Terrinieka Williams Powell, PhD

Mentor

Nick Ianlongo, PhD, Johns Hopkins University

HISTP Mentor

Leo Cabassa, PhD, Columbia School of Social Work

Dr. Terrinieka Williams Powell is an Associate Professor in the Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health and a core faculty in the Center for Adolescent Health at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She earned her PhD in Community Psychology from DePaul University and completed a two-year postdoctoral fellowship with the Kellogg Health Scholars Program at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. Dr. Powell’s career path has been driven by her desire to bolster the positive health outcomes of vulnerable young people by improving the places where they live, learn and pray. Accordingly, she has worked with and in underserved communities to better understand the social and interpersonal factors that influence individuals who are at risk of acquiring HIV. Findings from Dr. Powell’s research have been disseminated through peer-reviewed publications, as well as professional conferences and community presentations. As an HISTP Scholar, she will assess to what extent genetic predispositions interact with contextual factors to influence substance use and sexual risk-taking among urban youth.

HISTP Pilot Study

Gene-Environment Influences on Adolescent Sexual Behaviors