Desirée Ciambrone

Desirée Ciambrone is Professor of Sociology in the Department of Sociology at Rhode Island College, where she has taught since 2003. Her scholarly work bridges medical sociology, social gerontology, gender studies, and qualitative methodology.

Education

• B.A., Rhode Island College
• M.A., Brown University
• Ph.D., Brown University

Research Interests

Dr. Ciambrone’s research centers on the intersection of health, aging, and gender. She uses qualitative methods to explore how women—particularly older women and those living with chronic illness—navigate medical systems, make treatment decisions, and manage caregiving responsibilities. Her work contributes to scholarly conversations in medical sociology, social gerontology, and gender studies.

Publications & Scholarly Impact

She is the author of the monograph Women's Experiences with HIV/AIDS: Mending Fractured Selves and co-editor of the reader Experiencing Aging: A Social Gerontology Reader. Her research has appeared in more than a dozen peer-reviewed journals, consistently focusing on women’s health and aging issues.

Scientific Awards & Funding

• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Postdoctoral Fellowship (1999–2002)
• National Institute on Aging grant for research on treatment and surveillance decisions among older women with breast cancer

Teaching & Mentorship

Dr. Ciambrone teaches undergraduate courses that include Classical Sociological Theory, Social Research Methods, Sociology of Health & Illness, Sociology of Aging, Sociology of the Body, and the Senior Seminar in Sociology. She also serves as faculty advisor to emPOWER, a student club dedicated to peer education on objectification and sexual violence.