Amrita Rao

Amrita Rao, PhD, ScM, is an Assistant Scientist in the Department of Epidemiology at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Her work focuses on understanding and addressing the HIV prevention and treatment needs of historically marginalized populations, including sexual and gender minorities and female sex workers. Dr. Rao has primary affiliations in the Infectious Disease Epidemiology division within the Department of Epidemiology.

Her research interests include social epidemiology, housing and homelessness, direct cash transfers, quasi-experimental designs, HIV, PrEP, implementation science, and women's health. Dr. Rao's work frequently examines how structural factors influence health outcomes among key populations, with a particular focus on HIV prevention and care continuum disruptions.

Dr. Rao's publication record shows a strong emphasis on HIV research among key populations globally, with recent work examining the intersection of homelessness and PrEP uptake, experiences of people living with HIV in Ghana, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on HIV services. Her research employs diverse methodologies including quasi-experimental designs, interrupted time series analyses, and population size estimation techniques.

• Marilyn Menkes Book Award, Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins (2021)
• Leon Gordis Centennial Scholarship, Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins (2021)
• National Research Service Award (NRSA) Fellowship, National Institute of Mental Health (2020)
• Inter-CFAR Implementation Science Fellow, Center for AIDS Research (2019)

Dr. Rao currently leads a K01 grant focused on the policy and implementation context of an unconditional cash transfer program to address homelessness and improve HIV service uptake among marginalized youth in the United States. Her work demonstrates significant collaboration with global research teams across multiple continents, reflecting the international scope of her HIV research.