Dalmacio Dennis Flores

Dalmacio Dennis Flores is an Associate Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, holding positions in both the School of Nursing and the Perelman School of Medicine. He is affiliated with the Department of Family and Community Health and actively contributes to the Asian Pacific American Nursing Student Association and the Center for Global Women’s Health. His role includes leading key courses and major research initiatives focused on LGBTQ+ health and HIV/STI prevention.

Dr. Flores earned his PhD from Duke University in 2016, MSN from Emory University in 2012, and BSN from Kennesaw State University in 2006. His research centers on reducing health disparities among sexual and gender diverse youth through family-based interventions that promote inclusive sexuality communication. He leads pivotal studies such as Parents ASSIST, The SHIFTs Project, and The GIST Program, aiming to strengthen parent-child dialogues around sexual health to prevent risky behaviors and HIV/STI acquisition.

His work integrates qualitative, community-engaged, and intervention development methodologies, with a strong emphasis on workforce development and nursing leadership in HIV/AIDS care. Dr. Flores collaborates across disciplines through the Program for Sexuality, Technology and Action Research, developing innovative strategies for LGBTQ+ sexual health promotion. Though no specific publications are listed in the text, his body of work consistently focuses on adolescent sexual health, minority health equity, and nursing science.

• Dean’s Award for Undergraduate Advising (2024)
• Dean’s Award for Distinguished Teaching (2023)
• Dean’s Award for Scholarly Mentorship (2022)
• Student Nurses at Penn Undergraduate Award for Teaching (2024)
• Journal of Pediatric Health Care’s Ellen Rudy Clore Excellence in Scholarly Writing (2023)
• Doctoral Student Organization Barbara J. Lowery Faculty Award (2022)
• Trustees’ Council of Penn Women Award for Undergraduate Advising (2021)
• Recent Alumni Award (2020), Emory University
• Lucy Bradley-Springer Excellence in HIV Prevention (2019)
• 40 Under 40 Leaders in Minority Health (2018)
• Forever Duke Student Leadership Award (2017)

Dr. Flores is actively mentoring students and advising undergraduate and doctoral learners, evidenced by multiple awards for mentorship and teaching. He has led national HIV testing campaigns and workforce development initiatives training over 1,400 nurses across three continents. His leadership extends to the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care, where he has held various roles. He is also a content expert in disaster preparedness and response within nursing education and practice.

He is a key member of the Program for Sexuality, Technology and Action Research at Penn, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration to design and evaluate innovative sexual health interventions. His lab-like structure revolves around family-centered intervention projects that aim to transform how parents engage in sexuality education with LGBTQ+ youth, creating scalable models for inclusive health promotion.