Dr. Charlene Shelton has 20+ years’ experience in community engagement, including engagement of people with lived experience as research partners. She is the editor of a recently published handbook on how to form sustainable, equitable, and meaningful research partnerships (available free on this website). She is Assistant Research Professor and Equity Officer in the Department of Orthopedics at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. She was previously the Program Manager of the CYSHCNet National Research Network (CYSHCNet) where she directed the network’s Family Engagement program and co-directed the Emerging Investigator training program. Dr. Shelton and her colleagues published the Standard of Compensation for Lived Experience Partners, currently the only guide of its kind in the U.S. (available free on this website). As a former critical care nurse, Dr. Shelton worked in the trauma center and NICU at LAC-USC Medical Center and was part of the case management team at AIDS Project Los Angeles. She holds masters degrees in sociology and public administration and a PhD in Health & Behavioral Sciences.

Carie Behounek is a storyteller, communications consultant, and freelance writer. She has more than 20 years of experience as a communications professional. She has ghostwritten hundreds of articles in academic medicine, focusing on quality improvement, patient safety, and provider/patient communication. Carie comes to this project as an advocate for ensuring that the voices of people with lived experience are front and center in research. She edits the blog and all communications for the project. Carie holds a master’s degree in communication from the University of Denver.

Jonah Stoller is a graduate of the Colorado School of Public Health Master of Public Health program, with a concentration in Population Mental Health and Well-Being. Jonah has experience as a researcher at institutions including the University of Colorado, the University of Wisconsin Madison Center for Healthy Minds, and the UW Madison Institute for Research on Poverty. In addition, he has spent the past several years helping to conduct and support stakeholder-engaged health systems research. His interests are focused on program evaluation of population-level mental and behavioral health interventions for children and adolescents, as well as increasing and optimizing patient and family engagement in health research.

Emily R Shelton is a geographic, data, and web consultant who implemented environmental policies, won several campaigns, and improved non-profit capabilities. She elevated causes such as climate change, countering misinformation, poverty alleviation, gentrification, environmental degradation, disaster relief, and challenges in healthcare. She specializes in high-level geographic analysis and data expertise primarily for non-profits. She has a Bachelor’s in Geography from the University of Colorado Boulder and has more than 6 years experience.