Leslie D. Williams

Leslie D. Williams is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Community Health Sciences at the University of Illinois Chicago School of Public Health. Her research focuses on supra-individual predictors of HIV-related and substance use-related harms, with a particular emphasis on addressing disparities and intersectional stigma among marginalized populations. She leads NIH-funded studies investigating innovative social network-based interventions to improve HIV testing and reduce stigma in South Africa and opioid-related harm reduction strategies in Chicago.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Psychology and Social Intervention (2014), New York University
• B.A. in Psychology & African American Studies (2007), The Ohio State University

Research Interests:

• Structural stigma and health equity
• Social network interventions for HIV prevention
• Addiction stigma mitigation strategies
• Intersectional stigma analysis
• Global public health systems

Current Grants:

• NIMH-funded trial of social network HIV testing strategies in South Africa (2024-2029)
• CDC-funded opioid harm reduction project in Chicago (2024-2029)
• NIDA-funded Tajik migrant stigma research (2023-present)

Her work combines quantitative methodologies with community-engaged approaches to create evidence-based interventions addressing systemic barriers to healthcare access.