What We Do
AXCES Research and Health conducts outpatient clinical trials for infectious diseases, including HIV and Hepatitis. We also offer affordable testing for Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs). We have locations in Santa Fe, Albuquerque, El Paso, and Salt Lake City to serve the entire Southwest community.
The AXCES Mission
Our mission is to provide access to innovative, exceptional, and ethical care—based on the best science available—to everyone, including the most vulnerable in our communities.
We also strive to encourage and empower more underrepresented groups—specifically women and girls—to work in STEM roles.
The AXCES team has a longstanding history of using clinical trials as a gateway to care for all members of our community. Our aim is to provide innovative and ethical clinical care for all, including marginalized communities who have historically been under-represented in clinical trials. At AXCES, we recognize that good science needs to reflect the community it serves, and that scientific breakthroughs should benefit all of us, including the diverse communities of the Southwest.
OUR TEAM
Investigators
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Joel Gallant, MD, MPH
Principal Investigator (Santa Fe and ABQ)
Pronouns: he/him/his
Dr. Gallant is a world-renowned HIV expert, clinical investigator, professor, and author, and we are grateful for the expertise he brings. He spent 21 years on the faculty of Johns Hopkins University and more recently he was executive director of HIV Global Medical Affairs at Gilead Sciences.
He also just happens to be a really great guy with a wicked sense of humor and a passion for New Mexico. We couldn’t be happier to have him on our team!
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Ogechika Alozie, MD, MPH, FACP, FIDSA, AAHIVS
Investigator (El Paso)
Pronouns: he/him/his
Dr. Alozie received his medical degree from the University of Benin in Nigeria, then completed an internship and residency at the Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, MN. He is also a graduate of the University of Minnesota's Infectious Diseases fellowship and is one of only 100 physicians in Texas who are board-certified in clinical informatics by the American Board of Preventive Medicine. He believes that patient care is the most essential part of medicine, and so has has served as chair, co-chair, and member of multiple state and local committees advocating for excellence in care. He currently works as CEO of Sunset West Health, a program that has been recognized as the Minority Health Services Firm of the Year multiple years in a row. In addition to being voted El Paso’s Best Doctor and receiving the Award for Innovative Practice, he is well known to the nation for representing the El Paso/border community during the COVID-19 pandemic on CNBC, NPR, Bloomberg, and CBS. When he’s not too busy tending to his patients or his adoring fans 😊, he likes to give TEDx talks and spend his time hiding his monumental sneaker collection from his wife and son….
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Susana Keeshin, MD, AAHIVM
Investigator (Salt Lake City)
Bio coming soon!
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Grecia Heredia, RPh, BCACP, AAHIVP
Investigator (El Paso)
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Grecia Heredia graduated with a Doctorate of Pharmacy from the University of Texas at Austin and completed a post-graduate residency through the American Society of Health System Pharmacists. She is board certified as an Ambulatory Care Pharmacist and credentialed by the American Academy of HIV Medicine. She currently serves as the Director of Pharmacy at Sunset West Health and is Clinical Faculty at the University of Texas at El Paso School of Pharmacy and the Texas Tech Paul L. Foster School of Medicine. She is passionate about serving underrepresented communities and educating other healthcare providers. She enjoys running, reading, hot yoga, spending time with her daughter, and in spite of her brilliance, absolutely hates the spotlight, preferring to stand comfortably in the long shadow cast by the very tall Dr. Alozie 😁
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Wendy Johnson, MD, MPH
Investigator (Santa Fe)
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Dr. Johnson has over 25 years of experience in community medicine, public health, and global health as a researcher, clinician, teacher, policy maker, technical advisor, and manager. She received her medical and undergraduate degrees from Ohio State University, her Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins University, and completed her Family Medicine Residency at the University of New Mexico. Her winding career path includes stints scaling up HIV treatment in Mozambique, overseeing the Cleveland, OH Department of Public Health, and most recently, directing a community clinic in Santa Fe. Her work has been focused on advocacy for marginalized populations, both in the US and internationally, and on designing health programs and interventions especially in the areas of primary care, women’s and children’s health, HIV, and addiction medicine. She currently lives in a half-wild valley on the outskirts of Santa Fe, where she works on rewilding her patch of earth. She believes her love of gardening, food, and mountains is genetic, inherited from her Italian grandmother who grew up in the Dolomite Alps.
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Sally Bowen, FNP, AAHIVS
Investigator (Salt Lake City)
Bio coming soon!
Leadership
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Wenoah Veikley, RN, BScN
CEO, Chief Clinical Officer, and Investigator
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Wenoah is an infectious disease nurse and healthcare leader specializing in public health, clinical research, sexual health, HIV, hepatitis, and forensic nursing. She’s worked in communities as diverse as rural New Mexico and Texas, Beverly Hills, and remote regions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. She’s passionate about creating equity and access in healthcare, and she founded AXCES to be a beacon of clinical excellence, compassionate care, and scientific integrity. Wenoah is a needle-phobic nurse who loves her family and likes to crash into things at high speeds.
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Andrea Rodriguez, CCRC
Director of Research
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Andrea has been in healthcare since the mid-2000s, exploring family medicine, emergency medicine, and laboratory work before settling into clinical research. As a native Santa Fean, she is passionate about providing cutting-edge treatments to all the communities of New Mexico and building relationships with her patients. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and being a unicorn.
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Erin Brummer, MPH
Business Operations Manager
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Erin received her undergraduate degree from the University of Colorado (go Buffs!) and completed her Master of Public Health at Grand Canyon University. She has a clinical background in specialty healthcare, including infectious disease, and has experience as a Clinical Research Assistant. Erin also holds certifications in Harm Reduction and Mental Health First Aid. She is passionate about creating access to healthcare and education in small and rural communities. When she’s not surfing in California or skiing in Montana, she is hanging out with her dog Beefy.
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Trevor Hawkins, MD, Emeritus
Advisor
Bio coming soon!
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Zoe Sananda Castro
Research Manager
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Zoe received her BS in Biology with a minor in Chemistry from the University of New Mexico. Having spent much of her time in college doing bench research, she was ultimately drawn to research that involved connecting with people, not just plants 😊. She is passionate about using clinical research as a bridge to healthcare for underrepresented populations and connecting with her patients. Sharing her research knowledge and experience is her superpower, so she often travels to AXCES sites to train our teams. After working long days, she likes to use her weekends for snowboarding or camping near a river in the Rocky Mountains. The rest of the time, you can usually find her wrangling her many dogs.
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Joel Gallant, MD, MPH
Senior Medical Advisor
Pronouns: he/him/his
Dr. Gallant is a world-renowned HIV expert, clinical investigator, professor, and author, and we are grateful for the expertise he brings. He spent 21 years on the faculty of Johns Hopkins University and more recently he was executive director of HIV Global Medical Affairs at Gilead Sciences.
He also just happens to be a really great guy with a wicked sense of humor and a passion for New Mexico. We couldn’t be happier to have him on our team!
Staff
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Sonia Arzabala-Santillan
Research Assistant (Santa Fe)
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Sonia brings 7 years of diverse medical experience to her role as a Research Assistant. As a born-and-raised New Mexican, her love for her roots includes using research to empower the Hispanic community through fostering an understanding of how science improves community wellbeing. In her spare time, she likes to ride her horses, spend time with her fam bam, and soak in local hot springs while taking in the gorgeous New Mexico views.
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Christopher Lopez
Clinical Research Coordinator
Pronouns: he/him/his
Christopher is an El Pasoan who has spent most of his life in El Paso and the southern border of the country Ciudad Juarez. He obtained a BS from UTEP and has many years of research experience, including clinical research. He is excited to be part of AXCES Research and helping others, especially the minority populations that need it the most. Chris has a passion for sports and food, especially when his wife cooks for him.
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Wendy Dionne
Program Administrator
Bio coming soon!
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Elina Compri
Data Coordinator
Bio coming soon!