Public Health Magazine: Winter 1995, Vol.5, No.1
Division profile: Sociomedical Sciences
Sociomedical Sciences faculty

The Division of Sociomedical Sciences boasts a diverse faculty, including:

Marysol Acensias M.P.H., The School of Public Health, 1986; Dr.P.H., 1994. Areas: community health advocacy; health problems related to Latinos, gender, and sexuality.

Ronald Bayer M.A., Chicago, 1967; Ph.D., 1976. Areas: AIDS; tuberculosis; and public health ethics. Recent publications: "Ethical Challenges Posed by Zidovudine Treatment to Reduce Vertical Transmission of HIV," The New England Journal of Medicine (1994).

Ann Brunswick M.A., Clark, 1947; Ph.D., Columbia, 1976. Areas:

John Colombotos M.A., Columbia, 1952: Ph.D., Michigan, 1961. Areas: attitudes of physicians and other health care providers about HIV/AIDS and health care reform. Recent publications: "The Power of Organized Medicine in Greece," in The Changing Character of the Medical Profession: An International Perspective (1993)

Denise Kandel M.A., Columbia, 1953; Ph.D., 1960. Areas: epidemiology; risk factors and consequences of substance abuse. Recent Publications: "From Beer to Crack: Developmental Patterns of Involvement in Drugs," American Journal of Public Health (1993).

Carol Caton M.S.N., Yale, 1965; Ph.D., Michigan, 1961. Areas: mental health and social issues specific to the homeless mentally ill; social and family issues in mental illness. Recent Publications: "Long-Term Treatment of the Young Adult Chronic Patient: Effect on Social Functioning and Coping," in The Efficacy of Psychiatric Hospitalization: Recent Advances in Outcome Research (1991)

Laura Dean M.A., Columbia, 1978; Ed.M., 1980. Areas: gay men and AIDS; mental health issues associated with AIDS, including bereavement; the impact of AIDS on sexual behavior and drug use; antigay violence and discrimination; conducting longitudinal surveys. Recent Publications: "The Effects of AIDS-Related Bereavement and HIV- Related Illness on Psychological Distress among Gay Men: A 7-Year Longitudinal Study, 1985-1991," (co-author) Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology (1993)

Robert Fullilove M.S., SUNY (Syracuse), 1972; Ed.M., Columbia, 1984. Areas: AIDS, substance abuse, and other health risks in communities of color. Recent Publications: "Crack Cocaine Use and High Risk Behaviors Among Sexually-Active, Black Adolescents," (co-author) Journal of Adolescent Medicine (1993)

Mindy Fullilove M.S., Columbia, 1974; M.D., 1978. Areas: AIDS, substance abuse, and other health risks in communities of color; qualitative research; trauma and posttraumatic stress disorders. Recent Publications: "Violence, Trauma, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among Women Drug Users," Journal of Traumatic Stress (1993)

Don Gemson M.D., New York Medical College, 1978; M.P.H., Columbia, 1984. Areas: preventitive medicine; physician education in prevention; worksite health promotion. Recent Publications: "AIDS Prevention: Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Primary Care Physicians," Archives of Internal Medicine (1991)

Mary Clare Lennon M.A., Columbia, 1975; Ph.D., 1980; M.S., 1985. Areas: job and family conditions that contribute to women's health; work conditions that affect wellbeing. Recent Publications: "Socioeconomic Status and Depression: The Role of Occupations Involving Direction, Control and Planning," (co-author) American Journal of Sociology (1993)

Eugene Litwak Ph.D., Columbia, 1958. Areas: the role of family, friends and self-help groups as informal caregivers, particularly among the elderly and AIDS patients; relationships between staff and community in nursing homes. Recent Publications: "The Role of Formal and Informal Groups in Providing Help to Older People," Marriage and Family Review (1990)

Peter Messeri M.A., Columbia, 1976; Ph.D., 1985. Areas: delivery of health care services for HIV infected persons, including community based organizations, primary care and case management; community intervention programs for health promotion; social support and health. Recent Publications: "Choosing Optimal Support Groups: A Review and Reformulation," (co-author) Journal of Health and Social Behavior (1993)

Cheryl Healton M.P.A., New York, 1978; Dr.P.H., Columbia, 1991. Areas: pediatric and adolescent AIDS; AIDS funding; testing and counseling for AIDS; women and AIDS; women and alcoholism; general health promotion and disease prevention. Recent Publications: "The Effect of Health Education Methods on Improving Knowledge and Treatment Compliance in the Sexually Transmitted Disease Clinic Setting - Lessons for HIV-STD Prevention, Sexually Transmitted Diseases" (1993)

Nancy Van Devanter M.A., Boston University, 1975; M.P.H., Harvard, 1985; Dr.P.H., Columbia, 1992. Areas: behavioral interventions for HIV and AIDS for both men and women.

Carol S. Vance Ph.D., Columbia, 1970. Areas: sexuality and public policy; history of sexuality; sexuality, disease and medicine; public controversies about sexuality; pornography, censorship, and the Meese Commission; sexually explicit imagery; sex education and safe sex; National Endowment for the Arts; women's health and the female body; female circumcision; medical anthropology; cross-cultural health. Recent Publications: Pleasure and Danger: Exploring Female Sexuality (1992).