The Yanomami Foundation
The Yanomami Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is dedicated to supporting the Yanomami people in preserving their culture and protecting their Amazonian homeland. Our diverse team collaborates with Yanomami leaders to provide essential tools, resources, and intercultural training to the environmental, educational, and health priorities identified by Yanomami leaders. By focusing on sustainable projects and addressing community challenges, we aim to ensure the long-term success and prosperity of Yanomami communities.
Milestones
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President
Hortensia Caballero-Arias, PhD
Leadership Team
Our team brings decades of experience conducting expeditions, facilitating research with Yanomami communities, advancing cutting-edge laboratory science, and leading community outreach initiatives. Together, we unite scientific expertise with deep intercultural collaboration to advance health, knowledge, and self-determination.
Executive Director
David Ãyõpëwë Good, MSc
Research Director
Simone Renwick, PhD
Board of Directors
Grant Rogers, BA
Treasurer
Grant Rogers holds a BA in Economics from Boston University. He began his career as a private banker at Boston Safe Deposit and Trust Company and later marketed equities for Julius Baer and CIC Securities to institutional investors. He served as Head of Sales for CIC’s fixed-income, derivatives, and currency division in Paris, France. As founder and CEO of Metis Capital, he manages the Yanomami Endowment Fund investment portfolio.
Serena Belsby, MBA
Director
Serena Belsby earned a BA in Economics from the University of Texas and an MBA from Texas Christian University. She wrote, directed, and produced her first feature film, The Merry Graingers, and her work has been showcased at the Sundance Writers Lab and the Plume et Pellicule Writers’ Workshop sponsored by Dreamago in Sierre, Switzerland. What began as a creative project has evolved into a lasting personal commitment to supporting the Yanomami people.
Britt Rios-Ellis, PhD
Director
Dr. Britt Rios-Ellis earned an MSc in Health and Fitness Management and a PhD in Community Health from the University of Oregon, along with certification in Women’s Studies. She completed leadership programs at Harvard University and the HERS Program for Women’s Leadership in Higher Education. She currently serves as President of California State University, Stanislaus, where she advances inclusive education and community health.
Advisors
Emma Allen-Vercoe, PhD
Professor and Canada Research Chair, University of Guelph, Canada
Professor and Canada Research Chair, University of Guelph, Canada
Dr. Emma Allen-Vercoe began her career at the Central Veterinary Laboratories and the Centre for Applied and Microbiological Research in the UK. After postdoctoral work at the University of Calgary, she received a Fellow-to-Faculty Transition Award from the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology to study how the human microbiota influences health. Now a professor at the University of Guelph, she co-founded NuBiyota to develop Microbial Ecosystem Therapeutics for disorders linked to gut microbial dysbiosis.
Andrew Balcof
Filmmaker
Andrew Balcof is a filmmaker and storyteller who creates emotionally resonant works highlighting voices often excluded from mainstream media. His projects Wayumi and Angels of Mercy explore identity, resilience, and belonging, offering audiences immersive experiences that persist long after they leave the theater.
Javier Carrera-Rubio, PhD
Anthropologist
Dr. Javier Carrera-Rubio earned his PhD in Anthropology from the University of St Andrews, Scotland. Since 1990, he has worked among the Yanomami in the Upper Orinoco (Amazonas State), Venezuela, serving as anthropology advisor to the Yanomami association SUYAO (Shaponos Unidos Yanomami del Alto Orinoco), the Upper Orinoco Biosphere Reserve Project of the Venezuelan Ministry of Environment, and the Yanomami Health Plan of the Venezuelan Ministry of Health.
Larry Weiss, MD
Partner, Holobiont Medical Research Foundation
Dr. Larry Weiss is an experienced microbiome scientist and biotechnology executive with extensive expertise in research and development, FDA regulatory processes, and protein chemistry. He holds a BSc in Biochemistry from Cornell University and an MD from Stanford University School of Medicine, and he leads innovative efforts to translate microbiome science into medical and wellness applications.
Luciana Campos Paulino, PhD
Professor, Universidade Federal do ABC, Brazil
Dr. Luciana Campos-Paulino earned her MSc in Biological Sciences and PhD in Genetics and Molecular Biology from the Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Brazil, followed by postdoctoral research at New York University. As a professor at the Federal University of ABC in São Paulo State, she investigates microbial communities associated with the human body, particularly those of the skin, and explores how built environments influence health.
Julianna Durack, PhD
Microbiologist | Executive Director, Holobiont Medical Research Foundation
Dr. Julia Durack is the Executive Director of the Holobiont Medical Research Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing microbiome research for human health. She earned her PhD in Food Microbiology and BSc in Biomedical Science (Honors) from the University of Tasmania, Australia, and completed postdoctoral training at UC Berkeley and UC San Francisco. Her work focuses on developing microbiome-centered products in the cosmeceutical and dietary supplement fields.