Despite great strides in reducing HIV-related morbidity and mortality in New York City, persistent disparities remain along the HIV care continuum for racial, gender, and sexual minorities. In addition, the structural determinants of health, such as poverty and access to health insurance and healthcare, and the psychosocial determinants of health, such as mental health, substance use, and stigma, as well as a lack of community engagement in HIV research, have obstructed an end to the epidemic.

With an explicit focus on building understanding that has a direct impact on healthcare, the HIV Equity Research Lab is a multidisciplinary collaboration between NYC Health + Hospitals HIV Services, the coordinating and supporting office for HIV care across New York City’s public hospital system, and NYU Langone’s Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology. Specifically, our group is led by experts in NYC Health + Hospitals Office of Ambulatory Care and Population Health and HIV Services, as well as NYU Langone’s Institute for Excellence in Health Equity.

The HIV Equity Research Fellowship is a one-year fellowship that provides trainees with an opportunity to learn about health equity and HIV research with dedicated faculty mentorship and to participate in a research project exploring the intersection of equity and HIV prevention and care. The program is funded by NYC Health + Hospitals HIV Services and NYU Langone’s Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology.

Fellowship Goal

We aim to provide an environment in which fellows develop skills that allow them to conduct mission-driven, community-grounded health equity research projects related to HIV that may lead to scalable, innovative real-world solutions and address inequity for the communities most impacted by the HIV epidemic.

Fellowship Dates

The program runs annually from July 1 to June 30. Start and end dates are flexible.

Fellowship Research Projects

Research projects are developed by fellows in consultation with mentors, community input, NYC Health + Hospitals HIV clinical teams, and others in the HIV Equity Research Lab.

Current project examples include a population level HIV mortality study looking at inequities along lines of race, ethnicity, gender, zip code, and other predictive factors, as well as an implementation science study focused on creating an equity-based strategy to rollout long-acting injectable pre-exposure prophylaxis, known as PrEP.

Eligibility

Applicants should have a master’s degree or be currently enrolled in a doctoral program (MD or PhD). Postdoctoral applicants are also welcome after completion of an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)–approved residency or fellowship, or after completion of other graduate training.

Applicants within the NYU system (which includes NYU Grossman School of Medicine and NYU School of Global Public Health) are preferred. However, applicants from other institutions are welcome. Applicants must be working at or planning to work at an institution with an affiliation with NYC Health + Hospitals.

Applicants must have U.S. citizenship or permanent residence, with career goals that align with HIV and health equity. Candidates from underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply.

How to Apply

Prospective fellows can apply to the training program annually between September and March by submitting the following materials:

• CV
• personal statement
• cover letter
• letter of recommendation

Please email application materials to Eunice Casey, MPH, MIA, at Eunice.Casey@NYCHHC.org and Ofole Mgbako, MD, at Ofole.Mgbako@NYULangone.org.

Fellowship Leadership

Ofole Mgbako, MD
Fellowship Director
Assistant Professor, Departments of Medicine and Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine
Section Chief of Infectious Diseases, NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue
Clinical Pillar Lead, Institute for Excellence in Health Equity, NYU Langone Health
Ofole.Mgbako@NYULangone.org

Emma Kaplan-Lewis, MD
Fellowship Director
HIV Clinical Quality Director, Office of Ambulatory Care and Population Health, NYC Health + Hospitals
Assistant Professor of Infectious Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai
KaplanLE@NYCHHC.org

Eunice Casey, MPH, MIA
Senior Director, HIV Services, Office of Ambulatory Care and Population Health, NYC Health + Hospitals
Eunice.Casey@NYCHHC.org

Affiliated Faculty Partners

Gabriel Cohen, MD
Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine
Chief Medical Information Officer, Population Health, NYC Health + Hospitals

Farzana Kapadia, MPH, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine

Maria R. Khan, MPH, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine

Sahnah Lim, MPH, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine

Robert A. Pitts, MD
Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine
Medical Director of Pride Health Center, NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue

HIV Equity Research Fellows, Interns, and Staff

Our research fellows, interns, and staff are a valuable part of our fellowship program.