WRI 2026 Participants

Kate Abel joined Merck in April 2018 as the Director of Political Programs in the Washington, DC office, where she manages Merck's PAC, employee grassroots advocacy program, Merck Action Network and federal HIV alliance portfolio.

Richard Adkins is a 35-year-old lifetime survivor based out of the Washington DC area. His advocacy began at the age of 13 when he served on the Adolescent Trials Network.

Allison Agwu, M.D., ScM is Professor of Adult and Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Johns Hopkins University (JHU) School of Medicine.

Marz Albarran (they/them/theirs) is a 38-year-old queer non-binary person, born in Puerto Rico, raised in inner-city Chicago. They have lived in Albany, NY for the past 14 years. They have been living with HIV since birth—a Lifetime Survivor/Dandelion.

Judith Auerbach, PhD, is an independent science and policy consultant and Adjunct Professor of Medicine at the University of California San Francisco.

Dawn Averitt began working in the HIV/AIDS arena in 1993, after being diagnosed with HIV in 1988. In addition to being the mother of three daughters, she has founded two non-profit organizations to improve the lives of women living with HIV and AIDS.

Ciarra "Ci Ci" Brown is an international maternal and family wellness advocate/activist dedicated to advancing the right to bodily and parental autonomy for women with HIV and their families as they navigate the lives they envision for themselves.

HIV/AIDS activist, advocate, mother, and wife born with HIV, Kimberly Canady grew up unaware that she was living with HIV until a week before her 10th birthday.

Ashley Cason is a young motivated African-American Woman, who's also an HIV Lifetime Survivor, and founding CEO of Her Voice LLC.

Jenna Conley has managed communications efforts for The Well Project since 2007 and provides strategic counsel and guidance to help advance the organization's mission.