Cynthia A. Gomez will expand campus research in health disparities and mentor next generation of health policy leaders

SAN FRANCISCO, March 13, 2006 -- San Francisco State University (SFSU) has named Cynthia A. Gomez, Ph.D., the director of Health Equity Initiatives. Gomez will lead efforts to enhance and integrate campus research, curricula, community service and training programs that address health disparities in the United States. She assumes the new post in April following 15 years as a leading scientist in HIV prevention and the last four years as co director of the Center for AIDS Prevention Studies at University of California, San Francisco.

"One of San Francisco State's strategic goals is to address, intervene and positively change the profile of health disparities in the United States," said John Gemello, provost and vice president for academic affairs at SFSU. "Cynthia Gomez's perspective on and prominence in the highly competitive arena of research funding will help us to make this goal a reality."

Gomez is a pioneer in research concerning cultural determinants of sexual behaviors, gender dynamics and programs for people living with HIV. She has served on several national committees including the Center for Disease Control's HIV and STD Advisory Council and is a member of the board of trustees of the National AIDS Fund and the Guttmacher Institute. She was an appointed member of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS under both the William J. Clinton and George W. Bush administrations.

Chief among Gomez's responsibilities at SFSU will be to help the University gain a higher profile among institutions committed to research on health equity and build stronger relationships with academic collaborators, private funding sources and government agencies. She will also help strengthen the interdisciplinary research and instructional collaborations between all nine SFSU colleges, support faculty already involved in health equity research, and mentor faculty new to this area of research.

"I share San Francisco State's core values of equity and social justice and this is an opportunity to work with the extraordinary SFSU faculty to improve the health status of our nation," said Gomez, who is also looking forward to working with undergraduates. "SFSU is an excellent place to expose vibrant young minds in all fields to critical roles they can play in achieving health equity today and in the future. They are our next generation of policymakers."