Rafael E. Pérez-Figueroa, M.D., M.P.H.
Newswise — Rafael E. Pérez-Figueroa, M.D., M.P.H., will be joining the Rutgers School of Public Health as the Associate Dean for Community Engagement and Public Health Practice in February of 2022.
Pérez-Figueroa studies the mechanisms through which historically and contemporary under resourced populations experience health inequities. He does this by engaging in theoretically driven research that seeks to disentangle the effects of different social determinants of health on the outcomes of these populations. Most of his scholarly work focuses on public health issues related to HIV/AIDS prevention and care, substance use and abuse, harm reduction, mental health, and healthcare utilization. He uses different community-engaged approaches to study these issues, focusing on the interplay between behavioral, social, structural, and environmental factors that influence health systems in which inequities are embedded. He emphasizes on conducting community-engaged research work and public health practice that directly aligns to the translation, diffusion, and implementation of evidence-based health strategies into community practice and policies. Currently, Pérez-Figueroa is examining the role of fatherhood on the health outcomes of men of color exposed to the criminal justice system as part of a community-academic partnership.
“I am honored to join Rutgers School of Public Health,” says Pérez-Figueroa who will also be an associate professor in the Department of Urban-Global Public Health. “As Associate Dean of Community Engagement and Public Health Practice, I look forward to contribute fostering cooperation between the school and relevant communities and populations. By meaningfully and intentionally incorporating person-centered perspectives and guidance, we would better understand community needs and concerns, create lasting bonds, build trust, and strengthen the quality and impact of our public health work. We want to prepare public health leaders to engage in this form of community action addressing health inequities, promoting social justice, and working together to end all forms of discrimination.
As a professor, he shares his research experience with students in health inequities, community-engaged approaches, and community assessment and evaluation.
“We are delighted and honored to have Dr. Pérez-Figueroa join the school at this critical time,” says Perry N. Halkitis, dean of the Rutgers School of Public Health. “His interdisciplinary training coupled with his diverse portfolio of research that is centered around the needs of people and populations aligns with our mission and vision, guided by social justice and health equity.”
Pérez-Figueroa’s work has been funded by the National Institute of Drug Abuse, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration, and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, among other national agencies and foundations.
Pérez-Figueroa received his medical doctor degree from the Pontifical “Madre y Maestra” Catholic University and a master’s degree in global health leadership form New York University. He is a fellow of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Interdisciplinary Research Leaders Program, the Columbia University Community-Based Participatory Research Program, the National Hispanic Science Network on Drug Abuse, and the New York University Postdoctoral and Transition Program for Academic Diversity.
You can follow Pérez-Figueroa on Twitter at @RafaelPFigueroa.
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About the Rutgers School of Public Health
The Rutgers School of Public Health is New Jersey’s only accredited school of public health that seeks to improve health and prevent disease in diverse populations in New Jersey and around the world through educating students to become well-qualified and effective public health leaders, researchers, and practitioners; conducting research to advance public health science and policies; and providing service programs that promote population and individual health. Visit us at https://sph.rutgers.edu and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn to learn how we're "keeping the ‘public’ in public health.”
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