Staff

Pronouns: they/them

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Michael Gendernalik is an Education Specialist at the Eli Coleman Institute for Sexual and Gender Health. They have a MSW from Washington University with a specialization in sexual health and education. Their work focuses on the expansion of the Institute's educational offerings within the department, medical school and in the community. They are driven to creating and facilitating new sexual and gender health content.  In their free time, they enjoy local music, ceramics and spending time outside with their dog, Pickles. 

Laila Sexton is the administrative coordinator at ISGH. Most of her work revolves around supporting the director of the Institute and managing the day-to-day operations at ISGH. She comes from a humanitarian aid background and has a MSc in Global Development from the University of Copenhagen. She is passionate about being part of the mission to support gender and sexual healthcare and community building.

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Brady is a Licensed Graduate Social Worker working in the Lifespan Gender Health and Compulsive Sexual Behavior Programs. They have diverse experience in healthcare social work, domestic violence prevention and intervention, school social work, and civil and criminal legal advocacy. They are currently under clinical supervision and work with older adolescents and adults.

Brady received their Bachelor's in Social Work from Winona State University and their Master's of Social Work from Saint Mary's University of Minnesota. Outside of work, they enjoy spending time at the lakes, crafting, and reading.

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LynAnne is a licensed marriage and family therapist and licensed alcohol and drug counselor with over a decade of experience working with people from diverse backgrounds to meet their mental health wellness needs. She has a social justice orientation in therapy and recognizes the role that race, gender, poverty, sexual orientation, and disability play in the day-to-day lives of her clients. LynAnne holds an affirming practice where queer, trans, nonbinary, cisgender, and heterosexual people can explore issues of self-esteem, communication, and living with authenticity. LynAnne is sex-positive and has an interest in human sexuality and is skilled at holding space for anyone who has questions or concerns around sex, intimate relationships, sexual or romantic orientation, and gender identity and/or expression.

LynAnne graduated with her Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy degree from the University of Wisconsin-Stout. LynAnne received her Certificate in Sex Therapy from the University of Wisconsin-Stout. LynAnne is an ESSM Certified Psycho-Sexologist and is an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist.

Pronouns: he/him 

Jake Ginther provides psychiatric services with adolescents and adults. He specializes in gender medicine and sexual health. He is passionate about working closely with his community and providing tools and resources to allow patients to feel empowered. In his free time he enjoys hiking, backpacking, biking, kayaking, and camping, and traveling. He has two dart frogs and loves plants. 

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Rachel began her journey with MPhysicians/MHealth in 2013 and since that time has worked with several specialty programs, including Mental Health and Addiction programs for 7+ years.  Her approach to patient care has always been focused on the patient experience and she strives to prioritize the needs of patients and their families. She values relationships, both at work and in her personal life, that offer authenticity, support and challenge. 

When not at work, Rachel is an avid reader and baker.  As a Minnesota transplant, she enjoys exploring new places and events in the Twin Cities, especially restaurants, cultural festivals, and Bubble Tea shops

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Terri is the Clinic Manager for the Sexual and Gender Health Clinic on the West bank of Minneapolis. Prior to her current role she served as the CEO for Pride Institute in Minnesota for four years and as the Executive Director at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation for over ten years. Terri has served as an adjunct professor at Minneapolis Community and Technical College and has served on a number of boards and advisory committees. She has a bachelors degree in Psychology from Augsburg University and a masters degree in Counseling and Psychological services from St. Mary’s University. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her family and volunteering with her dog, Dash, who is a therapy dog with the Alliance of Therapy Dogs.

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Elizabeth Panetta is the program coordinator for Adult Gender Health. They specialize in working with people who have experienced trauma and who need extra support during times of change and adjustment. She has extensive experience working with people from diverse backgrounds, ranging from people who are currently unhoused to recent immigrants and refugees to the United States. Within their practice, Elizabeth prioritizes lenses based in disability justice, decolonization, harm reduction, sex positivity, and antiracism. She also enjoys working with children and adolescents in exploring their own identities and mental health. They are a Certified Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapist and are also trained in Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART)

Elizabeth earned their undergraduate degree in Human Services at Loyola University Chicago and their Master’s in Clinical Social Work at the University of Chicago. Elizabeth grew up in the Twin Cities and is excited to be back home. When not connecting in a therapeutic setting, they love biking to their local coffee shop, checking out new bookstores, and snuggling with their cats.
 

Mari Tarantino, PhD (she/any pronouns) is an interdisciplinary close relationships scholar. She recently obtained her doctorate in human development and family science from Virginia Tech in May 2026. Mari’s research focuses on understanding how sociocultural influences impact relationship dynamics and health within LGBTQ+ intimate partnerships. Her work intentionally sits at the intersection of feminist family science, critical theory and public health. For her dissertation research titled "Treading Water, Changing Tides: How Sociopolitical Uncertainty in the United States is Impacting LGBTQ+ Romantic Partnerships," she was recently awarded the 2025 Jessie Bernard Outstanding Research Proposal from a Feminist Perspective Award through the National Council on Family Relations. She will be joining ISGH as a postdoctoral fellow with Dr. Steven John and is looking forward to applying her qualitative expertise and diverse scholarly perspective within HIV prevention, implementation and applied health research.

Pronouns: They/Them

Cole S. Morris is the ISGH Randi and Fred Ettner Fellow in Transgender Health, 2025-2027. Cole received their PhD in Counseling Psychology at Texas Tech University in the Department of Psychological Sciences in Lubbock, Texas, and their Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology and Master of Science Quantitative Psychology at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. Cole’s clinical interests include the health and well-being of 2SLGBTQI+ community members, especially transgender and gender-expansive folks; culturally responsive and community-centered healing from various forms of trauma; sexual health after trauma experiences; culturally responsive and therapeutic approaches to psychological assessment, and working with folks experiencing chronic suicidality. They chose to pursue the Ettner Fellowship in Transgender Health because of the Eli Coleman Institute for Sexual and Gender Health (ISGH)'s renowned training in social justice-focused healthcare with sexual and gender diverse communities. “I appreciate ISGH's multifaceted approach to promoting health, well-being, and liberation for transgender and gender diverse communities through evidence-based treatment, training of healthcare providers, community activism and advocacy, and community-centered research,” said Cole. 

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Dasha N. Carver is the ISGH Michael E. Metz Fellow in Couples' Sexual Health, 2025-2027. Dasha received her MA in family therapy from Saint Louis University School of Medicine and her PhD in counseling psychology from Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. Dasha’s clinical interests include sexuality science (e.g., sex positivity, BDSM/Kink, sexual pleasure for marginalized groups, healing from sexual trauma, sexual satisfaction across the lifespan, engagement in alternative sexual behaviors); relationship science (e.g., the impact of romantic, familial, and community relationships on the well-being and identity development within communities of color; relationship satisfaction within non-monogamous and interracial partnerships); and diversity science (e.g., conceptualizing the experiences of marginalized groups with emphasis on Black Americans, descendants of African descent, Indigenous Americans, and those who identify as Latine.) Dasha says her future goals include “serving as a faculty member at a university abroad providing teaching and mentorship to students from diverse backgrounds and continuing to do research on my areas of interest.