Meet the Nijhawan
Lab Members
Meet the Principle Investigator
Ank Nijhawan, M.D., MPH, MSCS
Dr. Ank Nijhawan is an infectious diseases physician and researcher. She completed her undergraduate degree at Princeton University, where she majored in Romance Languages, followed by a year teaching English in Puyo, Ecuador. She completed her medical degree at UT Southwestern Medical Center and trained in internal medicine at UT Southwestern/Parkland Hospital.
She subsequently completed infectious diseases fellowship in Boston, at the Massachusetts General Hospital/Brigham and Women’s combined program, which included a year dedicated to HIV training. She completed a clinical research fellowship at Brown University/Miriam Hospital and a Masters of Public Health from the Harvard School of Public Health.
In 2012, Dr. Nijhawan returned to Dallas and joined the UT Southwestern faculty. She currently provides clinical care in the inpatient and outpatient setting, including at the Dallas County Jail, where she is the head infectious diseases provider. She also leads a number of clinical research projects with a focus on vulnerable populations living with or at risk for HIV, and is funded through National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institute of Mental Health.
Dr. Nijhawan also leads a community stakeholder group, HIV/AIDS Re-entry Coalition, focused on improving the HIV and HIV prevention care cascades for incarcerated and recently released individuals. She is involved in mentoring multiple trainees in clinical care and research, including medical students, residents, fellows and junior faculty.
Dr. Nijhawan is board certified in internal medicine and infectious diseases, and has completed a certificate of knowledge in Clinical Tropical Medicine and Travelers Health. She is fluent in 4 languages, including English, Dutch, Spanish and French.
Current Lab Members
Laura Hansen, MA
Clinical Research Coordinator
Laura Hansen is originally from Houston. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from St. Edward’s University and Master’s degree in Health Psychology from Texas State University. She has a broad research background ranging from investigating cognitive and brain differences in genetic disorders to working on multiple studies involving infectious diseases. She joined UT Southwestern Medical Center in 2018 and is a Clinical Research Coordinator, providing support in planning, implementing, and managing research studies. In Dr. Nijhawan’s lab, she is currently working on projects with formerly incarcerated populations at risk for HIV.
In her spare time, Laura enjoys traveling and spending time with her family, and two Collies.
Zoe Pulitzer, MPH, MSEd
Research Study Coordinator
Originally from Pittsburgh, Zoe moved to Dallas when she was in high school. She went on to earn her BS in Psychology at the University of Maryland, where she developed a keen interest in the intersection of education, public health, and the criminal legal system. She continued her education in New York City and earned her MSEd from Brooklyn College and MPH from Columbia University. After graduation, Zoe worked for the city's public hospital system in the division that provides health care to individuals detained in jail on Rikers Island. In 2020, Zoe returned to Dallas and started working at UT Southwestern with Dr. Nijhawan, continuing to study issues related to health and incarceration.
Gerald Strickland, CHW
Community Health Worker
Gerald Strickland is originally from Chicago, IL. He moved to Dallas in 1986. He attended schools in the Chicago Metropolitan area. He has been employed at UT Southwestern Medical Center for 11 years. He started out as a Community Health Worker (CHW). He was recently promoted to a Research Assistant and is currently working for the Psychiatry and Internal Medicine departments working on NIDA Clinical Trials Network (CTN) studies. When Gerald is not working, he loves being with family, friends and traveling.
Natalie Noreen, MPH
Research Assistant
A Texas native, Natalie earned her Bachelors in Medical Humanities and Master of Public Health and Epidemiology from Baylor University. Her research focused on HIV care and service expansion in Texas. Natalie’s passion for using epidemiology to support social justice efforts and health policy reform led her to continue her HIV research at UT Southwestern as part of the ACTION study as a Research Assistant.
When not working on the project, Natalie enjoys reading, cooking, and spending time with family and friends. Her goal is to visit all U.S. National Parks with her husband and their cat, Minnow.