Alexandra Minnis, a member of the Women’s Global Health Imperative (WGHI), is an expert on social and structural influences on sexual and reproductive health among adolescents and young adults in the United States and sub-Saharan Africa. Her research addresses HIV, sexually transmitted infections, and unintended pregnancy among youth, through both epidemiologic studies and intervention research. She uses community-based research principles in design and implementation of much of her work. Her U.S.-based research has focused predominantly on Latinx youth.
Research to understand end-user perspectives to inform the design of future HIV and multi-purpose prevention products constitutes the focus of several of Dr. Minnis’s recent and ongoing studies. Her research with youth addresses the intersection of community violence and sexual health to identify and intervene on factors that promote positive sexual health and wellbeing in the transition through adolescence and into early adulthood.
Dr. Minnis joined RTI in 2008. She also is an Associate Professor in the School of Public Health at the University of California, Berkeley.