Aileen Y. Chang, MD, MSPH, FACP
Associate Professor of Medicine
Aileen Chang is an Associate Professor of Medicine with her research focused on arboviruses such as chikungunya, dengue, and Zika viruses that are all spread by the Aedes mosquito. She received her MD from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. She completed her Internal Medicine Residency, General Medicine Fellowship and Masters in Science and Public Health at the University of Miami. She is also holds a Certificate of Knowledge in Clinical Tropical Medicine and Travelers' Health and Advanced Rheumatology from the American College of Rheumatology. She is boarded in Internal Medicine and cares for a panel of primary care patients. She is part of the faculty of the Department of Medicine and Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine at The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Washington, D.C.
As Chief Operating Officer for the Dengue Relief Foundation, Dr. Chang has spent the last decade focused on dengue fever clinical management, laboratory diagnostics and public health management internationally and domestically. In response to the 2009 Florida Keys dengue outbreak, she became part of a task force brought together by the Center for Disease Control and the Florida Department of Health to train physicians in the management of dengue. She is currently running a clinical trial to identify the role of zanamivir to treat dengue vascular permeability syndrome and assess non-structural protein-1 related effects of dengue.
Juan David Alzate A., MD, RN
Project Manager
Juan David Alzate A. is a Postdoctoral Associate and Regulatory Specialist at The George Washington University. Born in Medellín, Colombia, he grew up in the Eje Cafetero region, where he earned his Nursing degree from the University of Quindío (UQ) and later obtained his Medical degree from the Corporación Universitaria Empresarial Alexander von Humboldt (CUE-AvH).
He has extensive clinical experience in Intensive Care, along with more than 10 years in Clinical Research. Throughout his career, he has coordinated over 20 clinical studies and has been involved in site monitoring activities as well as regulatory processes with INVIMA.
In the long term, Juan David aims to pursue a Ph.D. in Translational Health Sciences and strengthen the development of the LATIN Group, further consolidating its impact on clinical research in Latin America.
Abebawork Adem, MD, MPH
Abebawork Adem is a physician and clinical researcher from Ethiopia, holding a Doctor of Medicine (MD) from Addis Ababa University and a Master of Public Health (MPH) in Epidemiology from George Washington University's Milken Institute School of Public Health, where she was inducted into the Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health.
At the Chang Lab, Abebawork contributes to translational research on emerging and climate-sensitive infectious diseases, with a focus on chikungunya virus and other arboviral pathogens. She works across the clinical, epidemiologic, and laboratory dimensions of the lab's research program, including ongoing NIH-funded clinical trials.
Her work includes a first-authored presentation at the 2025 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Convergence — the world's largest annual rheumatology conference — on pain classification in chronic chikungunya arthritis. She also performs high-throughput multiplex PCR diagnostic testing, conducts cytokine and immune- response data analysis, manages clinical datasets, and develops epidemiologic methodology applied to ongoing clinical trials.
Abebawork's research interests center on developing evidence-based, mechanism-targeted treatment approaches for chronic post-viral arthritis, with the goal of improving outcomes for U.S. patients, including returning travelers and U.S. military personnel affected by emerging arboviral diseases.
Maria Diaz-Gutierrez, MD
Lab Manager
Maria Diaz-Gutierrez, MD, is a Clinical Research Physician and Postdoctoral Associate at The George Washington University. She earned her Medical degree (MD) from Universidad Metropolitana in Barranquilla, Colombia, where she graduated first in her class.
Before joining GWU, she served as a Co-Investigator in a Clinical Research Center, where she gained extensive experience coordinating Phase III clinical trials across multiple therapeutic areas, including infectious diseases, rheumatology, cardiology, and vaccine development.
At The George Washington University, she currently serves as the Lab Manager, where she oversees laboratory operations and supports a wide range of biomedical research activities. She is passionate about science and enjoys designing and conducting experiments that bridge laboratory discoveries with clinical applications
In addition to her work at GWU, she serves as an Academic-Tutor for a global meta-analysis community, mentoring young physicians and researchers from around the world in evidence-based medicine and research methodology.
Outside of research, she enjoys spending time with her family, reading, visiting museums, trying new cuisines, and exploring different cultures. She is also passionate about animal welfare and enjoys supporting initiatives that promote animal rescue and responsible adoption.
Juan Pablo Gaztambide
Student
Juan Pablo Gaztambide Blanco is an undergraduate student at George Washington University. Having been born in San Juan, Puerto Rico he decided to venture into the world of tropical medicine in order to help his community through the study of medicine. Along with the research in the Chang lab, he volunteers as an EMT in Hyattsville Maryland where he begins the process of developing his clinical skills.
His experience prior to this is two years in Coastal Ecology research, where he designed and operated his own study. Along with this he learned how to run his own statistical analysis and the blueprint needed to form a manuscript.
Whether it be in internal medicine or emergency medicine, Juan Pablo wants to obtain an MD in order to give back to his community as a physician. To start this medical research early in his professional life will be instrumental in being able to reach his final goal of becoming a physician.
Vivian Tran
Student
Vivian Tran is a fourth-year public health student at The George Washington University pursuing a pre-medical track. Inspired by firsthand experiences with healthcare disparities, she is passionate about advancing equitable, patient-centered care through clinical research, public health, and medicine. She is interested in advancing healthcare innovation, health equity, and translational research to improve patient outcomes. Vivian aspires to become a physician and contribute to the development of more equitable, evidence-based healthcare.
