Maria N Pyra

Maria N Pyra is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medical Social Sciences and the Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health & Wellbeing at Northwestern University, with dual appointments as a Senior Epidemiologist at Howard Brown Health Center. She holds an MPH in epidemiology from the University of Illinois at Chicago (2012) and a PhD from the University of Washington (2018), with postdoctoral training at the University of Chicago (2020).

• Research Focus: Implementation science to improve equitable access to HIV/STI prevention (PrEP, rapid ART, status-neutral approaches), women's sexual and reproductive health, and intersectional disparities in healthcare.
• Key Projects: HIV Implementation Science Coordination Initiative (ISCI), POWER Up stepped-wedge trial for PrEP uptake among Black ciswomen, and community-engaged frameworks for ending the HIV epidemic.
• Publications: Over 55 works focusing on PrEP adherence, structural barriers in HIV prevention, STI epidemiology, and co-occurring challenges like substance use stigma and vaccine hesitancy.
• Honors: Delta Omega Honor Society (2012).
• Service: Member of Inter-CFAR Women Executive Committee (2024–present), Guest Editor for JAIDS (2024–present).
• Contact: maria.pyra@northwestern.edu