معرفی
Christopher Owens is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Behavior at the School of Public Health, Texas A&M University, specializing in rural LGBTQ health disparities, HIV/STI prevention, and sexual health implementation science. His socioecological research examines intrapersonal, interpersonal, organizational, and communal factors affecting healthcare delivery for rural sexual minority populations.
Education
- Postdoctoral Fellow, Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing, Northwestern University (2021)
- PhD in Health Behavior, Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington (2020)
- MPH in Behavioral, Social and Community Health, Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington (2017)
- BA in Sociology and Communications, Marian University (2013)
Research Focus
- Rural LGBTQ mental/behavioral health (substance use, depression)
- HIV/STI prevention, testing, and treatment implementation
- Healthcare provider practices for sexual minority adolescents
- Parent-adolescent sexual health communication
- Mpox vaccination and telehealth interventions (telePrEP)
- Mixed-methods approaches to health behavior theory
Publication Trends (2024-2025) Owens' recent work emphasizes rural-urban disparities in HIV services, PrEP accessibility for adolescents, and mpox vaccination barriers among MSM. Key themes include telehealth implementation challenges, parental communication strategies for sexual health, and socioecological factors in substance-using rural MSM populations, demonstrating strong alignment with NIH health disparities priorities.
Scientific Recognition
- NIH Extramural Loan Repayment Program for Health Disparities Research (2024-2026)
- Fordham University HIV/Drug Abuse Research Ethics Fellowship (2022-2024)
- Inter-CFAR Implementation Science Fellowship (2021-2022)
- Associate Editor, Archives of Sexual Behavior (2024-Present)
Academic Leadership Owens chairs Texas A&M's Health Behavior Annual Review Committee (2024-Present) and serves on doctoral exam committees. His NIH-funded work supports mentorship through the Pride Mentor program and editorial roles advancing LGBTQ+ health research. Current projects focus on telePrEP implementation and mpox vaccination strategies for rural populations.
Research Environment His work integrates community-based participatory research with rural clinics across Texas, emphasizing patient-centered interventions for sexual minority adolescents and substance-using MSM. Collaborations include Northwestern University's Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing and Fordham University's ethics training programs.
