Mario De La Rosa

Focus

Substance Abuse and HIV/AIDS

Biography

Dr. Mario De La Rosa is an endowed university professor in Health Equity, a professor of social work at the Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work and director of the Center for Research on US Latino HIV/AIDS and Drug Abuse (CRUSADA) at Florida International University (FIU). He is a pioneering scientist with more than three decades of experience and expertise in substance abuse, HIV/AIDS, and cross-cultural issues affecting Latino populations.

Dr. De La Rosa serves as principal investigator (PI) of the P20 Center of Excellence at FIU, which is funded by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and serves as PI with Dr. Andres Gil of the S21 NIMHD endowment award that funds the Florida International University-Health Disparities Initiative.

He has published extensively on Latino cultural and social determinants of substance abuse, HIV/AIDS and violence. He has served on numerous NIH scientific review committees and peer-review scientific editorial boards and is a past member of the NIMHD National Advisory Council. He has won two awards for “Outstanding Research Contributions” at FIU and is the recipient of the National Award of Excellence in Research by a Senior Investigator from the National Hispanic Science Network on Drug Abuse for his lifelong research efforts.

Currently, Dr. De La Rosa’s research focuses on the sociocultural factors influencing substance abuse and HIV risk behaviors among adult Latina immigrants and the impact of pre-immigration factors on alcohol use behaviors of recent young adult Latino immigrants. To learn more about Dr. De La Rosa’s career, read this 2018 article published in the Journal of Social Work Practice in the Addictions [Interview Conducted by MARILYN W. LEWIS (2018) Pioneers in Social Work Practice With the Addictions: An Interview With Mario De La Rosa, MSSA, PhD, Journal of Social Work Practice in the Addictions, 18:2, 217-221, DOI: 10.1080/1533256X.2018.1448196].

Lab

The Center for Research on US Latino HIV/AIDS and Drug Abuse (CRUSADA) is a nationally recognized multidisciplinary research, education, and community outreach center dedicated to eliminating health disparities in substance abuse and HIV/AIDS affecting the Latino population in the United States. The Center investigates the individual, interpersonal, and community level socio-cultural determinants of substance abuse and HIV risk behaviors among Latino populations.

Education

• The Ohio State University, Ph.D.
• Case Western Reserve University, MSSA
• State University of New York at Oswego, BA

Publications/Research

Publications from 2012 - Present

Aysa-Lastra, M., Rojas, P., Dillon F. R., Duan, R., & De La Rosa, M. (2012). Family closeness and domestic abuse among Caribbean and South American women in South Florida. Journal of Family Violence, 27, 547-559. doi: 10.1007/s10896-012-9445-1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5638441/

Berger Cardoso, J., Ren, Y., Swank, P., Sanchez, M., & De La Rosa, M. (2016). Pre- to post-immigration sexual risk behavior and alcohol use among recent Latino immigrants in Miami. Culture Health & Sexuality, 18(10), 1107-1121. doi: 10.1080/13691058.2016.1155751. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/articles/27545840/

Blackson, T., De La Rosa, M., Sanchez, M., & Li, T. (2015). Latino Immigrants’ Biological Parents’ Histories of Substance Use Problems in Their Country of Origin Predict Their Pre- and Post-Immigration Alcohol Use Problems. Journal of Substance Abuse, 36(3), 257-263. doi:10.1080/08897077.2014.932886. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24960302

Lee, J. Y., Brook, J. S., De La Rosa, M., Kim, Y., & Brook, D. W. (Accepted, 2017). The association between alcohol use trajectories from adolescence and cannabis use disorder in adulthood: A 22 year longitudinal study. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse.  doi: 10.1080/00952990.2017.1288734. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00952990.2017.1288734

Cano, M. A., Sanchez, M., Trepka, M. J., Dillon, F. R. Sheehan, D. M., Rojas, P., Kanamori, M., Huang, H., Auf, R., & De La Rosa, M. (2017). Immigration stress and alcohol use severity among recently immigrated Hispanic adults: Examining moderating effects of gender, immigration status, and social support. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 73(3), 294-307. doi: 10.1002/jclp.22330. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jclp.22330/epdf

Cohen, D., Dillon, F. R., Gladwin, H., & De La Rosa, M. (2013). American parents’ willingness to prescribe psychoactive drugs to children: a test of cultural mediators. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 48(12), 1873-1887. doi 10.1007/s00127-013-0710-2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23715970

Concha, M., Sanchez, M., De La Rosa, M., & Villar, M. (2013). A Longitudinal Study of Social Capital and Acculturation-Related Stress Among Recent Latino Immigrants in South Florida. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 35(4), 469-485. doi: 10.1177/0739986313499005. http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0739986313499005

Concha, M., Sanchez, M., Rojas, P., Villar, M., & De La Rosa, M. (2016). Differences in Acculturation and Trajectories of Anxiety and Alcohol Consumption Among Latina Mothers and Daughters in South Florida. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, 18(4), 886-895. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26399773

Craig, S. L., Beaulaurier, R. L., Newman, F. L., De La Rosa, M., Brennan, D. J. (2012). Health and Cultural Determinants of Voluntary HIV Testing and Counseling Among Middle-Aged and Older Latina Women. Journal of Women Aging, 24(2), 97-112. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22486474

Cyrus, E., Trepka, M. J., De La Rosa, M., Gollub, E., Li, T., Sanchez, M., . . . Albatineh, A. (2015). Post-immigration Changes in Social Capital and Substance Use Among Recent Latino Immigrants in South Florida: Differences by Documentation Status. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, 17(6), 1697-704. doi:10.1007/s10903-015-0191-3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4575594/

Da Silva, N., Dillon, F. R., Verdejo, T., Sanchez, M., Ebersole, R., & De La Rosa, M. (2017). Acculturative stress, psychological distress, and alcohol use among recent Latina immigrants: The moderating role of religious coping. The Counseling Psychologist. Article first published online: March 14, 2017 doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/0011000017692111. http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0011000017692111

De La Rosa, M., Babino, R., Rosario, A., Martinez, N. V., & Aijaz L. (2012). Challenges and Strategies in Recruiting, Interviewing, & Retaining Recent Latino Immigrants in substance abuse and HIV Epidemiologic Studies. The American Journal on Addictions, 21, 11-22. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1521-0391.2011.00193.x/abstract

De La Rosa, M., Dillon, F. R., Sastre, F., & Babino, R. (2013). Alcohol use among recent Latino immigrants before and after immigration to the United States. American Journal on Addictions, 22(2), 162-168. doi: 10.1111/j.1521-0391.2013.00310.x. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1521-0391.2013.00310.x/abstract

De La Rosa, M., Huang, H., Brook, J., Sanchez, M., Rojas, P., Kanamori, M., Cano, M. A., & Martinez, M. (2016) Sociocultural determinants of substance misuse among adult Latinas of Caribbean and south and central American descent: A longitudinal study of a community-based sample. Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse, 1-21. [Epub ahead of print] doi: 10.1080/15332640.2016.1201716. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15332640.2016.1201716

De La Rosa, M., Huang, H., Rojas, P., Dillon, F. R., Lopez-Quintero, C., Li, T., & Ravelo, G. J. (2015). Influence of Mother–Daughter Attachment on Substance Use: A Longitudinal Study of a Latina Community-Based Sample. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 76(2), 307-316. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5374481/

De La Rosa, M., Sanchez, M., Dillon, F. R., Ruffin, B. A., Blackson, T., & Schwartz, S. J. (2012). Alcohol use among Latinos: A comparison of pre-immigration, post immigration, and U.S. born Latinos. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, 14(3), 371-8. doi: 10.1007/s10903-011-9498-x. 2011. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10903-011-9498-x

Dillon, F. R., De La Rosa, M., & Ibanez, G. E. (2013). Acculturative stress and diminishing family cohesion among recent Latino immigrants. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, 15, 484-489. doi: 10.1007/s10903-012-9678-3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3511910/

Dillon, F. R., De La Rosa, M., Sanchez, M., & Schwartz, S. (2012). Pre-immigration family cohesion and drug/alcohol abuse among recent Latino immigrants. The Family Journal: Counseling and Therapy for Couples and Families, 20, 256-266. doi: 10.1177/1066480712448860. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3845461/

Dillon, F. R., De La Rosa, M., Sastre, F., & Ibanez, G. (2012). Alcohol Misuse Among Recent Latino Immigrants: The Protective Role of Preimmigration Familismo. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 27(4). doi:10.1037/a0031091. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3872492/

Ertl, M.E., Dillon, F.R., Martin, J.L., Babino, R., & De La Rosa, M. (in press).  Alcohol use exacerbates acculturative stress among recently immigrated, young adult Latinas. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health. doi: 10.1007/s10903-017-0586-4. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10903-017-0586-4

Ibañez, G. E., Dillon, F. R., Sanchez, M., De La Rosa, M., Tan, L., & Villar, M. (2015). Changes in family cohesion and acculturative stress among recent Latino immigrants. Journal of Ethnic & Cultural Diversity in Social Work, 24(3), 219-234. doi:10.1080/15313204.2014.991979. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4831569/

Kanamori, M., De La Rosa, M., Diez, S., Weissman, J., Trepka, M. J., Sneij, A., Schmidt, P., & Rojas, P.  (2017). A Brief Report: Lessons Learned and Preliminary Findings of Progreso en Salud, an HIV Risk Reduction Intervention for Latina Seasonal Farmworkers. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 14(32), 1-16. doi: 10.3390/ijerph14010032. http://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/14/1/32/htm

Kanamori, M., De La Rosa, M., Weissman, J., Rojas, P., Villar, M. E., Trepka, M. J. Dillon, F. R., & Jaramillo, M. (2016). Associations between drug/alcohol use and emotional abuse: Who perpetrates emotional abuse against Latina women? Journal of Epidemiological Research, 2(1). doi: 10.5430/xyz.v1n1p1. http://www.sciedupress.com/journal/index.php/jer/article/view/7970/4996

Kanamori, M., Weissman, J., De La Rosa, M., Melton, J., Sanchez, M., Rojas, P., & Trepka, M. J. (2016). Women’s perception of adolescent marijuana use in a Hispanic seasonal farm worker community: a qualitative study. Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse, 16, 1-11. [Epub ahead of print December 2016] http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15332640.2016.1230727. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15332640.2016.1230727

Kanamori, M., Weissman, J., De La Rosa, M., Trepka, M. J., Rojas, P., Cano, M. A., Melton, J., & Unterberger, A. (2016). Latino Mother/Daughter dyadic attachment as a mediator for substance use disorder and emotional abuse. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, 18(4), 896-903. doi: 10.1007/s10903-015-0312-z. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10903-015-0312-z

Lee, J. Y., Brook, J. S., Finch, S. J., De La Rosa, M., & Brook, D. W.  (2017, in press): Joint trajectories of cigarette smoking and depressive symptoms from the mid-20s to the mid-30s predicting generalized anxiety disorder. Journal of Addictive Diseases. doi: 10.1080/10550887.2017.1303958. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28281938

Lopez-Quintero, C., Rojas, P., Dillon, F. R., Varga, L., & De La Rosa, M. (2016). HIV testing practices among Latina women at risk of getting infected: A five-year follow- up of a community sample in South Florida. AIDS Care, 28(2), 137-146. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4724281/

Messiah, A., Acuna, J. M., Castro, G., Rodríguez de la Vega, P. Vaiva, G., Shultz, J., Neria, Y., & De La Rosa, M. (2014). Mental health impact of the 2010 Haiti earthquake on the Miami Haitian population: A random-sample survey. Disaster Health, 2(3-4), 1-8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4705563/

Niyonsenga, T., Blackson, T., De La Rosa, M., Rojas, P., Dillon, F. R., & Ganapati, N. E. (2012). Social support, attachment and chronic stress as correlates of Latina mother and daughter drug use behaviors. American Journal on Addictions, 21, 157-167. doi: 10.1111/j.1521-0391.2011.00202.x. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1521-0391.2011.00202.x/abstract

Rahill, G. J., De La Rosa, M., & Edwards, B. (2012) Insights and Practical Strategies for Health Research among Haitian Immigrants: Lessons learned from the Miami-Dade Picuriste Study. Journal of Immigrant & Refugee Studies, 10(1), 74-95. doi:10.1080/15562948.2012.646499. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15562948.2012.646499

Randolph, M., Elbaum, L., Wen, P. S., Brunt, D., Kulwicki, A., Larsen, J., & De La Rosa, M. (2014). Functional and psychosocial status of Haitians who became users of lower extremity prostheses as a result of the 2010 earthquake. Journal of Prosthetics and Orthotics, 26(4), 177-182. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4278370/

Rojas, P., Dillon, F. R., Cyrus, E., Ravelo, G. J., Malow, R. M., & De La Rosa, M. (2014). Alcohol Use as a Determinant of HIV Risk Behaviors Among Recent Latino Immigrants in South Florida. Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care, 25(2), 135-144. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3787981/

Rojas, P., Dillon, F. R., Ravelo, G. J., Malow, R., Duan, R., & De La Rosa, M. (2013). Nonmedical prescription sedative use among adult Latina mothers and daughters. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 45(4). 329-339. doi:10.1080/02791072.2013.825513. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02791072.2013.825513

Rojas, P., Huang, H., Li, T., Ravelo, G. R., Sanchez, M., Dawson, C., Brook, J., Kanamori, M., & De La Rosa, M. (2016). Socio-cultural determinants of risky sexual behaviors among adult Latinas: a longitudinal study of a community-based sample. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 13(11), 1164. doi:  10.3390/ijerph13111164. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5129374/

Romano, E., De La Rosa, M., Sanchez, M., & Babino, R. (2016). Riding with impaired drivers among recent Latino immigrants in Southern Florida. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health. [Epub ahead of print]. doi 10.1007/s10903-016-0511-2. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10903-016-0511-2

Rosario, A. M., & De La Rosa, M. (2014). Santería as Informal Mental Health Support Among U.S. Latinos with Cancer. International Journal on Spirituality and Social Work, 33(1), 4-18. doi:10.1080/15426432.2014.873294. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15426432.2014.873294

Sanchez, J., De La Rosa, M., & Serna, C. (2013). Project Salud: Efficacy of a Community-Based HIV Prevention Intervention for Hispanic Migrant Workers in South Florida. AIDS Education and Prevention, 25(5), 363-375. doi: 10.1521/aeap.2013.25.5.363. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3947884/

Sanchez, J., Silva-Suarez, G., Serna, C. A., & De La Rosa, M. (2012). The Latino Migrant Worker HIV Prevention Program: building a community partnership through a community health worker training program. Family & Community Health, 35(2), 139-146. doi: 10.1097/FCH.0b013e3182465153. http://insights.ovid.com/pubmed?pmid=22367261

Sanchez, M., De La Rosa, M., Blackson, T., Sastre, F., Rojas, P., Li, T., & Dillon, F. R. (2014). Pre- to post-immigration alcohol use trajectories among recent Latino immigrants. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 28(4), 990-999. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4274213/

Sanchez, M., Dillon, F. R., Concha, M., & De La Rosa, M. (2015). The impact of religious coping on the acculturative stress and alcohol use of recent Latino immigrants. Journal of Religion and Health, 54(6), 1986-2004. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4244280/

Sanchez, M., Dillon, F. R., Ruffin, B., & De La Rosa, M. (2012). The influence of religious coping on the acculturative stress of recent Latino immigrants. Journal of Ethnic and Cultural Diversity in Social Work, 21, 171-194. doi: 10.1080/15313204.2012.700443. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3845494/

Sanchez, M., Rojas, P., Li, T., Ravelo, G., Cyrus, E., Wang, W., Kanamori, M., Peragallo, N. P., De La Rosa, M. (2016). Evaluating a culturally tailored HIV risk reduction intervention among Latina immigrant farmworkers. World Medical & Health Policy, 8(3), 245-262. 10.1002/wmh3.193. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/wmh3.193/abstract

Sanchez, M., Romano, E., Dawson, C., Huang, H., Sneji, A., Cyrus, E., Cano, M. A., Rojas, P., Brook, J., & De La Rosa, M. (2016). Drinking and driving among recent Latino immigrants: The impact of neighborhoods and social support. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 13(11), pii E1055. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5129265/

Sanchez, M., Romano, E., Dawson, C., Martinez, M., Li, T., Cyrus, E., & De La Rosa, M. (In press). Cultural Correlates of DUI Risk Perceptions Among Documented and Undocumented Recent Latino Immigrants in South Florida. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences. http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0739986317698777

Sastre, F., De La Rosa, M., Ibanez, G. E., Whitt, E., Martin, S. S., & O’Connell, D. J. (2015). Condom use preferences among Latinos in Miami-Dade: emerging themes concerning men’s and women’s culturally-ascribed attitudes and behaviors. Culture, Health & Sexuality, 17(6), 667-81. doi:10.1080/13691058.2014.989266. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4382374/

Sastre, F., Rojas, P., Cyrus, E., De La Rosa, M., & Khoury, A. H. (2014). Improving the Health Status of Caribbean People: Recommendations from the Triangulating on Health Equity Summit. Global Health, 21(3), 19–28. doi:10.1177/1757975914523455. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4140953/

Sastre, F., Sanchez, M., & De La Rosa, M. (2015). Changes in pre to post immigration HIV risk behavior among recent Latino immigrants. AIDS Education & Prevention, 27(1), 44-57. doi:10.1521/aeap.2015.27.1.44. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4428670/

Sheehan, D. M., Dillon, F. R., Babino, R., Melton, J., Spadola, C., Da Silva, N., & De La Rosa, M.  (2016). Recruiting and assessing young adult Latina recent immigrants in health disparities research. Journal of Multicultural Counseling & Development, 44, 245-262. doi: 10.1002/jmcd.12052. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jmcd.12052/full

Torres, P., Romano, E., Voas, R. B., De La Rosa, M., & Lacey, J. (2014). The relative risk of involvement in fatal crashes as a function of race/ethnicity and blood alcohol concentration. Journal of Safety Research, 48, 95-101. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4080907/

Vidot, D. C., Prado, G., De La Cruz-Munoz, N., Cuesta, M., Spadola, C., & Messiah, S. E. (2015). Review of Family-Based Approaches to Improve Post-Operative Outcomes among Bariatric Surgery Patients. Journal of Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases, 11(2), 451-458. doi: 10.1016/j.soard.2014.08.004. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1550728914003220

Weissman, J., Kanamori, M., Dévieux, J., Trepka, M.J., & De La Rosa, M. (In press). HIV risk reduction interventions among substance-abusing reproductive-aged women: A systematic review. AIDS Education and Prevention. http://guilfordjournals.com/doi/abs/10.1521/aeap.2017.29.2.121

Zhang, C., Brook, J. S., Leukefeld, C. G., De La Rosa, M., & Brook, D. W. (2017).  Compulsive buying and quality of life: An estimate of the monetary cost of compulsive buying among adults in early midlife. Psychiatry Research, 252, 208-214. doi: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2017.03.007. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165178116313129

Zhang, C., Brook, J. S., Leukefeld, C. G., De La Rosa, M., & Brook, D. W. (In Press).  Lack of Preventive Health Behaviors in the Early Forties: The Role of Earlier Trajectories of Cigarette Smoking From Adolescence to Adulthood. Substance Use & Misuse. doi: 10.1080/10826084.2017.1281310. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10826084.2017.1281310

Zhang, C., Brook, J. S., Morojele, N. K., De La Rosa, M., Leukefeld, C. G., & Brook, D. W. (2017). Psychosocial Factors Related to the Intergenerational Transmission of Externalizing Behaviors in Early Midlife. Substance Use & Misuse. Online Publication.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10826084.2016.1276601. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10826084.2016.1276601