Vicki J. Tepper

Vicki J. Tepper, PhD, is a Professor in the Department of Pediatrics and serves as Division Head of Immunology & Rheumatology at the University of Maryland. With over 25 years of experience in pediatric psychology, her work focuses on the cognitive, emotional, and social impacts of chronic illness on children, youth, and their families, particularly in the context of HIV/AIDS.

• Education:
  • BA in Psychology, Douglass College, Rutgers University (1975-1979)
  • MS in Clinical Psychology and Mental Retardation Research, George Peabody College of Vanderbilt University (1979-1982)
  • PhD in Clinical Psychology and Mental Retardation Research, George Peabody College of Vanderbilt University (1983-1989)

Her research includes developing model programs for HIV/AIDS care, leading multi-site studies like PACTS-HOPE (CDC-funded) and LEGACY (HIV clinical data analysis), and pioneering mindfulness-based interventions for treatment adherence in HIV-infected youth (NIH/NCCIH grant 1R01AT007888-01). She has trained healthcare professionals in South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria, Rwanda, Botswana, and Guyana, and contributed to WHO/UNAIDS guidelines on HIV status disclosure.