Worldwide ICEHA Staff

Marie Charles, M.D., M.I.A..
Chair and CEO, International Center for Equal Healthcare Access (ICEHA), New York City
Adjunct Professor, Columbia University, SIPA, New York City
Recipient National Medal of Honor - Vietnam
Henry Crown Fellow - The Aspen Institute

In November 2001, Dr. Marie Charles founded ICEHA, currently widely recognized as the global leader in clinical skills rapid transfer to emerging nations.

Drawing on its pool of > 550 of some of the most highly qualified infectious disease medical professionals in the world, ICEHA deployed into 10 countries within just 3 years of solidifying the clinical mentoring model. By now, ICEHA is transferring over 6,000 aggregate man years of professional medical expertise to colleagues in emerging nations on three continents. As a direct result, local healthcare workers are providing the best care possible within their given resource limitations; and tens of thousands of patients have access to care when none existed before.

As the world’s leading fourth generation NGO (4NGO), ICEHA uses a unique empowerment-sustainability funding model, whereby Western funding catalyzes a 300% matched funding by the recipient developing countries themselves.

Dr. Charles previously served as both Chief Operating Officer of IATEC (University of Amsterdam) and co-founding Managing Director of PharmAccess International (PAI) prior to founding ICEHA. In the past she has also held an appointment as Adjunct Professor at Columbia University, School of International and Public Relations.

In recognition of her personal achievements and ICEHA’s revolutionary contribution to global healthcare, Dr. Charles was named a Henry Crown Fellow at The Aspen Institute in 2006 and received the “National Medal of Honor” from Mr. Nguyen Minh Triet, President of Vietnam, at the opening of the Vietnamese National Assembly in June 2007.

Dr. Charles received her MD from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, in Belgium and her Masters Degree in International Affairs (MIA) from Columbia University in New York City, USA. She has lived and worked in over 20 countries across the world.

ICEHA Staff Members (US)

Brian Boyle, M.D., J.D.
Executive Vice-Chair, ICEHA
Attending Physician, New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York City, USA
Associate Professor, Cornell-Weill Medical College, New York City

Dr. Brian Boyle is the founder of the Starfish program in 1998 at the Center for Special Studies, Cornell University. The primary goal of the Starfish program is to provide HIV-related medications to patients in developing countries. The medications used in the program are recovered from patients who have stopped or changed antiretroviral therapy, but still have medications left over. Currently more than 20 hospitals and clinics in developing countries providing antiretroviral medications to patients through the program and many more patients are receiving basic prophylaxis against opportunistic infections. Dr. Boyle is the Medical Director of www.hivandhepatitis.com. The website provides HIV information and receives over 6 million hits each month.

Dr. Boyle received his MD from Georgetown University School of Medicine and completed his residency at Georgetown University Medical Center.

Katie Graves-Abe, MIA
Director of Operations

Ms. Graves-Abe initially became involved with ICEHA as an operational volunteer while pursuing her Masters degree in International Affairs at Columbia University in New York City. As part of her graduation requirements, she joined a team of 6 graduate students who assessed the feasibility of ICEHA’s contribution to Cambodia’s HIV/AIDS program. As the daughter of a Foreign Service Officer, Ms Graves-Abe spent a significant time living overseas and experiencing development issues first hand. Prior to joining ICEHA, Ms. Graves-Abe worked as a Policy Analyst at The Alliance for the Betterment of Citizens with Disabilities and as the Program Coordinator for the America Reads After-School Literacy Program at Columbia University.

Ms. Graves-Abe has a Masters in International Affairs in Economic and Political Development from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and a BA in Sociology from Barnard College.

Karina Glaser, MPA
Program Manager

Prior to joining ICEHA, Ms. Glaser worked for Homes for the Homeless managing special projects, partnerships, research and programs for a network of five family shelters in New York City. In addition, Ms. Glaser has worked for the NYC Department of Education as a special education teacher as well as with University Settlement as the community liaison for NYC's Lower East Side. She has traveled and lived abroad in China and South Asia.

Ms. Glaser has a Masters in Public Administration from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs and a BA in Political Science and East Asian Studies from Barnard College.

Kristen Shantz, RN
South Africa Program Manager

Kristen Shantz received her degree in nursing in 1984, specializing in community health with a primary focus on HIV/AIDS. Over the years she has served on numerous community boards. Her association with ICEHA began in 2005 as a volunteer mentor assigned to Bantay Meanchay Province, Cambodia. She now serves as the South Africa Clinical Mentorship Coordinator, and she and her husband Dennis are living in Stellenbosch, South Africa.

Jimena Valades, MIA
Program Manager

Before pursuing her Masters degree, Ms. Jimena Valades worked for the Consulate of Mexico in Seattle managing education and health programs for the Hispanic population living in Washington and Alaska. In addition, Ms. Valades conducted a research program for CHF International to assess the impact of trust, leadership, and motivation on cooperative behavior in Mongolia.

Ms. Valades has a Masters in International Relations with a concentration in International Development from the School of Advance International Studies (SAIS) at Johns Hopkins University; a Diploma in Culture, Society, and Development in Latin America; and a BA in Social Psychology from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid.

Uyen Duong, MD, MPH
Program Manager, Asia

Uyen Duong, MD, MPH is a graduate of Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health where she received her master's degree in Public Health. She received her MD from Hanoi Medical University in Vietnam. Prior to her graduate studies in the United States, Dr. Duong worked several years in Vietnam. Her work experience includes quantitative and qualitative research in the field of reproductive health and HIV/AIDS. She has also worked as consultant for Pathfinder International on reproductive health curriculum development and for the Asian Development Bank on their Healthcare for the Poor project. Dr. Duong is currently finishing her second master's degree in Epidemiology at the University of California, Los Angeles' School of Public Health and working as a Research Assistant at the Harold Simmons Center for Kidney Disease Research and Epidemiology at the Los Angeles Biomedical Institute.

Shannon M Farley, MPH
Assistant Program Coordinator

Ms. Farley is an operational volunteer with ICEHA, working on monitoring and evaluation of programs. When not volunteering for ICEHA, Ms. Farley works as a City Research Scientist at the Bureau of Epidemiology Services for the New York City Department of Health. While earning her MPH from the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University in New York City, Ms. Farley worked on local and international program evaluations and needs assessments. Prior to graduate school, she worked as public high school teacher in New York City and California. She was also a Peace Corps Volunteer in Kenya, where she taught Biology, Chemistry, and HIV education.

Ms. Farley has a Masters in Public Health in Population and Family Health with a concentration in reproductive, adolescent and child health, from the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, a Single Subject Life Science Credential from San Francisco State University, and a BS in Biology from the University of California, at San Diego.

ICEHA Staff Members (UK)

Sarah Aggett LLB
Director of Programmes, ICEHA (UK)

Sarah Aggett is the Director of Programmes with ICEHA (UK), working to establish ICEHA (UK) as a distinct but related entity to its sister in the USA.

Ms. Aggett has a Bachelor of Laws Degree from London University and worked as a Solicitor, latterly as a Partner in a London Law Firm, before starting a family (Ms Aggett is not practicing as a solicitor at this time).

Between Law School and Training Contract, Ms Aggett worked for a year as a volunteer, teaching English at a school in Khartoum, Sudan. More recently Sarah worked as a volunteer for The Children’s Investment Fund Foundation.

Rachel Mair LLB
Program Manager, ICEHA (UK)

Rachel Mair is a Programme Manager with ICEHA (UK).

Ms Mair has a BA in history from York University and studied law at Guildford College of Law. She qualified as a Solicitor and worked in private practice at a London law firm before starting a family and taking a career break in her law career. Ms Mair has previously worked with charity organization in the UK. She has also travelled throughout South East Asia.