Taofeek Kunle Owonikoko, MBChB, DrMed, MS
Principal Investigator
Dr. Taofeek Owanikoko serves as the Principal Investigator of mLDCT study. He is the executive director of the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, a National Cancer Institute-Designated Cancer Center. He is also the senior associate dean of cancer programs at University of Maryland School of Medicine. In addition, he is the associate vice president of cancer programs at University of Maryland, Baltimore.
Dr. Owonikoko is a distinguished translational physician-scientist. His research interests include preclinical experimental therapeutics, biomarker discovery and translation of promising laboratory findings into clinical trials. He has received peer-reviewed extramural grant funding for his research from the US National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense, private foundations and pharmaceutical partners.
Man E. Charurat, PhD, MHS
Principal Investigator
Dr. Man E. Charurat serves as Principal Investigator on the mLDCT study. He holds appointments in the University of Maryland School of Medicine’s Department of Medicine and Department of Epidemiology and Public Health. He is the Interim Director of the Institute of Human Virology (IHV), Director of the Division of Epidemiology and Prevention at the IHV, and Global Director of the Center for International Health, Education, and Biosecurity (Ciheb).
His research focuses on maternal-infant HIV transmission, key and vulnerable populations, implementation science, HIV surveillance, and transmission dynamics. Dr. Charurat has authored more than 200 peer-reviewed articles and serves as Principal Investigator for over $200 million in grant funding from the U.S. NIH and CDC to support research and training programs across sub-Saharan Africa.
He and his team have established vibrant centers of excellence in Nigeria, Kenya, Zambia, Botswana, and Tanzania. These centers conduct cutting-edge public health implementation science, clinical research in infectious diseases, and cancer control initiatives.
Marie‑Claude Lavoie, PhD, MSc
Co‑Principal Investigator
Dr. Marie-Claude Lavoie is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and serves as Director of Strategic Information and Evaluation at the Center for International Health, Education, and Biosecurity (CIHEB Global) at the Institute of Human Virology.
She is a Co-Principal Investigator on the Phase 2 Maryland Implementation Science Study on mobile Low-Dose Computed Tomography (mLDCT) for lung cancer detection, which focuses on expanding access to lung cancer screening among underserved populations in Maryland.
Dr. Lavoie holds a PhD and advanced training in implementation science. A former Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Public Health Law Research Fellow, her research centers on designing, implementing, and evaluating person-centered interventions and services to improve health outcomes, with a strong emphasis on HIV programs, equity, and evidence-based public health strategies in both domestic and global settings.
Chinedu Agbakwuru, M.B.B.S, MS
Implementation Lead & Co‑Principal Investigator
Dr. Chinedu Agbakwuru is a recognized leader in global health implementation with over two decades of experience driving impactful programs in HIV surveillance, epidemiology, health systems strengthening, monitoring, evaluation, and implementation science across low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and the United States.
He currently serves as Director of Health Programs at the Division of Epidemiology and Prevention, Institute of Human Virology, Center for International Health, Education and Biosecurity (CIHEB Global) at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
Dr. Agbakwuru is the Implementation Lead and Co-Principal Investigator on the Phase 2 Maryland Implementation Science Study on mobile Low-Dose Computed Tomography (mLDCT) for Lung Cancer detection. This initiative aims to expand access to lung cancer screening for underserved populations in Maryland.
His technical leadership has strengthened public health surveillance systems, advanced health equity, and informed policy in multiple countries. He played a key role in major PEPFAR-funded epidemiological studies, including Nigeria’s National HIV/AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey (NAIIS) — one of the largest population-based HIV impact assessments ever conducted — and Botswana’s BAIS V survey, which confirmed the country’s achievement of the UNAIDS 95-95-95 HIV treatment targets. Dr. Agbakwuru serves as an advisor to national governments on health equity, epidemic control strategies, and U.S. global health objectives in Kenya, Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Nigeria.
Megan Mansfield, PhD
Co‑Principal Investigator
Megan Mansfield is a Lead Qualitative Analyst in the Division of Epidemiology and Prevention at the Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine. She is a mixed-methods researcher with expertise in qualitative, survey, and longitudinal methods.
She serves as a Co-Principal Investigator on the Phase 2 Maryland Implementation Science Study on mobile Low-Dose Computed Tomography (mLDCT) for lung cancer detection, which aims to expand access to lung cancer screening for underserved populations in Maryland.
Her research focuses on implementation science, global health, and health equity, with particular emphasis on improving prevention and care services for sexual and gender minority populations. Drawing on her background in social psychology, Dr. Mansfield examines how social relationships, community contexts, and structural conditions shape health behaviors and well-being outcomes. Her work increasingly addresses multilevel barriers and facilitators to implementing evidence-based health interventions across diverse health systems.
She currently leads qualitative research on several NIH-funded studies in the United States and Africa, including projects on HIV prevention and care (with a focus on syndemics among sexual and gender minorities living with HIV), implementation of digital health interventions for youth, and strategies to improve health service delivery, cancer prevention and treatment services.
Ashley Shutt, MS
Co‑Principal Investigator
Ms. Ashley Shutt serves as Program Director supporting the CIHEB/EPI Division at the Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine. She is a Co-Principal Investigator on the Phase 2 Maryland Implementation Science Study on mobile Low-Dose Computed Tomography (mLDCT) for lung cancer detection, which aims to expand access to lung cancer screening for underserved populations in Maryland.
With 18 years of experience in program management, Ms. Shutt is passionate about advancing high-quality, ethically grounded public health research. Her work focuses on building strong foundations of regulatory compliance, operational excellence, and system strengthening to support multidisciplinary teams and ensure programs meet strategic and regulatory goals.
She has led and supported a wide range of global health and research initiatives, with expertise in navigating complex compliance requirements, coordinating with diverse stakeholders, and implementing processes that enhance efficiency, accountability, and overall project success.
Akipu Ehoche, MS
Co‑Principal Investigator
Akipu Ehoche, MS, is a research data analyst with extensive experience in statistical modeling, biostatistics, and large-scale data management for population-based household surveys, public health, and clinical research. She serves as a Co-Principal Investigator on the Phase 2 Maryland Implementation Science Study on mobile Low-Dose Computed Tomography (mLDCT) for lung cancer detection, which aims to expand access to lung cancer screening for underserved populations in Maryland.
She specializes in developing advanced statistical models, designing analytical workflows, and managing complex datasets. Her work centers on applying rigorous statistical methods to support evidence-based research, evaluation, and health systems improvement.
Ms. Ehoche holds a lead research data analyst role at the Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine. Her expertise includes designing targeted statistical studies; conducting longitudinal, mixed-effects, logistic regression, and complex survey analyses; developing data quality and warehousing protocols; and producing statistical outputs for manuscripts, grants, and technical reports. She is committed to strengthening analytic capacity, improving data-driven decision-making, and enhancing the effectiveness of health interventions.