Assistant Professor in the School of Public Health at Yale University
About
Ijeoma Opara, PhD, MSW, MPH is a tenure track Assistant Professor in the Department of Social & Behavioral Sciences at the School of Public Health. She is also the founder and director of the Substance Abuse & Sexual Health Lab (www.oparalab.org). Dr. Opara received her PhD in family science and human development at Montclair State University, a master of social work from New York University and a master of public health in epidemiology from New York Medical College. Before pursuing her doctorate, Dr. Opara worked as a youth and family therapist for an alternative-to-incarceration agency in New York City where she primarily served urban youth of color and their families. Dr. Opara previously served as a lecturer at the Columbia University School of Social Work where she taught advanced adolescent development courses and a visiting faculty fellow at Yale University's Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS in the School of Public Health.
Current Work:
Dr. Opara's research interests include: community-based participatory research, sexual health disparities, HIV/AIDS and substance abuse prevention, and adolescent girls of color. Dr. Opara recently received pilot study funding from the National Institute on Mental Health to adapt a race and gender specific prevention intervention program for urban Black adolescent girls. Dr. Opara works on other projects that examine marijuana use trends among urban youth and young adults and highlighting strengths-based approaches in substance abuse, HIV, and STI prevention.
Research Area Keyword(s):
HIV/AIDS & substance abuse prevention; sexual health disparities in Black & Hispanic girls; youth empowerment
