JACCRI ALUMNI
Leohrandra Graham, MSc, is the Program Director of the Jamaica Cancer Care & Research Institute (JACCRI), and Project Director of the H3ECaribbean initiative. She earned her MSc in Biomedical Research with Distinction and a Bachelor's in Basic Medical Science in Pharmacology with Honors from the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus. Ms. Graham has conducted extensive research on sleep and behaviour disorders in Jamaican children with epilepsy, and has worked for the Emergency Medicine Division of UWI Mona where she conducted workshops on Introduction to Research for undergraduate volunteers. Prior to joining JACCRI, Ms. Graham worked as a team lead for NextGenU.org. She now fosters staff development at JACCRI, and works with our faculty and staff to manage the allocation of resources for the preparation of the H3ECaribbean White Paper.
Leohrandra Graham, MSc
Dr. Matthew Kodilinye, MBBS, is a Research Associate at the Jamaica Cancer Care & Research Institute (JACCRI). He is a Barbados National Scholar and attained a medical degree from The University of the West Indies, Mona Campus. His work with JACCRI involves coordinating efforts geared towards the H3ECaribbean initiative to support regional improvement in health infrastructure, research, and capacity-building. Dr. Kodilinye is particularly enthusiastic about ways in which genomics can be applied to revolutionize clinical care for chronic diseases in the Caribbean.
Matthew Kodilinye, MBBS
Dr. Chadane Thompson, MBBS, is a Research Associate at the Jamaica Cancer Care & Research Institute (JACCRI). He was awarded the UWI Open Scholarship and completed his medical training at The University of the West Indies, Mona Campus. His work with JACCRI is focused on supporting the research and development of the H3ECaribbean White Paper for submission to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). He is particularly passionate about leading impactful social actions that promote health equity in vulnerable communities, and has engaged in public health responses at the national level.
Chadane Thompson, MBBS
Dr. Renée Morecroft, MBBS, is a Medical Officer and Research Assistant for the Jamaica Cancer Care & Research Institute (JACCRI). She earned her Bachelor of Medical Sciences as well as her Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery from The University of the West Indies, Mona Campus. In addition to her work with JACCRI, Dr. Morecroft is extensively involved with research at the University Hospital of the West Indies in the Department of Haematology and Oncology. As part of the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Evaluation of Palliative Care of Six Countries, Dr. Morecroft focuses on data collection and data entry regarding palliative care with the aim of standardizing palliative care globally.
Renée Morecroft, MBBS
Dr. Kari Brown, MBBS, MSc, attained her medical degree with Honors from the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus before completing a Master of Science degree in Oncology with Honors at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. She was later awarded a University Research Fellowship to continue work in the basic and translational sciences. Her work with the Jamaica Cancer Care & Research Institute (JACCRI) focuses on improving the quality of cancer care in Jamaica – particularly in low-resource settings, reducing associated health disparities, and exploring integrative approaches to palliative care. Dr. Brown is currently pursuing residency training in Internal Medicine at the Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia, PA.
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Kari Brown, MBBS
Bobak Seddighzadeh, MA, is a Research Associate at the Harvard/MGH Center on Genomics, Vulnerable Populations, and Health Disparities; and an MD candidate at the University of Nevada. During his graduate work at New York University’s Gallatin School, Mr. Seddighzadeh studied population and medical genetics and graduated as the valedictorian of his class. Since then, Mr. Seddighzadeh has focused his research at the intersection of genomics and health inequity, for example, through helping to publish research on the etiology of stress-related chronic disease via epigenetic regulation of the HPA axis. His work in Jamaica included assisting with the development of a prospective prostate cancer genetics study in Jamaican men, conducting multiple lectures on biomedical research at the University of the West Indies, Faculty of Medical Sciences, and the establishment of national palliative care guidelines for the Ministry of Health of Jamaica.
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Bobak Seddighzadeh, MA
Dr. Steven Smith, MBBS, is a Research Associate at the Harvard/MGH Center on Genomics, Vulnerable Populations, and Health Disparities and former Project Manager at the Jamaica Cancer Care & Research Institute (JACCRI). His research interests include the identification of health disparities associated with the diagnosis and treatment of cancer within the Caribbean and the improvement of regional cancer research and partnerships. His work with JACCRI focuses on projects aimed at regional palliative care collaborations and the development of integrative treatment options for end-of-life care in low-income and disadvantaged populations. Dr. Smith earned a medical degree with Honors from The University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, and is undertaking residency training in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology at Northwestern University.
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