José Diaz, PhD
Research Assistant Professor
STAR Program
Department of Medicine
Dr. Diaz, PhD, is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine and STAR Program at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University. His research focuses on contextualizing inequities related to both health (e.g., HIV, substance use, mental health) and healthcare access, with an emphasis on Hispanic/Latine sexually minoritized men (SMM). His ongoing NIH-funded work examines how geographic movement arrival to the U.S., short-term relocation for seasonal work impacts HIV prevention and treatment among immigrant and migrant Latine SMM in NYC (R21 MH136915-01A1). He is also working on a small study, internally funded by the Office of the Senior Vice President of Research, to better understand the roles stigma, discrimination, and self-empowerment play in HIV prevention among Latine SMM nationwide and in NYC.
Dr. Diaz received his doctorate in Sociomedical Sciences from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, where he then went on to complete a postdoctoral fellowship in substance use epidemiology. Lastly, Dr. Diaz has worked with students to learn the fundamentals of survey design (REDCap) and data analysis (SPSS, R).
Education
- Undergraduate: Wheaton College (Massachusetts)
- Advanced Degree: Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
Research Interests
Health equity, stigma, resilience, substance use and use disorders, HIV prevention and treatment, Latine/x sexual minority men, LGBTQ+ health and well-being