Kathryn Derose Receives Award for Community-Partnered Research in Dominican Republic
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Professor of Community Health Education Kathryn P. Derose was recently recognized at a national accountability and policy event hosted by CONAVIHSIDA (Consejo Nacional para el VIH y el Sida - Dominican Republic's National Council for HIV and AIDS) on September 16, 2026.
The event, titled "HIV-Sensitive Social Protection in the Dominican Republic: Building Sustainability for the National HIV Response," brought together high-level government decision-makers, institutional leaders, and implementing partners to assess progress in HIV-sensitive social protection and establish policy commitments for advancing these strategies through 2027.
Derose received a merit-based recognition award for her research contributions to addressing food security among people with HIV in the Dominican Republic. In total, recognition awards were presented to five institutions and three individuals, including Derose and her long-time community partners, Luis E. Peña del Rosario (Head of Urban Gardens Division, Ministry of Agriculture) and Lucila Ramón, who was awarded posthumously for her significant contributions to nutrition and food security initiatives in HIV care.
Derose’s recognition acknowledged her leadership in conducting three community-partnered research studies that have directly informed CONAVIHSIDA's policy work and inter-institutional collaborations.
“I am immensely honored by this award, as this research would not have been possible without key partners in the Dominican Republic—especially UASD, the Ministries of Agriculture and Public Health, and the National Health Service,” says Derose. “I'm also tremendously grateful for CONAVIHSIDA's partnership throughout and especially their efforts to translate the findings into advancing comprehensive social protection strategies for people living with HIV.”
The studies, conducted over more than a decade, include:
- Two foundational studies conducted while Derose was a researcher at the RAND Corporation, which established the evidence base for understanding the intersection of food insecurity and HIV outcomes in the Dominican Republic;
- One ongoing study currently being conducted through UMass Amherst with partners at UASD, UCSF, and RAND, which is a national clinical trial with 20 HIV clinics assessing the impact of an integrated urban gardens and peer nutritional counseling intervention on HIV outcomes among food-insecure populations.
These studies provided critical data documenting the pervasive food insecurity affecting HIV+ households in the Dominican Republic. The research also developed and tested evidence-based interventions leveraging existing community assets to address these challenges.
Most importantly, the research findings enabled CONAVIHSIDA to make a compelling case to partner with other government agencies to address these issues.
Ramon Acevedo, head of social mobilization for CONAVIHSIDA, shared, “The research conducted by Dr. Derose and colleagues has provided the evidence needed to advocate for improved social protection policies for people with HIV, leading to new inter-institutional agreements and collaborative efforts with government entities responsible for health insurance (SENASA, SIUBEN), social development (SUPÉRATE), and health services (SNS).”
Derose’s recognition underscores how university-based research, when conducted in genuine partnership with communities and policymakers, can contribute to meaningful policy change and expanded services for vulnerable populations.
“This award reflects the real-world impact of evidence-based research in advancing health equity and social protection,” notes Derose.
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