Second Annual CREW Research Symposium Showcases Future Health Care Leaders in the U.S. Virgin Islands
The eight-week summer program is designed to inspire interest in cardiovascular science and promote research as a career path among USVI undergraduate students.
The University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, in partnership with the Virgin Islands Department of Health, hosted its second annual Cardiovascular Research Empowerment Workforce (CREW) program research symposium on July 22. It marked the culmination of an intensive, eight-week summer program designed to prepare the next generation of health care professionals in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
“Today we’re here to celebrate the scientific accomplishments of our 2025 cohort of the Cardiovascular Research Empowerment Workforce program,” said Sonjia Kenya, Ph.D., CREW program director and a professor of medicine at the Miller School. “It is only our second year of training the future health care leaders in the territory and, already, CREW is becoming part of the academic fabric that shines a light on our brightest minds.”
Student-Led Cardiovascular Research Projects
Eight outstanding USVI college students with health-related majors successfully completed the 2025 CREW program. The program included a two-week residency at the University of Miami followed by immersive research and training at the University of the Virgin Islands’ St. Thomas campus.
The 2025 CREW graduates are:
• Uchenna Ferris, University of the Virgin Islands
• Cy Taylor, University of Central Florida
• Josue Lima II, Georgia State University
• Jada Dickerson, Georgetown University
• Nefertari Henry, Lincoln University
• V’Kesha Adams, Howard University
• Keziah Wattley, University of the Virgin Islands
• Reem Mohamad, University of the Virgin Islands
Student mentors Chaenelle Ravariere and Kendra Calpano Butler, who were part of the inaugural 2024 CREW program, also played vital roles in guiding the cohort throughout their research journey.
During the symposium, scholars presented their original, student-led research projects to Miller School officials, local public health officials, government leaders and community members. The research projects addressed diverse aspects of cardiovascular disease in the Virgin Islands.
Dr. Kenya emphasized the importance of tackling the territory’s critical health disparities.
“Death by cardiovascular disease is 10 percent higher here than on the mainland,” she said. “These students are learning to confront those challenges head-on with research, data and a deep-rooted commitment to community. Every project you hear today was conceptualized 100 percent by the scholars presenting them.”
Topics included:
• How parenting styles impact heart health
• The cardiovascular risks associated with job-related stress
• The association between health care access barriers and hypertension screening
• Cardiovascular risks in women who use cannabis
• Links between anxiety and hypertension in adults
• Hidden cardiovascular risk in the usvi related to BMI, diagnosis and access to care
Nicole Craigwell-Syms, Ph.D., assistant commissioner of health with the Virgin Islands Department of Health, speaking on behalf of the Department’s Health Commissioner, Justa Encarnacion, praised the cohort’s dedication.
“This day marks a significant milestone in the growth of cardiovascular research in the Virgin Islands. These bright minds have delved into complex research while committing themselves to the most pressing public health challenges of our time,” Dr. Craigwell-Syms said.
It is only our second year of training the future health care leaders in the territory and, already, CREW is becoming part of the academic fabric that shines a light on our brightest minds.
Dr. Sonjia Kenya
Virgin Islands Department of Health’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Tai Hunte-Ceasar, who was instrumental in launching the program in the USVI, encouraged the students to serve their home communities.
“Your islands need you—not just your degrees, but your cultural fluency, your commitment and your lived understanding of what it means to call these islands home,” Dr. Hunte-Caesar said.
Lt. Governor Tregenza Roach applauded the students’ curiosity and commitment to inquiry.
“Your curiosity, I welcome it and encourage you to apply it across every area of your life,” Lt. Governor Roach said. “As our population and environment continue to change, it will be your questions — and your research — that help us understand and respond to these shifts.”
CREW Program Awards
• Academic Excellence Award: Reem Mohamad
• Leadership Award: Keziah Wattley
• Academic Persistence Award: Josue Lima II
• Community Engagement Award: Cy Taylor
• Best Research Project Award: Uchenna Ferris
The symposium was moderated by Lashonette Schjang, the Virgin Islands Department of Health’s director of health advancement and USVI CREW program manager. Schjang coordinated the cohort’s curriculum, which included presentations from various health care professionals, tours of the health network institutions and facilitation of project completion. Assistant Commissioner Reuben Molloy closed the symposium with a note of congratulations to the future health care leaders.
Tags: Cardiovascular Research Empowerment Workforce program, cardiovascular risks, Dr. Sonjia Kenya, U.S. Virgin Islands