As The Fenway Institute (TFI) closes out 2023, we are proud to highlight a few of our key achievements that demonstrate the outstanding efforts of our faculty and staff in service of our shared mission:
WE WELCOMED NEW VOICES.
Dr. Sabra Katz-Wise has joined the TFI Faculty. Dr. Katz-Wise has appointments at Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health. Dr. Katz-Wise’s research investigates sexual orientation and gender identity development, sexual fluidity, and related health inequities in adolescents and young adults. Dr. Eli Goldberg has become the inaugural Harvard Medical School-Fenway Health LGBTQIA+ Health Fellow. In this role, he is building a primary care practice under Dr. Steve Dunn’s supervision and conducting a gender affirming care needs assessments at Boston Health Care for the Homeless and across his home state of Vermont.
WE BEGAN THE KENNETH H. MAYER FELLOWSHIP.
Through this fellowship, TFI trains and advances the work of outstanding researchers dedicated to LGBTQIA+ health and wellbeing, fostering their learning and development, so they can continue to contribute to this mission for years to come. For more information on this year’s fellows and their transformative work, visit here.
WE CELEBRATED A YEAR OF SUCCESSFUL GRANTMAKING.
Through the dedicated efforts of TFI Faculty and their teams, TFI was awarded over $5 million in new funding, representing a total of 10 new grants and so much exciting new work. Some NIH supported examples include:
- Sari Reisner is assessing the ability of digitally delivered peer-based strategies to improve PrEP uptake in PrEP-indicated HIV negative adult trans MSM.
- Abby Batchelder is expanding her work on mitigating the impact of stigma and shame among MSM living with HIV and substance use disorders, and investigating stigma-treatment enhanced incentivized directly observed therapy for people living with HIV who inject drugs.
- Julia Marcus and Doug Krakower are using predictive analytics and clinical decision support to improve PrEP prescribing in Community Health Centers.
WE SHARED WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED AND DISCOVERED.
TFI’s faculty, staff, and groundbreaking work was featured in countless boards, committees, conferences, publications, and trainings around the world this year, profoundly impacting the field for the benefit of our community.
A few notable examples of service, among many, include:
- Taimur Khan, Associate Medical Research Director, joined the planning board for the National Minority AIDS Council (NMAC) Annual Meeting.
- Kenneth Mayer co-chaired the WHO meeting drafting new PEP guidelines in Geneva, Switzerland.
Some training highlights:
- Alex Keuroghlian, Director of Education and Training Programs, trained healthcare providers in Poland, Jamaica, and Belgium on LGBTQIA+ inclusive care provision.
- The Division of Education and Training ran multiple successful conferences including the Advancing Excellence in Sexual and Gender Minority Health Education: Train the Trainer Course for All Healthcare Professions in the Spring, and the 9th Advancing Excellence in Transgender Health conference in the Fall.
- The 2iS CCTA team convened a highly successful learning session on Using Innovative Intervention Strategies to Improve Health Outcomes Among People with HIV (2iS) initiative in Los Angeles.
A sample of the more than 150 peer reviewed publications and 1,000 media hits:
- Sean Cahill’s two interviews in the Boston Globe on MPox resurgence, and gender affirming health care.
- Alex Keuroghlian’s Perspective article in the New England Journal of Medicine.
- Kenneth Mayer and Julia Marcus’s Insights article in Journal of the American Medical Association.
- Taimur Khan’s interview in the New York Times on DoxyPEP.
WE CONTINUED CONDUCTING WORLD-CLASS RESEARCH IN A COMMUNITY-BASED SETTING.
What makes TFI unique is our staff and our setting. Each day, we demonstrate that the best way to equitable, ethical, and inclusive science is to do it in community. Some study highlights:
- The initiation of the Gonococcal and Herpes Simplex Type 2 Vaccine studies.
- The initiation of the early phase study of MK-8527, which could create the option for a once a month PrEP pill.
- The transition of our groundbreaking clinical trials on DoxyPEP and injectable PrEP from the research floor to the Medical Department, rapidly translating TFI science directly to innovative clinical practices.
WE ACCEPTED OUR ROSES.
It’s our honor to congratulate the TFI Faculty and Staff who have achieved significant milestones and awards this year. These include:
Dr. Madina Agenor, TFI Faculty member, was awarded the 2023 NIH Sexual & Gender Minority (SGM) Early-Stage Investigator Award, recognizing Dr. Agenor’s substantial and outstanding research contributions in areas related to SGM health.
Dr. Abby Batchelder, TFI Faculty member, was promoted to Associate Professor of Psychology at Harvard Medical School, based upon her significant original scholarly and scientific contributions to the field.
Andrew Camarena, Community Engagement and Recruitment Manager, earned his Masters of Public Health degree from Boston University.
Dr. Alex Keuroghlian was awarded the HMS Scholarly Engagement Excellence in Student Mentoring Award for 2023, recognizing Dr. Keuroghlian’s excellence in mentoring HMS students in their scholarly projects, and as a role model and resource for medical students working towards residency.
Dr. Ken Mayer, Medical Research Director and TFI Co-Chair, was awarded the Michael A. Tye Leadership Award, recognizing exemplary leadership on behalf of Fenway’s mission and the communities it serves.
Dr. Jenny Potter, TFI Co-Chair, was awarded the 2023 AAMC Group on Women in Medicine and Science Leadership Award for an Individual (Established), recognizing Dr. Potter’s outstanding contributions to the advancement of women in medicine and science.
Looking forward to all the exciting work we have planned for 2024.
Your Co-Directors,
Amy Ben-Arieh & Taimur Khan