Judith Harbertson

Judith Harbertson is an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at San Diego State University (SDSU), affiliated with the College of Health and Human Services. She holds a BS in Biological Sciences from UC Irvine, an MPH in Epidemiology from SDSU, and a PhD in Epidemiology from UCSD/SDSU. Her research focuses on HIV/STI prevention in military populations, particularly in the US Navy/Marine Corps and sub-Saharan African militaries.

Key research areas include sexual behavior analysis during military deployments, HIV testing accuracy in conflict zones, and psychological health linkages to substance use. Notable contributions include groundbreaking bio-behavioral surveys in Rwanda’s military and longitudinal studies aboard US naval ships. She has led projects in Togo, Sierra Leone, and Liberia to improve HIV care quality and authored over 20 peer-reviewed articles.

Dr. Harbertson’s expertise spans international fieldwork, human subjects protection protocols, and cross-sector collaboration. She has held leadership roles in the Defense Health Agency, Henry M. Jackson Foundation, and Leidos, Inc., while maintaining academic engagement through thesis committee roles at SDSU’s Graduate School of Public Health.

Her current work addresses gaps in pre-deployment mental health screening and alcohol misuse interventions among service members. Ongoing projects include evaluating HIV diagnostic accuracy in African militaries and developing population-based STI surveillance methods using de-identified biospecimens.