Stacey is the Director of Research Engagement at AVAC where she oversees AVAC’s advocacy, engagement, literacy, and related efforts around products in the HIV research and development (R&D) pipeline. Since 2011, she has led AVAC’s influential Good Participatory Practice program which governs stakeholder engagement in research processes. From its inception in 2016, she directed AVAC’s Coalition to Accelerate and Support Prevention Research Project, which built Africa-based and -led advocacy for development of new HIV prevention interventions. Through the duration of the project, Stacey was instrumental in securing 10 years and $40M of funding for the CASPR Project, helped grow CASPR to include primarily Africa-based partners, and supported the adaptation of the GPP guidelines from HIV prevention to four other disease and research areas. Stacey also serves as a member of AVAC’s Leadership Team.
Before joining AVAC, Stacey was part of IAVI’s Country and Regional Programs team for 7 years, where her proudest accomplishment was developing the VaxLit Toolkit, a research literacy tool primarily for vaccine clinical trial site staff, communities, and other country stakeholders. She also took a short break from the HIV world to develop and implement a research literacy program for the TB Alliance.
Stacey joined AVAC in 2011. She has over twenty years of experience in HIV prevention research, which began in South Africa helping prepare the first HIV vaccine trial site in the country. Over the years, she has served long-term posts in Kenya, South Africa, and Uganda (which included summitting Mount Kilimanjaro!). She now resides in Atlanta, Georgia, where she enjoys the hot energy of the city, as well as a slow, cold drink on her front porch.