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Javier Lopez-Rios, PhD, MPH

Javier Lopez Rios headshot

Associate Teaching Professor
Community Health and Prevention
jl4465@drexel.edu
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Degrees

PhD, Community Health and Health Policy, CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy
MPH, Community Health Education, Hunter College of CUNY
BA, Psychology, University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez

Bio

Javier Lopez-Rios, PhD, MPH, is an Associate Teaching Professor in the Department of Community Health and Prevention at Drexel University’s Dornsife School of Public Health. His work focuses on public health education, applied learning, and preparing students to translate public health knowledge into practice. He teaches across undergraduate and graduate programs and is particularly interested in curriculum development, experiential education, and student mentorship.

Dr. Lopez-Rios’ scholarly background is in community health, HIV prevention, health equity, and qualitative research. Prior to joining Dornsife, he was a research project manager at the HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies at the New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University, where he managed federally funded studies examining HIV testing, prevention, and access to care among sexual and racial and ethnic minority populations in New York City and Puerto Rico. His research has examined HIV self-testing, barriers to HIV prevention and care, sexual health, and the use of qualitative methods to understand health behaviors and experiences.

At Dornsife, Dr. Lopez-Rios is deeply engaged in student mentorship and the development of applied and integrative learning experiences. He works with students as they develop independent research and practice-based projects, helping them connect their academic training with their professional interests and the needs of communities and public health organizations. His broader educational interests include strengthening public health curricula, supporting effective and inclusive teaching practices, and creating educational structures that help students develop the skills and confidence needed for public health practice.

Research Interests

  • Racial, Ethnic and Sexual Minority Populations
  • HIV/AIDS Prevention and Intervention
  • Qualitative Research Methods
  • Community Health

Publications

Select Publications:

Cooper SC, Shelton J, Lopez-Rios J, Bogats B. A Qualitative Exploration of Sexual Agency in LGBTQ+ Young Adults Who are Experiencing Homelessness. Social Work in Public Health. 2025;40(6):376–385. doi:10.1080/19371918.2025.2499047.

Das D, Lopez-Rios J, McKenna SA, et al. Improving Recruitment and Retention of Transgender Women in HIV Prevention Trials: Strategies to Make Trial Participation More Congruent with the Needs of Transgender Women. AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses. 2024;40(12):680–689. doi:10.1089/AID.2023.0063.

Lopez-Rios J, Lentz C, Balan I, Grosskopf N, D’Angelo A, Stief M, Grov C. Engagement in care among newly diagnosed HIV-positive gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men in the United States: Results from the Together 5,000 study. AIDS Education and Prevention. 2022;34(5):349–364.

Lopez-Rios J. Missed Opportunities for HIV Prevention in Puerto Rico: An Argument for Inclusivity and Community Coalitions. American Journal of Public Health. 2021. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2021.306342.

Brown III W, Lopez-Rios J, Sheinfil A, Frasca T, Cruz-Torres C, Crespo R, Dolezal C, Giguere R, Lentz C, Balán IC, Rael C, Febo I, Carballo-Diéguez A. Text messaging and disaster preparedness aids engagement, re-engagement, retention, and communication among Puerto Rican participants in an HIV self-testing study after Hurricanes Irma and Maria. Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness. Published online April 8, 2020. doi:10.1017/dmp.2020.25.

Lopez-Rios J, Frasca T, Kindlon MJ, Exner TM, Norcini Pala A, Wainberg ML, Calderon Y, Cotroneo R, Jiménez AA, Remien RH. Limited Knowledge and Lack of Screening for Acute HIV Infection at Primary Care Clinics in High-Prevalence Communities of New York City. AIDS and Behavior. 2019;23(10):2870–2878. doi:10.1007/s10461-019-02527-3.

See Dr. Lopez-Rios's full list of publications on PubMed