Don Operario
Professor And Chair
Rollins Professor
Chair, Behavioral/Social/Health Educ

My research and teaching areas are motivated by two interrelated areas. The first general area concerns the syndemic of HIV, mental health, and structural violence in historically marginalized communities (e.g., intersectional LGBT and BIPOC populations), with an emphasis on developing and evaluating theory-based social and behavioral interventions to improve health equity. A second research area concerns the lived experiences associated with social inequality, with an emphasis on understanding the perspectives of minoritized group members and addressing health and psychosocial disparities. My work uses multiple methodologies (qualitative inquiry, observational designs, intervention trials, systematic reviews, meta analysis) and prioritizes community-engaged approaches. I conduct research in collaboration with community and academic partners in the United States, Kenya, China, Philippines, South Korea, and South Africa. Prior to joining the BSHES department at Emory, I was a faculty member and researcher at Brown University, Oxford University, and UCSF.
Areas of Interest
- Community Based Research
- Global Health
- HIV/AIDS Prevention
- LGBTI Health
- Mental Health
- Sexual Health/Behavior
- Social Determinants of Health
Education
- BA - Psychology 1993, UCLA
- PhD - Social Psychology 1998, University of Massachusetts at Amherst
- Fellowship 2000, UCSF
Publications
- Gamarel KE, King WM, Operario D. , 2022, Behavioral and social interventions to promote optimal HIV prevention and care continua outcomes in the United States. , Current Opinions in HIV/AIDS, 17, 65-71
- Laurenzi C, Ronan A, Phillips L, Nalugo S, Mupakile E, Operario D, Toska E. , 2022, Enhancing a peer supporter intervention for young mothers living with HIV in Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia: Adaptation and co-development of a psychosocial component., Global Public Health., 27, 1-5
- Alpert AB, Mehringer JE, Orta SJ, Redwood E, Hernandez T, Rivers L, Manzano C, Ruddick R, Adams S, Cerulli C, Operario D. , 2022, Experiences of Transgender People Reviewing Their Electronic Health Records, a Qualitative Study., Journal of General Internal Medicine. , ,
- van der Elst EM, Abuna M, Agutu C, Ogata F, Galole A, Shikuku J, Oduor T, Graham SM, Sandes EJ, Operario D. , 2022, Facilitating HIV status adjustment: Qualitative insights from the Tambua Mapema proof-of-concept study in Kenya., PLoS One, ,
- Lee H, Operario D, van den Berg JJ, Yi H, Choo S, Kim SS., 2022, Health disparities among transgender adults in South Korea., Asia Pacific Journal of Public Health., ,
- Operario D, Sun, S, Bermudez AN, Masa R, Shangani S, van der Elst E, Sanders E. , 2022, Integrating HIV and mental health interventions to address a global syndemic among men who have sex with men., Lancet HIV, ,
- Yoshioka E, Palatino M, Nazareno J, Operario D., 2022, Intimate partner violence and sexual agency in a nationally representative sample of women and girls in the Philippines., Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 37,
- LoVette A, Kuo C, Giovenco D, Hoare J, Underhill K, Operario D, 2022, Pre-exposure prophylaxis as an opportunity for engagement in HIV prevention among South African adolescents. , SAHARA-J: Journal of Social Aspects of HIV/AIDS. , ,
- Sun S, Lin D, Goldberg S, Shen Z, Chen P, Qiao S, Brewer J, Loucks E, Operario D, 2021, A mindfulness-based mobile health (mHealth) intervention among psychologically distressed university students in quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic: A randomized controlled trial., Journal of Counseling Psychology. , 69,
- Giovenco D, Kuo C, Underhill K, Hoare J, Operario D. , 2021, Adolescent-centered HIV prevention: perspectives on oral antiretroviral pre-exposure prophylaxis for adolescents in a global priority setting. , Archives of Sexual Behavior, ,
- Restar AJ, Sherwood J, Edeza A, Collins C, Operario D., 2021, Expanding gender-based health equity framework for transgender populations., Transgender Health, 6, 1-4
- King WM, Restar A, Operario D., 2021, Exploring multiple forms of intimate partner violence in a gender and racially/ethnically diverse sample of transgender adults. , Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 36,
- Bermudez AN, Cochon KL, Operario D., 2021, Intimate partner violence and HIV testing in Filipino women: analysis of the 2017 Philippine National Demographic and Health Survey., Violence Against Women, ,
- Quilantang M, Irene N, Bermudez AN, Operario D., 2020, Reimagining the future of HIV service implementation in the Philippines based on lessons from COVID-19., AIDS and Behavior, 24, 3003-3005
- Shangani S, Genberg B, Harrison A, Pellowski J, Wachira J, Naanyu V, Operario D., 1945, Sexual Prejudice and Comfort to Provide Services to Men Who Have Sex with Men Among HIV Healthcare Workers in Western Kenya: Role of Interpersonal Contact., AIDS and Behavior, 26, 805-813
- Lu, X., Pan, G., Wang, X., Xia, W., Zhano, X., He, Q, Zhang, H., Wang, J., Sun, Y., Liu, T., Sun, S., Yang, C., Zaller, N., Zhang, Z., Operario, D. , 1945, User preferences for a mHealth approach to support HIV self-testing and linkage to HIV prevention or care services for MSM in China. , AIDS Education and Prevention, ,