CAETC Staff

Ann Williams, RN (Principal Investigator)
Helen Porter Jayne and Martha Prosser Jayne Professor of Nursing

Ann is the principal investigator of the CAETC and has been since it first began in CT. She is a nurse practitioner and cares for persons infected with HIV. She did much of the early work of the epidemic in HIV in women and HIV in substance abusers. She is widely published and recognized both nationally and internationally as a nurse clinician and nurse researcher. She has written the book HIV Nursing and Symptom Management which is used by many practitioners. She is available for consultation on topics which include: selecting antiretroviral medication, adherence, women's issues, and symptom management.
 

Kevin Dieckhaus, MD (Medical Associate)

Kevin is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Connecticut and the HIV Coordinator for the UConn Health Center. He is board certified in Infectious Diseases and holds a Certificate in HIV Care. Kevin is available for onsite clinical education addressing topics which include medical management of HIV infection, using antiretroviral medications, preventing and managing opportunistic diseases, complications of HIV therapy, and antiretroviral resistance.
 

Laurie Sylla, MHSA, BSW (Director)

Laurie Novick Sylla has been involved with HIV work since 1982. She was the Co-Founding Executive Director of the AIDS Council of Northeastern New York and a Co-Founding Board Member of the Community Research Initiative of New England. She spent four years serving as Advocacy Manager at the AIDS ACTION Committee of Massachusetts and nine years as Executive Director of the HIV Action Initiative in Hartford, CT. She is Co-Author of HIV Care: A Handbook for Providers (Sage Publications, 1995). She has won numerous awards for her work in the epidemic.
 

Karina Danvers, BS (Coordinator)

Karina Danvers is the Coordinator of the Connecticut AIDS Education and Training Center.  She holds a Human Services degree and a Bachelor of Science in Public Health.  Karina has worked in the AIDS field for the past 14 years and has received numerous awards for her work, including The Commissioners AIDS Leadership Award for exceptional commitment in providing advocacy and support for people living with HIV/AIDS.  In her work, she provides information on realistic and workable tools regarding HIV/AIDS that can be implemented by providers, patients, and communities on a daily basis.
 

Betsy Williams, AS
(Senior Administrative Assistant)

Betsy Williams is the new Senior Administrative Assistant for the CT AIDS Education and Training Center. She comes to us from the Yale Child Study Center where she was Senior Administrative Assistant for Dr. David Pauls in Genetic Research. She has an Associates degree in Science from Southern CT State University. She also works part time at the Oakdale Theatre in Wallingford in different capacities.