She has been principal investigator and/or co-principal investigator on more than 15 National Institutes of Health (NIC)-funded randomized clinical trials designed to reduce risk behaviors and improve adherence to treatment among vulnerable populations of adolescents, severely mentally ill adults, and HIV+ adolescents and adults, marginalized populations who experience disparities in health services information, access and treatment.
Her work has been funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHHD) and National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and has broken new ground in HIV/AIDS behavioral research; most noteworthy is her HIV prevention research with South Florida youth and substance-abusing adults and people living with HIV in the Caribbean.
She is a reviewer for several peer-reviewed journals and NIH panels and is frequently called upon as an invited speaker by funding agencies to present her research, serve on special panels and offer her expertise in HIV prevention science to chart strategic directions for future research agenda on the intersection of substance abuse and HIV.