Akua O. Gyamerah

Akua O. Gyamerah, DrPH, MPH, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Community Health and Health Behavior at the School of Public Health and Health Professions of the University at Buffalo, SUNY. Her research focuses on multilevel determinants of health disparities among racial and sexual/gender minorities, with expertise in HIV prevention, intersectional stigma, gender-based violence, and mixed methods research.

Education:

• DrPH, Sociomedical Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University
• Graduate Certificate in Feminist Scholarship, Columbia University
• MPH, Columbia University
• BA, Cornell University

Research Interests: Gyamerah investigates how structural factors like racism, stigma, and criminalization affect health outcomes for marginalized populations. Her current projects include an NIMH-funded study on intersectional social stressors impacting HIV treatment outcomes among gay/bisexual men and NIAAA-funded research on gender-based violence and alcohol use during the pandemic.

Key Article Trends: Her recent work spans HIV prevention strategies in African immigrant communities, pandemic-related mental health impacts in Ghana, viral suppression among sexual/gender minorities in South Africa, and intersections of violence, substance use, and policy barriers in both Sub-Saharan Africa and the U.S.

Scientific Awards:

• NIMH K01 Research Career Development Award
• NIAAA Diversity Supplement

Professional Affiliations: Member of the International AIDS Society, American Public Health Association, and African Studies Association.