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BSGH Lab

Behavioral, Sexual, & Global Health Lab

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About the BSGH Lab

The Behavioral, Sexual & Global Health lab specializes in implementation science research that aims to comprehend the impact of intersectional stigma and discrimination and behavioral and place-based factors on sexual health outcomes among at-risk populations in Sub-Saharan Africa, Western Europe, and the United States.

Our diverse team of investigators and members from targeted groups collaborate to assess intervention priorities and adapt evidence-based interventions to reduce intersectional stigma and discrimination and optimize the behavioral and sexual health outcomes of the target group. This transdisciplinary team works together from conceptualization to grant acquisition, implementation, data analysis, and dissemination in a collaborative effort.

  1. Assess intersectional stigma and discrimination (ISD), behavioral (e.g., substance use, sex work, condom use), and place-based (e.g., resources, social issues) factors that impact behavioral and sexual health outcomes for at-risk groups, including sexual and gender minorities, adolescents, sex workers, and people who use drugs.

  2. Develop or modify interventions to reduce ISD and the impact of place-based issues to improve behavioral and sexual health outcomes at both the population at-risk level and at the healthcare provider level.

  3. Share research results to:
    • Improve understanding of how to address risk behaviors, ISD, and place-based factors that impact the sexual and mental health outcomes of vulnerable populations.
    • Foster positive behavioral changes and encourage higher rates of STI/HIV prevention (including testing, PrEP, and reduced substance) and medication adherence (like ART) within these at-risk groups.

  4. Assist in the growth of independent investigators by offering academic and research collaborations with current investigators and mentorship to graduate students and early investigators who are interested in substance use and other behavioral issues, HIV and sexual health, and global health.

  1. Collaboration. We recognize the importance of working together with other researchers, community members, and organizations to achieve our research goals and promote health equity.
  2. Equity and Compassion. We promote equitable access to high-quality health care and resources for all individuals, while approaching our work with compassion, empathy, and a focus on the unique needs of vulnerable populations.
  3. Integrity and Innovation. We embody integrity by conducting research with professionalism, transparency, and unwavering adherence to ethical standards, while fostering innovation through the utilization of cutting-edge methods and technologies to advance public health solutions.
  4. Impact. We are driven by a desire to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those we serve. We seek to advance research that has lasting and positive impact on the health and well-being of communities around the world.

  • HIV and Sexual Health
  • Substance Use, and Behavioral change
  • Stigma/ Intersectional Stigma
  • Gender and Sexuality
  • Migration and Global Health
  • Neighborhood or Place-based health

News & Updates

Explore more news
Gamji Rabiu Abu-Ba'are

Abu-Ba’are Leads $2.3M Study on Improving HIV Prevention, Care in Ghana

Dec 18, 2023

Italy RiFESH project launch

Refugee Initiative for Enhancing Sexual Health Launches in Italy

Oct 20, 2023

Aerial photo of Accra, Ghana

NIH Fogarty-Funded Study Seeks to Boost HIV Self-Testing, Reduce Stigma for Men in Ghana

Sep 7, 2023

Gamji Rabiu Abu-Ba’are, PhD

Gamji Rabiu Abu-Ba’are, PhD

Principal Investigator and Director
Assistant Professor, School of Nursing & Department of Public Health Sciences
Inaugural Harriet J. Kitzman Endowed Fellow in Global Health Research
Affiliate, Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS, Yale University School of Public Health

Gamji Rabiu Abu-Ba’are is an assistant professor in nursing and public health and the inaugural Harriet J. Kitzman Endowed Fellow in Global Health Research at the University of Rochester. He is the principal investigator of the Behavioral, Sexual, and Global Health Lab that operates out of the University of Rochester School of Nursing, and Jama’a Action in Accra, Ghana. As a global health and behavioral scientist, urban planner, and health geographer, Abu-Ba’are seeks to better understand the role of place and intersectional stigma on HIV and sexual health outcomes. His research develops and refines interventions to reduce intersectional stigma and optimize outcomes among HIV high-risk populations in socially-vulnerable communities in Sub-Saharan Africa, Western Europe, and the United States.

Gamji's Faculty Profile

“We hope that by training young sexual minority men in slums, we can improve their expertise around HIV, so they know what the risk behaviors are, and they will be able to assess themselves and know what options for prevention are best for them"

Gamji Rabiu Abu-Ba’are, PhD

Research Projects

Lab Members

Publications

Available Positions

Connect With Us

The BSGH Lab welcomes new collaborations and opportunities for shared discovery and knowledge. Members of the BSGH lab, led by Principal Investigator Gamji Rabiu Abu-Ba’are, PhD, MA, are available for collaboration and support on related projects, including research design, recruitment, data collection, transcriptions, coding, statistical analysis, and Geographic Information System-based analysis.

Address: 
601 Elmwood Avenue, Box SON 
Rochester, NY 14642

Phone:
(585) 275-5844

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