Lynae Darbes

Lynae Darbes is an Associate Professor in the Department of Health Behavior and Clinical Sciences at the University of Michigan School of Nursing. She is affiliated with the Center for Sexuality and Health Disparities. Her research focuses on relationship dynamics and their impact on health behaviors, particularly HIV prevention, among heterosexual and gay male couples globally. She holds a PhD from the University of Colorado Boulder (2000) and has expertise in behavioral medicine and health psychology.

Dr. Darbes’ work integrates qualitative and quantitative methods to study how intimacy, fertility desires, and relationship power influence sexual risk behaviors. Her grants include NIH-funded projects on HIV prevention in Kenya, South Africa, and Namibia. She co-leads trials like the Uthando Lwethu couples intervention in South Africa and the Mlambe economic intervention in Malawi.

Her teaching emphasizes linking psychological theories to health outcomes, mentoring students in nursing, medicine, and psychology. She is a member of the American Psychological Association, Society for Behavioral Medicine, and International AIDS Society.