Gamji Rabiu Abu-Ba'are

Gamji Rabiu Abu-Ba'are is an Assistant Professor of Nursing and Public Health at the University of Rochester, holding a joint appointment at the School of Public Health Sciences. He serves as the inaugural Harriet J. Kitzman Endowed Fellow in Global Health Research and co-chairs the Community Capital Alliance for Recovery Research (CARR). His work bridges the Yale Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS as an affiliate member.

His educational background includes:

• Bachelor of Science in Planning, University for Development Studies (Ghana)
• Master of Arts in Urban Planning and Applied Geography (Health Geography specialty), Binghamton University
• PhD in Community and Public Affairs (Community Sustainability and Population Health specialty), Binghamton University
• T32 Postdoctoral Fellowship, Yale School of Public Health

Abu-Ba'are's research centers on developing behavioral health interventions for populations facing high exposure to HIV, substance use, and structural barriers. His work integrates implementation science with community-based participatory methods, focusing on peer support systems, mobile health delivery, and provider responsiveness. Key methodologies include the ADAPT-ITT framework for intervention development across global contexts (West Africa, Western Europe, and the United States). He prioritizes addressing intersectional stigma through multilevel interventions targeting structural and place-based barriers.

Analysis of his 15 most recent publications reveals dominant themes in HIV self-testing innovation, stigma reduction among sexual and gender minorities, and mobile health applications for marginalized populations. His work consistently emphasizes community-driven solutions in Ghanaian slums, refugee communities in Italy, and U.S. recovery settings, with strong methodological diversity across mixed-methods, qualitative, and clinical trial designs.

Key recognitions include:

• Inaugural Harriet J. Kitzman Endowed Fellowship (2022)
• Graduate Student Excellence in Service/Outreach Award (2019)
• 1st Place Student Paper Competition (2016)

As Principal Investigator for an NIH Fogarty-funded project at Yale (2023-2026), he leads research on multi-level interventions for intersectional stigma reduction among transgender sex workers. His Behavioral, Sexual, and Global Health Lab develops interventions tested across three continents, with active partnerships in Ghana, Italy, and New York State through CARR. Current projects focus on adapting Many Men Many Voices (3MV) for youth sexual minority males and implementing status-neutral community interventions for YGBMSM in Ghanaian slums.