Dr. Katie Ward, who recently joined SIG, is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the NIH T32 Training Program on HIV and Substance Use in the Criminal Justice System. Her extensive research background is focused on using community-engaged approaches to understand syndemic intersections of substance use, violence, and health among urban women. During her doctoral training at the Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health, Katie validated a traumatic life events index tailored for women who use drugs and examined how trauma shapes HIV risk. At SIG, she will work with Director Nabila El-Bassel on developing evidence-based interventions to address inequities, continuing her focus on community-engaged research.
"I am honored to join SIG and collaborate with researchers and practitioners who value mentorship, community-engagement, and scientific rigor. I look forward to working with SIG faculty and staff to integrate my research related to mental health and trauma-informed care among women who use drugs into future and on-going projects," she said.
Prior to her doctoral training, Katie worked as a Program Coordinator at Johns Hopkins University, supporting peer-based interventions to increase access to infectious diseases testing and treatment for individuals living with HIV, Hepatitis C, and substance use disorders. She was recognized for excellence in mentorship at Drexel University and has co-authored multiple peer-reviewed publications as well as presenting her work at national and international conferences. She was also recently awarded a fellowship with the International Network on Health and Hepatitis in Substance Users, aimed at strengthening the capacity of professionals working with women who use drugs. Her work is grounded in a commitment to reducing stigma surrounding substance use and infectious diseases and advancing evidence-based harm reduction strategies that improve health equity for people who use drugs.
Welcome to SIG, Katie!
