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center for alcohol and drug studies




Irene Zalich

Maria Luisa Zúñiga, Ph. D.
Research Scientist

Dr. Zúñiga is a Professor in the School of Social Work at San Diego State University (SDSU) and Associate Adjunct Professor in the Division of Global Public Health, Department of Medicine at UC San Diego. Dr. Zúñiga is an epidemiologist who conducts Community-Based Participatory Research to study the intersection of alcohol and drug use, mental health, sexual risk behaviors and self-care practices that contribute to poor health among vulnerable populations. She has worked extensively with Latinos living with HIV, U.S. Latino immigrant populations, and international and domestic migrants and their families in the U.S. and Mexico. Ongoing research includes behavioral intervention research with HIV+ men and women with depression, severe mental illness and alcohol and drug addictions. Dr. Zúñiga’s binational/U.S.- Mexico border research has implicated illicit drug use, poor health and use of herbal complementary and alternative medicine with poor medication adherence among individuals living with HIV. She is the evaluator of a comprehensive, social-worker mediated intervention to promote preservation of family among HIV-positive, substance using women at risk of having their children removed by child protective services. Dr. Zúñiga has 47 peer-reviewed journal publications and has co-authored book chapters, commentaries, and reports. Dr. Zúñiga is passionate about teaching, mentorship and “hands-on” research training and serves as Director of the SDSU-UCSD Joint Doctoral Program in Interdisciplinary Research on Substance Use.

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Center for Alcohol and Drug Studies and Services
centerforaod@mail.sdsu.edu

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San Diego State University School of Social Work

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