People

Director


Mario De La Rosa, PhD
Office: AHC5 425
Tel: (305) 348-5794
Fax: (305) 348-7405
Email: delarosa@fiu.edu

 

Dr. De La Rosa is a Professor of Social Work at the Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work at Florida International University (FIU). He is an internationally known researcher who has published over 70 scholarly publications focusing on Latino substance abuse, substance use as a risk factor for HIV/AIDS, violence, delinquency, and cross-cultural issues. He has conducted research documenting the influence of familial factors on the substance abuse and HIV risk behaviors of adult Latina immigrants and the impact that pre-immigration factors have on the use of alcohol among recent young adult Latino immigrants. Dr. De La Rosa’s research findings demonstrate the influence that cultural factors have on the HIV and substance abuse behaviors of Latinos; these findings have led to the development of culturally sensitive and effective HIV and substance abuse interventions targeting Latino populations. Over the course of his academic career, Dr. De La Rosa has received more than 30 million dollars in funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and has served on numerous NIH scientific review committees and peer-review scientific editorial boards. He is a past member of the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) National Advisory Council.

Dr. De la Rosa is the founding and current director of the Center for Research on U.S. Latino HIV/AIDS and Drug Abuse (CRUSADA). He is Principal Investigator of a National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) P20 Exploratory Center of Excellence grant titled The Center for Substance Use and HIV/AIDS Research on Latinos in the United States (C-SALUDP20MD002288); Principal Investigator of a National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) R01 grant titled The Intergenerational Transmission of Alcohol Use Among Latino Mothers and Daughters(R01NR012150); and Co-Principal Investigator of a National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) R21 grant, collaboratively administered and investigated with Dr. Eduardo Romano, Pacific Institute For Research and Evaluation (PIRE). The grant is titled Drinking and Driving Among Recent Latino Immigrants (R21AA022202).

Prior to joining FIU, Dr. De La Rosa served as: Visiting Research Associate Professor at Boston University’s School of Social Work, Health Science Administrator at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), and Visiting Scholar at Harvard University’s David Rockefeller Center for Latin America Studies. He holds a doctoral degree in Social Work from the Ohio State University, a master’s degree in Social Work from Case Western Reserve University, and bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the State University at New York, Oswego.

Principal Investigators


De La Rosa, Mario, PhD
Director, CRUSADA; PI: NIMHD-C-SALUD;
PI: NINR-R01; PI: NIAAA-R21
Office: AHC5 425
Tel: (305) 348-5794
Fax: (305) 348-7405
Email: delarosa@fiu.edu


Dillon, Frank R., PhD
PI, Recent Latina Immigrant Research Subproject
Co-I, Research Education/Training Core
Tel: 305-348-7351
Fax: 305-348-7405
Email: fdillon@fiu.edu


Rojas, Patria, PhD
Senior Behavioral Health Scientist
PI, Community Partnership/Engagement Core
Office: AHC5 420
Tel: (305) 348-7352
Fax: (305) 348-7405
Email: proja003@fiu.edu


Trepka, Mary-Jo, MD, MSPH
PI, Research Education and Training Core
Office: HLS II 582
Tel: (305) 348-7186
Fax: (305) 348-4901
Email: trepkam@fiu.edu

Babino, Rosa, MPA
Associate Director of Research and Administration
Office: AHC5 423
Tel: (305) 348-7353
Fax: (305) 348-7405
Email: rbabino@fiu.edu

Gonzalez, Arnaldo, MA
Program Coordinator
Office: AHC5 415A
Tel: (305) 348-5002
Fax: (305) 348-7405
Email: gonzalea@fiu.edu

Li, Tan, PhD
Biostatistician
Office: PCA 361
Tel: (305) 348-4814
Fax: (305) 348-7405
Email: tanli@fiu.edu

Sanchez, Mariana, PhD
Postdoctoral Associate
Office: AHC5 421
Tel: (305) 348-7581
Fax: (305) 348-7405
Email: msanc062@fiu.edu

Postdoctoral Associates


Colón Burgos, José Félix, DrPH
Postdoctoral Associate
Office: AHC5 346
Tel: (305) 348-7353
Fax: (305) 348-7405
Email: jcolonbu@fiu.edu

 

 

NIMHD-C-SALUD Student Scholars in Health Disparities

Dawson, Christyl
Office: AHC5 431C
Tel: (305) 348-7353
Fax: (305) 348-7405
Email: cdaws011@fiu.edu

Research Interests: HIV/AIDS; mental illness; substance abuse; women’s reproductive health; child & adolescent health.

Diez, Stephanie L.
Office: AHC5 431C
Tel: (305) 348-7353
Fax: (305) 348-7405
Email: sdiez002@fiu.edu

Research Interests: Health disparities among Latinos; Substance use/abuse and behavioral addictions; Online gaming disorders; Problematic internet use; Technology addiction; Co-Occurring Disorders/ Co-morbidities; Trauma Informed Care; HIV/AIDs Disease control and prevention.

Sneij, Alicia
Office: AHC5 431C
Tel: (305) 348-7353
Fax: (305) 348-7405
Email: asnei001@fiu.edu

Research Interests: Nutrition; HIV; Hyperglycemia/Diabetes; Obesity

Weissman, Jessica A.
Office: AHC5 431C
Tel: (305) 348-7353
Fax: (305) 348-7405
Email: jweis005@fiu.edu

Research Interests: Exercise Science; Health Promotion; Nutrition; HIV.