People

Eileen Virtusio Pitpitan, PhD is a Visiting Associate Professor at CGSHE and Division of Social Medicine at UBC. She is also a Tenured Associate Professor in the School of Social Work at San Diego State University (SDSU), and an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine at UC San Diego (UCSD). She also serves as Co-Director of the San Diego Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) Health Equity Sociobehavioral Science Core, and Associate Director of the SDSU-UCSD Joint Doctoral Program in Interdisciplinary Research on Substance Use. Dr. Pitpitan has over 10 years of experience studying social and structural factors (e.g., substance use, violence, mental health, stigma) surrounding HIV among marginalized communities (incl. marginalized women, racial and ethnic minorities, sexual and gender minorities, and people who use drugs), and is an expert in quantitative methods. The focus of her research is on the development and evaluation of theory-driven interventions to reduce disparities and promote equity in the HIV prevention and care continuum. She has had a successful NIH-funded career trajectory beginning with a T32 postdoctoral fellowship, a Diversity Supplement Award, and a Mentored Career Development K01 Award, and is currently Principal Investigator on two active NIH R01 grants. Along with substantive expertise in HIV among marginalized communities, Dr. Pitpitan is an expert in quantitative research methods. Through her K01 she also received advanced training and experience in qualitative and mixed methods. Her research applies such methods to a gain a deeper understanding of the mechanisms that underlie how marginalized communities face increased risks for HIV, substance use, and barriers to prevention, treatment, and care. Finally, Dr. Pitpitan is also a passionate teacher and mentor, especially for underrepresented racial/ethnic minority women and men. She is committed to promoting diversity, equity, justice, and inclusion across science and academia. As such, she serves as Co-Director of a NIH R25 research education and training program exclusively for Black and Latinx junior faculty to support their path towards and success in independent research, as Co-Director of a training program to support Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) pre- and post-doctoral fellows in HIV research, and as Co-Director of a NIH U54 awarded to SDSU as part of the NIH FIRST initiative designed to promote inclusive excellence across institutions supporting diverse biomedical researchers.