For Dr. Patrick Wilson, from the nascent stages of his career, working in academia has always been about making a difference in public health issues in his community. “I think it all came together around the middle of my (doctoral) program,” he says. “Since graduate school, I’ve been doing work that I feel is immediately making an impact.”
The 35-year-old Columbia University professor has focused his research on HIV prevention and ethnicity and sexuality among gay men in the United States. Specifically, he has zeroed in on the intersection of psychological factors like identity and socio-contextual factors such as stigma and discrimination.
Dr. Hiro Yoshikawa, Wilson’s academic adviser during his doctoral years at NYU and now an academic dean at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education, says Wilson has made extraordinary contributions to the field.
“I think his mix of qualitative and quantitative methods provides a richer perspective to inform HIV/AIDS prevention for these neglected populations,” he says. “I have learned a lot from his publications about how racial and sexual stereotyping can increase health risks, especially those related to HIV/AIDS.”
