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Myra Parker, JD, MPH, PhD, is an enrolled member of the Mandan and Hidatsa tribes and serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Washington School of Medicine. She is currently the Director of Seven Directions which is housed in the Center for the Study of Health and Risk Behaviors within the Department of Psychiatry.
Christina is an Associate Director for Indigenous Systems Alignment and Data Stewardship with Seven Directions and Acting Assistant Professor with the Center for the Study of Health and Risk Behavior (CSHRB), UW School of Medicine. For Christina, community health and well-being come from a deep connection among people, all beings, lands, and memory. Christina is Andean and Irish, born and raised in Arizona.
Maya Magarati, Ph.D. is a Research Assistant Professor in the UW Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and serves as a core faculty in Seven Directions, A Center for Indigenous Public Health, a part of the Center for the Study of Health and Risk Behaviors in the Department. She serves as the Project Lead on the Tribal Opioid Overdose Prevention project. Maya investigates sexual health, community engagement, global Indigenous environmental and behavioral health specifically tied to ecological trauma, resilience and traditional ecological knowledge, and immigrant and refugee cancer and wellbeing.
Danielle Eakins is a licensed clinical psychologist and a research scientist at Seven Directions. Danielle is dedicated to supporting behavioral wellness through collaborative, strengths-based partnerships with Indigenous communities.
Leo N. Egashira, MBA, is a Japanese-American born and raised in Seattle. He is the Associate Director of Operations and a Research Coordinator at Seven Directions at the University of Washington and has been with the team since 2018. Prior to Seven Directions, he worked at the Indigenous Wellness Research Institute, also at the University of Washington; he has worked with tribes for over 14 years.
At Seven Directions, Angela is working on piloting the use of an Indigenous Evaluation Framework for public health practitioners, particularly among tribal organizations working to prevent opioid overdoses.
Jacob received an MS degree in the UW School of Public Health's Epidemiology Department. He is interested in research on the social determinants of health, as well as the human gut microbiome.
Jamie Lan (she/her) joined Seven Directions as a Research Coordinator after working with the team as a student intern. She is a recent graduate of the University of Washington, where she received a bachelor’s degree in Public Health. At Seven Directions, Jamie works on the Tribal Opioid Overdose Prevention Project, as well as on substance use data and general communications projects.
Darwyn Largo is a member of the Navajo tribe. Darwyn was born and raised in Crownpoint, New Mexico. Darwyn attended Haskell Indian Nations University. In May, Darwyn graduated from the University of Arizona, obtaining a Master of Public Health degree in Health Behavior/Health Promotion. Darwyn is enticed to the field of public health because concepts of health and wellness are innate to the ancestral practices and cultural teachings of many American Indians and Alaskan Native villages.
Tia “Tee” Benally (she/her), MPH, is Diné (Navajo) and White Mountain Apache originally from New Mexico (NM). Tee graduated from the University of Washington (UW) in June 2022 with her Master’s in Public Health from the Community – Oriented Public Health Practice program. She is currently a Research Coordinator with Seven Directions and works collaboratively with others on various projects but focuses on the Indigenous Public Health Leaders training program and another project related to Indigenous Social Determinants of Health.
Jessica Kipp (she/they) is a member of the Blackfeet Tribe and was born and raised in Browning, Montana. Jessica is a graduate of the University of Montana, receiving a bachelor’s degree in psychology. She is currently a Research Coordinator at Seven Directions and works on the Tribal Opioid Overdose Prevention Project.
Kase Cragg (they/he) is a trans-nonbinary Research Coordinator at Seven Directions, where they work on the Tribal Opioid Overdose Prevention Project. Kase graduated from UW in 2022 with their MPH in the Social and Behavioral Sciences concentration and an MSW in Community-Centered Integrative Practice. Kase is a mental health and SUD counselor by training, and their lived experience as a peer strongly informs their work.
Meg (she/her) joined Seven Directions in November 2023 as a Research Coordinator. She also works as a Research Coordinator with the Indigenous Wellness Research Institute at the University of Washington School of Social Work. Dr. MacDonald has worked at the UW for just over 20 years, starting at the Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity. She has a PhD in American History and American Studies from Indiana University.
Adam (He/Him) is a first-year graduate student at the University of Virginia, pursuing an MPH. Adam is from the Washington D.C area. Adam predominantly works to maintain and update the Seven Directions website, organizing its layout and improving the end-user experience.
Marina (Cochiti Pueblo/Umatilla) is a second-year Master of Public Health graduate student at the University of Washington. At Seven Directions, Marina is assisting in the Canoe Journeys: Climate Change, Culture, & Healing for Native Youth pilot research study.
Steven (Diné and Oneida) is currently a second year Master of Public Health graduate student at the University of Washington. His program is the Community-Oriented Public Health Practice (COPHP) and is a capstone student who works in partnership with Seven Directions. His capstone project will be analyzing data collected from the 2023 Canoe Journey. Steven will be utilizing a strengths-based approach to help develop a health communications campaign to help Indigenous youth conceptualize their health and wellbeing through the connection to cultural activities.