a doctoral student in prevention science and community health at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. She earned a bachelor of science in biology from Lynn University and a master of public health degree from the University of Miami. Her research focuses on HIV prevention among communities in South Florida. Her work examines how social networks, cultural factors, and social determinants of health influence engagement across the HIV prevention continuum. She is particularly interested in developing culturally tailored prevention strategies using community-based interventions and social network analysis. Undergraduate Student Akram Nsengiyumva is a Computer Engineering student at the University of Miami with interests in artificial intelligence, data science, and the application of computational methods to real-world problems. Originally from Botswana, he is particularly interested in how technology and data can be used to better understand human behavior, social networks, and complex public health challenges. As a research assistant in Dr. Mariano Kanamori’s lab, Akram is developing experience at the intersection of computing and public health research. His interests include the use of artificial intelligence, data analysis, and computational tools to identify patterns in complex datasets and support the development of more effective, evidence-based interventions. Outside of research, Akram has worked on several technology and entrepreneurial projects involving artificial intelligence and Social Media Marketing. He is also actively involved in boxing at the University of Miami, where he serves in leadership roles within the university’s boxing program. Akram hopes to continue developing his technical and research skills while exploring how emerging technologies can be applied to problems with meaningful societal impact. Undergraduate Student Christopher Delanos is an undergraduate student studying Psychology at the University of Miami and a research assistant in Dr. Kanamori’s Prevention Science and Community Health Lab. Through his work in the lab, he contributes to research focused on HIV prevention and community based intervention within underserved populations in South Florida. He is particularly interested in how cultural and health factors influence engagement within the HIV spectrum. Undergraduate Student Lourdney Mentor is an undergraduate research assistant in the Division of Prevention Science and Community Health at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. She is a senior at the University of Miami on the pre-medical track, majoring in Biology and minoring in Psychology. Her current work supports community-based research focused on cancer trial recruitment, substance-use and vaping prevention, and equitable participation in research. She contributes to the translation and cultural adaptation for multilingual studies serving diverse South Florida communities, including Haitian Creole-speaking participants. Her interests include cancer prevention, health disparities, community health, and the intersection of medicine and public health. She plans to pursue a career in medicine and hopes to continue integrating research and community-based prevention into her future work.
Ankit Acharya
Lilliana Vilchez
Akram Nsengiyumva
Chris Delanos
Lourdney Mentor
