Abstract

Why are HIV rates in the United States (U.S.) still so high among gay men and people of color? Why are there so many in the U.S. who do not benefit from advances in HIV treatment? The contemporary epidemic in America follows along the growing fault lines of income, education, and criminal justice inequities, and reflects the homophobia, racism, and genderism experienced by communities most at risk. Professor Rosen-Metsch will present findings from a recent randomized clinical trial study that tested a behavioral intervention seeking to address the HIV continuum of care with persons living with HIV and substance use disorders, and will contextualize the findings from a social justice perspective. Professor Rosen-Metsch will address the medical aspects of HIV as well as the broad social and cultural determinants which continue to drive infections and general health disparities in the United States, and will connect relevant themes from her own research to the HIV epidemic in Hong Kong.

Speaker Bio

Professor Lisa Rosen-Metsch

Professor of Sociomedical Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health
Dean, School of General Studies
Columbia University

Professor Lisa Rosen-Metsch ‘90GS is the Dean of the School of General Studies. Previously, she was the Chair and Stephen Smith Professor of Sociomedical Sciences at the Mailman School of Public Health, and is an internationally-recognized scholar in the prevention of HIV among populations with substance use disorders.

For the past two decades, Professor Rosen-Metsch’s research program has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. She was one of the early researchers in the era of antiretroviral therapy to articulate the importance of creating prevention/primary care programs for people living with HIV, not simply those at risk of infection. She also was part of the multi-site team funded by the CDC that developed and tested the first evidence-based linkage to care intervention for individuals who were newly diagnosed with HIV. Professor Rosen-Metsch’s current work focuses on developing innovative strategies to increase the uptake of testing, linkage, retention, and re-engagement in care among vulnerable populations. Her landmark research has resulted in more than 180 peer-reviewed publications and has helped shape national policy and intervention programs.

Prior to joining the Mailman School, Professor Rosen-Metsch was professor of Epidemiology at the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine, where she served as director of the Division of Health Services Research and Policy, with secondary appointments in the Departments of Medicine and Sociology.

Professor Rosen-Metsch is also a GS alumna, having graduated from the Joint Degree Program with List College of the Jewish Theological Seminary.

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