CUNY School of Public Health Student Receives Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award Fellowship for HIV Prevention Smartphone App Research

Sonia K. González,doctoral student at the CUNY School of Public Health at the Graduate Center, has been awarded funding from the National Institute of Mental Health to modify an existing sexual health smartphone app to conduct a two-arm study.The study will evaluate knowledge and connection to clinical services via GPS abilities of the smartphone. The project will expand researchers’ limited knowledge about how best to educate and intervene among Latina and Black women ages 18-25 to prevent HIV and other STIs and address its sequalae (such as late diagnosis, access to care, and the risk of poor health outcomes among those who contract HIV/STI),which has been shown to be worse youth of color. Mrs.González is grateful to the mentorship she has received from Drs. Denis Nash, Christina Zarcadoolas and Jessie Daniels.