Name: Rogério M. Pinto

Current Position: Assistant Professor of Social Work, Columbia University, New York, NY

CUSSW degree and specialization: Ph.D., Social Work. Concentration in Advanced Practice, May 2003.

Dissertation title: Factors that influence African-American women's participation in HIV prevention programs: An ecological perspective.  Sponsor: Mary McKay

Experience in the doctoral program:  "I came to Columbia in 2001 and finished the PhD program in 2003 [with a] concentration in social work practice and children and families services. The PhD program was very rigorous, but allowed some flexibility in terms of of the courses we could take in other schools throughout the University. This is a unique approach to a doctoral education that I truly appreciated. I ended up taking fabulous courses in sociology, anthropology, and public health. This exposure to other disciplines helped me to think more conceptually and ecologically about social problems. I was truly impressed with the depth of the discussions we held in our practice classes in the School of Social Work . . . . Early in my PhD program, I decided to pursue a dissertation that could shed light on what influences minority populations to engage in research and in social services. I worked with Dr. Mary McKay and used data previously collected for an NIMH-funded project. I developed a mixed method study entitled Factors that influence African-American women's participation in HIV prevention programs: An ecological approach. My dissertation won the Society for Social Work and Research Outstanding Dissertation Award. After graduation, I engaged in an NIMH-funded, three-year Postdoctoral Fellowship at the HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies at the New York State Psychiatric Institute. In 2006, I joined the faculty at Columbia University School of Social Work. I was very happy with the PhD program."

Description of current research: Dr. Rogério M. Pinto's research focuses on the empirical and theoretical study of collaboration between HIV prevention researchers and individuals, social groups and organizations in racial, ethnic, and sexual minority communities. "Collaboration" -- sharing of roles and responsibilities -- between communities and researchers has been shown to generate new and better methods for HIV research, community-friendly results, and wider dissemination of HIV prevention interventions. Dr. Pinto's research is guided by principles of Community-Based Participatory and Action Research, including studies in both New York, USA, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Dr. Pinto's research has been funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, the Columbia University Research Fellowship Program, the HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies, and the International Association of Schools of Social Work. His ongoing studies aim to 1) examine factors that facilitate researchers' collaborations with individuals, families, Community-based Organizations, and HIV prevention providers, 2) develop evidence-based models of collaboration that can be tested and replicated, 3) determine optimal mechanisms for research collaboration, and 4) examine the impact of researcher-provider collaboration on the effectiveness and adoption of interventions. This program of research will impact how other researchers and policy makers facilitate community adoption of effective interventions here and abroad.