US

Ellen Cho, B.A., Project Assistant

As Project Assistant, Ellen Cho provides administrative and accounting support to several of Initiatives’ projects. Ms. Cho holds a dual degree in Sociology and Peace and Justice Studies from Wellesley College, with a focus on the history of ethnic and religious conflicts. As part of her studies, she traveled through parts of India to meet with several grassroots community-based organizations, researching how they had adapted the Gandhian philosophy of nonviolence. Prior to joining Initiatives, Ms. Cho worked in the Division of Genetics at Brigham and Women’s Hospital as the residency program coordinator and continuing medical education course administrator.

Lauren Crigler, B.A., Senior Human Resources/Workforce Advisor for HCI

Lauren Crigler is the Senior Human Resources/Workforce Advisor under the Health Care Improvement project (HCI). In this role, she works with HCI staff globally to assess the health workforce and expand the evidence base for the application of Quality Improvement to HR workforce issues in areas such as training, supervision systems, interpersonal relations and workforce efficiency.

Ms. Crigler has 12 years of human performance improvement experience, and is especially skilled in competency and leadership development and supervision in primary healthcare programs of reproductive health/family planning, maternal and child health, nutrition, HIV, and malaria. She is skilled in adapting private-sector experience and methods for public-sector field use and conducting operations research and evaluation, and has worked in the US, Africa, the Middle East, Armenia, Asia and the Latin America/Carribean region. Ms. Crigler is a certified Systems Analysis and Performance Improvement specialist and has designed, conducted and published a peer-reviewed study on what factors affect human performance in the workplace. She is fluent in English and Spanish and has a working knowledge of French.

Nicole Dupré, M.A., Senior Associate

As Initiatives' Senior Associate, Nicole Dupré manages the business operations of the Boston office and provides targeted project management support in the areas of finance and administration. Her specific responsibilities include proposal and budget preparation, corporate financial systems, personnel administration, and contract management.  Ms. Dupré has also served as Task Order Manager for two of Initiatives’ six TASC2 Task Orders.

Ms. Dupré's skills range from financial management to technical writing to systems administration. Before she joined Initiatives, Ms. Dupré worked as a professional engineer, including several years as firm partner, providing general company management and oversight. She also has varied experience in non-profit management, including a year in Rome, Italy, where she was the administrator for an American non-profit arts organization. Ms. Dupré has basic language skills in both Italian and German.

Lorraine Soisson, Ph.D., Technical Advisor for MVDP

Lorraine Soisson is the Technical Advisor under the Malaria Vaccine Development Program (MVDP). In this role, she works closely with the Division of Infectious Diseases in the Office of Health, Infectious Diseases, and Nutrition of the USAID Bureau for Global Health. Dr. Soisson advises on the application of biotechnology to parasitic vaccine development, develops regulatory affairs plans and documents, and coordinates program activities with MVDP partners.

Dr. Soisson earned her PhD in Biochemistry, Cellular, and Molecular Biology. After completing her PhD work in parasite vaccinology, she accepted an American Academy for the Advancement of Science Science and Diplomacy Fellowship in USAID's Bureau for Policy and Program Coordination. Dr. Soisson later worked on the development of USAID's Schistosomiasis Vaccine Development Program (SVDP) with USAID, the Egyptian Ministry of Health, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, and has become expert in coordinating science and health issues with international organizations.

Nora West, B.A., Project Assistant

Nora West is a Project Assistant providing support for several of Initiatives’ projects, with specific responsibilities in project accounting and administration of overseas staff. Ms. West holds a degree in Women's Studies from George Washington University, where she was also part of a traveling research delegation studying economic and physical flow patterns between the Washington, D.C. metro area and El Salvador. Prior to joining Initiatives, she worked for a non-profit organization specializing in mobile technology solutions for developing country public health. Ms. West has basic language skills in Spanish and German.