Mirjam-Colette Kempf

Dr. Mirjam-Colette Kempf is a Professor of Nursing at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), holding appointments in the School of Nursing, School of Medicine, School of Public Health, and College of Arts and Sciences. Her primary affiliation is with the Nursing Family, Community & Health Systems department. She holds leadership roles such as Co-PI for the NIH-funded UAB-MS Women's Interagency HIV Study (WIHS) and Director for Faculty Mentoring in the School of Nursing.

Education: Master of Public Health in Epidemiology (UAB, 2000) and a Doctorate in Medical Microbiology (Foreign University, 1998).

Research focuses on HIV health services, psychosocial barriers to care, healthcare disparities, and intersectional stigma among marginalized populations. She leads studies on women’s health, PrEP implementation, and syndemics involving non-communicable diseases. Her work addresses stigma related to HIV, poverty, body size, and substance use, with an emphasis on improving ART adherence, viral suppression, and mental health outcomes.

Recent articles highlight stigma in healthcare settings, cannabis use trends among HIV-positive women, and disparities in SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. Collaborations include the WIHS cohort, the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS), and the AWARE cohort study.

Advising and grants: Mentor to numerous PhD students and leads NIH-funded projects. Involved in initiatives like Project PrEP4Her to integrate PrEP services into gynecologic care for Black cisgender women.

Labs/Teams: Active in the Center for AIDS Research, the Women’s Interagency HIV Study, and the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center. Serves on committees addressing appointment/tenure, telehealth, and minority health.