We engage, educate, empower and protect our communities with access to COVID-19 vaccines.
We promote diversity and access to clinical research to ensure tomorrow’s therapies work for all of us.
The Massachusetts Community Engagement Alliance (MA-CEAL) Against COVID-19 Disparities, led by Boston Medical Center, is part of a nationwide initiative funded by the National Institutes of Health. MA-CEAL’s mission is to provide trustworthy information on COVID-19 through active community engagement and outreach to the people hardest-hit by the pandemic. Our goal is to build long-lasting partnerships and improve diversity and inclusion in our research response to COVID-19 and beyond.
Visit our website to learn more.
MA-CEAL’s Objectives
- Conduct urgent community-engaged outreach and research around COVID-19
- Improve awareness and education to address widespread misinformation and distrust regarding COVID-19
- Improve education around COVID therapeutics and the prevalence of Long COVID
- Promote an evidence-based response to the disease
- Promote and facilitate the inclusion of diverse racial and ethnic populations in clinical trials to ensure therapies are safe and effective for populations disproportionately affected by the pandemic
The Questions We're Asking
- How can we build our community’s confidence in the vaccine?
- How can we communicate the importance of diverse participation in clinical research?
- What are the challenges and questions that prevent vaccination and research participation?
- How can we engage and partner with our communities to find solutions?
Our Team
- Benjamin Linas, MD, MPH
Principal Investigator, Administrative Core Director - Annette Nansubuga , MSc
Program Manager - Sabrina Assoumou, MD, MPH
Co-Investigator - Katherine Gergen Barnett, MD
Co-Investigator - Nicholas Bosch MD, MSc
Co-Investigator - Julien Dedier, MD, MPH
Co-investigator - Mari-Lynn Drainoni, PhD, MEd
Co-Investigator, Evaluation Core Director - Kimberly Fisher, MD
Co-Investigator, Population Data Core Director - Natalie Joseph, MD
Co-Investigator - Jai Marathe MD, MS
Co-Investigator - Kathleen Mazor, EdD
Co-Investigator - Cassandra Pierre, MD, MPH
Co-Investigator - Rebecca Perkins, MD
Co-Investigator - Rebecca Rudel, DrPH, RD
Co-Investigator - Lucy Schulson, MD
Co-Investigator - Ryan Schroeder
BMC Clinical Research Network Director - Nike Asupoto
Clinical Research Coordinator, Clinical Research Network - Sarah Barnes
Research Assistant - Nikki Kaufmann, M.S.
Research Study Coordinator - Duncan Schulte
Project Regulatory Manager, Clinical Research Network - Quinneil Simmons
Program Manager, Clinical Research Network - Hope White
Community Engagement Core Director - Shaquera Robinson, MPH
Community Engagement Specialist - Jazmin Granadeno
Community Engagement Specialist - Garey Lywood
Senior Manager, Community Engagement & Internal Affairs - Shannon Timlin, MPH
Community Engagement & Recruitment Specialist, Clinical Research Network - Taki Koda
Communications and Media Intern
CEAL Nationwide
CEAL is a nationwide initiative led by the National Institutes of Health with centers across the country. Learn more about the NIH Community Engagement Alliance (CEAL)