Dr. Parker serves as the Principal Investigator for several CDC sub-contracts through the National Network of Public Health Institutes, including the Tribal Opioid Overdose Prevention project, Indigenous Social Determinants of Health, the Stopping Elderly Accidents, Death & Injuries (referred to as “STEADI”) project, and Tribal Public Health Capacity building. She is also the PI of a tribal technical assistance HRSA sub-contract through Georgia State University, and Co-Investigator for a RWJF-funded study on tribal systems alignment.

Prior to her work in Seven Directions, Myra served as Co-Investigator on an ETHICS project to culturally adapt a human subjects curriculum for tribal communities; a national epidemiology research study grounded in Community-Based Participatory Research involving 22 Tribal Colleges and Universities to establish alcohol, tobacco, and drug use rates within their respective communities through a mixed methods approach; and, an NIAAA R01 research study investigating the effectiveness of a culturally-adapted version of the “BASICS” (Brief Alcohol Screening & Intervention in College Students) intervention and a policy intervention.

As an enrolled member of the Mandan and Hidatsa tribes, Myra is aware of the historical health practices and misconduct perpetuated on tribes in the United States. Her background in law and policy has informed a broader understanding of the principles of ethics as well as honed her ability to identify methods to address the disparities in research control and access through the use of formalized agreements.

Christina studied community health practice and public health policy & management at the Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona. She completed her dissertation, Indigenous health systems: An emergent Yaqui-centered framework for public health practice while working for the Pascua Yaqui Tribe in 2018. Dr. Oré is a participatory, mixed methods trained researcher and public health practitioner. Her work fall under healing & health systems strengthening initiatives: translation, implementation & health behavior/promotion sciences. Dr. Oré is a member of the U.S.Indigenous Data Sovereignty Network, DrPH Coalition, & American Public Health Association. In 2022, she had the honor of presenting on "Stories, Songs & Storytellers - methodologies" for the Survive to Thrive: COVID-19 Health Equity Implementation Best Practices Project ECHO at the National Network for Public Health Institutes (NNPHI). 

Christina works with tribal partners and advisory boards on several projects funded by the NNPHI, through a CDC cooperative agreement. These include Indigenous Social Determinants of Health, training and resource development; Gathering Grounds, a peer-peer community of practice; and Indigenous Public Health Leaders, a public health training program, with partners at the American Indian Public Health Resource Center (AIPHRC) at North Dakota State. She co-lead the Indigenous Healing + Health Systems: Revitalizing Inherent Alignment study, a practice-based, descriptive study of tribal cross sector alignment (e.g., education, public/healthcare, social services, judicial system) with five tribal partners. This was a partnership with Red Star International, Inc., Indigenous-led advisory committee, and funded by Georgia Health Policy Center (GHPC) through the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.  

She is currently facilitating Coming Together in Indigenous Public Health Praxis, funded by the UW Global Innovations Fund, a growing partnership between Seven Directions and Whakauae Māori Research for Health and Development (Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Hauiti) to address inequities and achieve the aspirations for health and well-being shared by tribes, nations, villages, and communities in our respective homelands. We have co presented in 2021 and 2022 for the APHA on nurturing relational connectedness for co creation and stewardship of Indigenous data. Our relationship has expanded to the World Federation of Public Health Associations, Indigenous working group, raising visibility for continued health and well being 'by and for' Indigenous peoples.

Christina has two children; loves the desert, mountains and sea; and enjoys spending time with her partner and family.  Her aspiration is to continue this work in Perú. Christina's connection to this work are through commitments she's made to her family, communities, and the Yaqui Tribe in Sonora and Arizona.

Dr. Magarati is indigenous Magar from Nepal’s Himalayas. Her lived and professional experiences navigating both the Global North’s and the Global South’s historical, political, socio-economic-cultural landscapes center her research, teaching, and service around equity.

Maya’s scholarship straddles the intersection of sociology, public health, behavioral health and geography in addressing social inequities with an intention of fostering knowledge democracy and achieving holistic wellbeing. She incorporates Western as well as Indigenous, place-based, culture-centered epistemologies and collaborative approaches to understanding and addressing the social, behavioral, cultural, and environmental health determinants which result in disparities in access to and use of services, delivery, and outcomes related to substance use, mental health, STI/HIV, and environmental health.  

Maya attributes her community-based participatory research orientation in research, service, and teaching to her active involvement in the UW’s Indigenous Wellness Research Institute (IWRI) since 2010. These include building partnerships with Tribal Colleges and Universities, and research collaboration with multidisciplinary, cross-institutional global teams investigating health disparities in American Indian and Alaska Native populations, immigrant, refugee and rural populations in the U.S., and among Indigenous communities in Nepal experiencing environmental health issues and climate change. Maya is a current Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Interdisciplinary Research Leaders fellow, where she collaborates on a community-engaged climate change, water insecurity, ecological trauma, resilience, and environmental action research project with a tribe in rural Alaska.  

Maya is an affiliate faculty with the UW Department of Sociology, and the Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology as well as a preceptor (Nepal) for IWRI’s NIH-funded LUNA International Indigenous Health Research Training Program.

Maya received her B.S. in Nutrition & Dietetics in Australia, an M.A. in Sociology under the Fulbright program, and then a Ph.D. in Sociology from the UW. Prior to attending graduate school, she worked in Nepal with a local NGO and with UNICEF advancing community nutrition and health. Maya was born and raised in Nepal. She serves on the Board of Directors at Nepal Seattle Society and The Mountaineers. She loves natural landscapes and engaging in outdoor activities.

Danielle is a mixed-race woman who had lived in eight states before entering high school. As such, her personal and professional interests have centered on the impact of community, belonging and identity on mental health. Danielle received her doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Washington. As a graduate student she interned for the Indigenous Wellness Research Institute and received a fellowship from the Indigenous Substance Abuse, Medicines and Addictions Research Training Program to complete her dissertation in conjunction with the Tribal College/University BeWell Study. Danielle completed her clinical psychology internship and post-doctoral fellowship as the Rural Health/Underserved Populations resident at the VA Pacific Islands Health Care System. At VA PIHCS, Danielle focused on in-person outreach and remote telehealth services to Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander veterans located in American Samoa, Guam, Saipan and the neighboring Hawaiian Islands. At Seven Directions, Danielle focuses on incorporating a clinical lens to technical assistance, evaluative assessment and inclusive programming work for the Tribal Opioid Overdose Prevention Project.  

Danielle is grateful to live in Hawaii and loves freediving and learning the environmentally sustainable practice of spearfishing.

Leo is currently working on several projects, including Opioid Overdose Prevention, Elderly Fall Prevention, and Systems Alignment. He has been the project liaison with TCU partners and has visited communities to facilitate many on-site focus groups. Through these community visits, he has seen health system inequities first-hand, which in turn has informed his passion to Indigenous Public Health.

Leo has a Bachelor’s degree in Japanese & Chinese languages, and a Master’s in Business Administration. He has studied linguistics and four foreign languages, and is a strong advocate for indigenous language retention and revitalization.

On a personal note, he is an outdoor nut, hiking and going on 7-12 day backpacks to remote corners of North America, and snow-shoeing and cross-country skiing in winter locally. A non-car owner for 19 years, he bicycles Seattle’s hilly terrain daily in rain or shine.

Angela Gaffney joined the Seven Directions team as a Senior Research Coordinator in 2022. Angela specializes in evaluation design and implementation as well as providing technical assistance to program staff and leadership.

With a background in environmental policy, Carly has done ecological research and policy work at the federal, county, and city levels. Outside of work you can find her exploring trails in the Columbia River Gorge or napping with her dog Tasha.

Jacob has done research in evolutionary biology and public health. He is excited to be working with Seven Directions and increasing his skillset. Jacob is primarily involved with the research study Indigenous Healing + Health Systems: Revitalizing Inherent Alignment.

Caelin is broadly interested in the ways that Indigenous community work, including practices such as harm reduction and peacemaking, can bolster Indigenous sovereignty. Outside of work, she enjoys road tripping home to Montana, beading and (hopefully!) teaching her cat, Toby, to hike.

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As a graduate student, she interned for the La Familia Medical Center’s Healthcare for Homeless Clinic in Santa Fe. For her thesis, she explored the influences of socio-cultural beliefs and values in childbirth decision-making among the women of Upper Dolpa, Nepal. She continues working to improve healthcare access to her beloved people in the high Himalayas in different capacities. She serves as Co-director of Upaya’s Nomads Clinic that serves people living in the remote Himalayas of Nepal. At Seven Directions, Wangmo (given name, the “w” is silent) will be working primarily on the Opioid Overdose Prevention project.

Jamie is Chinese and Taiwanese American and was born and raised in the Seattle area. In a few years, she intends to pursue an MPH with interests in epidemiology, community health, and implementation science. Outside of work, she enjoys being outside in the sun, learning to crochet, and spending time with family and friends.

Robyn recently finished her MSW at the University of Washington with a focus on Administration and Policy Practice. As part of her MSW program, she was a Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellow through the UW Canadian Studies Center and interned with the Inuit Circumpolar Council. Prior to pursuing her MSW, Robyn worked on well-being programs and evaluation in the UW Department of Psychology. She has a background in international development and social change and has lived in the Middle East, India, Canada, and Botswana while working on community health, environmental and human rights programs. Robyn enjoys hiking, Nordic skiing, and canoeing with her son and partner.

Darwyn Largo is a member of the Navajo tribe. Darwyn was born and raised on an American Indian reservation in northwestern New Mexico. Darwyn is a recent graduate from the University of Arizona, obtaining a Master of Public Health degree in Health Behavior Health Promotion. Darwyn was enticed to the field of public health because concepts of wellness and healing are innate to the ancestral practices and cultural teachings of many American Indians and Alaska Native villages. Darwyn’s research focuses on mental health, social determinants of health, and health disparities. Darwyn is passionate about achieving health equity for tribal populations using Indigenous methods and methodologies. For the past two years, Darwyn has been a research assistant with Seven Directions. Darwyn’s work supports the development of a webpage and health training on topics of social determinants of health.

Prior to moving to Seattle, Tee worked in areas specific to diabetes prevention and commercial tobacco control and prevention. She has worked with the 19 Pueblos, Apache tribes and Navajo Nation in NM by providing trainings, presentations, content specific tool kits, health education curriculum, and policy development and advocacy.

As a graduate student, Tee completed her Capstone / thesis project with the Institute for Research and Education to Advance Community Health at Washington State University. Her project included working alongside her previous mentor and advisor Ka’imi Sinclair, PhD, MPH, to conduct a secondary data analysis for the Strong Men, Strong Communities research study. This analysis focused on various body composition factors attributed to the increase risk for type 2 diabetes, including the consideration for other variables such as, historical trauma, tribal crit theory, socioeconomic status, behavioral health, and the inclusion of protective factors. The product for this project included, a final report comprised of an executive summary, evidence – based findings, and recommendations for change and future research.

Growing up in a strong matriarchal home Tee was taught to honor her ancestors, respect her culture, and value her community. She continues to implement these values by ensuring healthy equity for tribal communities is achieved through a data sovereignty lens. This includes data being representative, collected, and cared for by fellow Native researchers. As well as the woven connection between data analysis and lived experiences to support future program and policy development and advocacy.

Tee continues to work with her community by serving as a Co-Chair for the New Mexico Allied Council on Tobacco, a statewide coalition. As well as other research project partnerships between UW and Navajo Nation. During her free time, Tee enjoys spending time with her family and friends, cooking, traveling, beading, exploring Seattle’s coffee shops, and sports. #GoDawgs

Adam is currently pursuing an MPH degree and then attend medical school to help expand medical access in rural communities. Adam enjoys fly fishing, skiing, playing the bass guitar, and spending time with his dog, Axel.

Shino likes to play soccer and bake in her free time.

Marqué has over five years of experience working in case management and program coordination within mental health and nonprofit organizations. Her professional interests include mental wellness, social equity, and Indigenous sovereignty. In her free time, Marqué enjoys reading, watching movies with her husband, and cuddling her dog.

Anevay Skenandore (Oneida/Oglala Lakota) graduated from The Evergreen State College in 2019 with a BA/BS specializing in biology and Indigenous studies. Upon graduation, she worked as a homelessness outreach specialist for the Seattle Indian Health Board, focusing on connecting unhoused Indigenous people in the Seattle area with resources and advocating for Housing First policy. She is now a second-year MPH student at the University of Washington in the Community-Oriented Public Health Practice program, conducting her capstone project with the Indigenous Social Determinants of Health project.