Mary Jo Trepka
Focus
Epidemiology of HIV and STDs
Biography
Dr. Mary Jo Trepka is an infectious disease epidemiologist with a particular interest in the role of social determinants in health disparities in HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases. In 2011, she received the 2010 Presidential Early Career Award for Science and Engineering from President Barack Obama for her work analyzing the role of poverty, segregation, and rural/urban status in racial disparities in HIV survival. Currently, she is studying the role of patient-centered HIV care and women-centered HIV care in helping people with HIV to be retained in HIV care and virally suppressed despite psychosocial barriers. She also conducts research on COVID-19 and HIV co-infection and COVID-19 vaccination. Additionally, she leads the Investigator Development Core for FIU’s Research Center for Minority Institutions and co-leads the Genomic Workforce Development Core of FIU’s Diversity Center for Genomic Research.
Dr. Trepka received her bachelor’s in chemistry and German at Grinnell College in 1986, her doctor of medicine from the University of Minnesota School of Medicine in 1991, and her master’s from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in 1994. She completed her internship in internal medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1992 and her residency in preventive medicine and public health at the University of Colorado in 1994. Dr. Trepka trained as a postdoctoral fellow at the GSF-Research Center for Health and Environment in Munich, Germany from 1994-1996 and as an epidemic intelligence service officer at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 1996-1998. She was the director of epidemiology and disease control for the Miami-Dade County Health Department from 1998–2003 and joined Florida International University full-time in 2003. She is board certified in preventive medicine and public health and a fellow in the American College of Preventive Medicine.
Education
- University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, MSPH
- University of Minnesota, MD
- Grinnell College, BA
Publications
- Gray A, Alemohammad SY, Ramírez-Ortiz D, Trepka MJ. A Systematic Review of Factors Associated with COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake, Hesitancy, and Acceptability Among Adults with HIV: Implications for Integrating COVID-19 Immunization into HIV Care. AIDS Patient Care STDS. 2024 Jul 26. doi: 10.1089/apc.2024.0097. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39058653.
- Fernandez SB, Dawit R, Nawfal ES, Ward MK, Ramírez-Ortiz D, Sheehan DM, Trepka MJ. Psychosocial and socioeconomic changes among low-income people with HIV during the COVID-19 pandemic in Miami-Dade County, Florida: racial/ethnic and gender differences. HIV Res Clin Pract. 2024 Dec;25(1):2363129. doi: 10.1080/25787489.2024.2363129. Epub 2024 Jun 21. PMID: 38907537; PMCID: PMC11256985.
- Tamargo JA, Martin HR, Diaz-Martinez J, Delgado-Enciso I, Johnson A, Bastida Rodriguez JA, Trepka MJ, Brown DR, Garba NA, Roldan EO, Hernandez Suarez Y, Marty AM, Bursac Z, Campa A, Baum MK. Drug use and COVID-19 testing, vaccination, and infection among underserved, minority communities in Miami, Florida. PLoS One. 2024 Apr 30;19(4):e0297327. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0297327. PMID: 38687734; PMCID: PMC11060546.
- Knight JM, Ward MK, Fernandez S, Genberg BL, Beach MC, Ladner RA, Trepka MJ. Perceptions and Current Practices in Patient-Centered Care: A Qualitative Study of Ryan White HIV Providers in South Florida. J Int Assoc Provid AIDS Care. 2024 Jan-Dec;23:23259582241244684. doi: 10.1177/23259582241244684. PMID: 38651291; PMCID: PMC11036924.
- Trepka MJ, Gong Z, Ward MK, Fennie KP, Sheehan DM, Jean-Gilles M, Devieux J, Ibañez GE, Gwanzura T, Nawfal ES, Gray A, Beach MC, Ladner R, Yoo C. Using Causal Bayesian Networks to Assess the Role of Patient-Centered Care and Psychosocial Factors on Durable HIV Viral Suppression. AIDS Behav. 2024
View more of Dr. Trepka's publications on FIU Discovery
ONGOING AND COMPLETE RESEARCH SUPPORT (last 5 years)
1UG3HG013615 (NIGHR) Wang (PI) 9/2024 – 8/2026
$816,988
FIU Diversity Center for Genomic Research (FIU-DCGR)
During Phase I (UG3), we will develop plans and test the feasibility of achieving the primary goals to enhance diversity in genomic research by establishing FIU-DCGR to carry out innovative, state-of-the-art genomic research studies; foster genomic research career development and enhancement for trainees and investigators at all career levels; enhance the genomic infrastructure, computational, analytical and ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI) of genomic research capability; establish sustainable partnerships and disseminate resources and findings. 2) During Phase II (UH3), we will build the genomic center, which is expected to support an Administrative Core, Workforce Development Core, Community Engagement Core, and three interrelated, innovative research projects.
Role of Trepka: Co-leader of Genomic Workforce Development Core
1R21CA290324-01 (NCI) Mondal (PI) 04/2024-03/2026
Amount: $370,600
Explainable AI-Based Multi-Omics Analysis of Lung Cancer Health Disparity
The goals of the proposed research are to understand and discover the biological factors of health disparities in lung cancer between African Americans and European Americans at the multi-omics level (including genomics, epigenomics, and transcriptomics) using explainable artificial intelligence.
Role of Trepka: Co-investigator
2 S21 MD010683-06 (NIMHD) Gil and De La Rosa (Co-PIs), 07/2023 - 06/2028
Amount: $10 million
Florida International University-Health Disparities Initiative (FIU-HDI)
Using community-engaged multidisciplinary approaches, the proposed Florida International Health Disparities Initiative (FIU-HDI) will strengthen and expand capacity-building efforts of the current, ongoing FIU-HDI. These efforts include expanding FIU’s research infrastructure to train the next generation of public health, clinical, biomedical, and behavioral researchers at FIU’s Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work and Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine to address health disparities in communicable and noncommunicable health conditions—and advance health equity—among underserved populations in South Florida and the Caribbean
Role of Trepka: Mentor
F31 MD018550-01 (NIMHD) Gwanzura (PI) 05/9/2023-05/08/2025
Amount: $76,848
Identifying individual and community factors associated with high COVID-19 incidence and mortality rates among people with HIV
The study’s primary objectives are to (1) assess the effect of COVID-19 community-level prevention strategies and the impact of COVID-19 vaccine availability in reducing the risk of COVID-19 in PWH and related disparities; and (2) to identify factors associated with co-occurring high rates of COVID-19 and HIV across communities.
Role of Trepka: Co-Mentor
2 U54 MD012393-06 (NIMHD) Wagner (PI) 09/20/2022 – 05/31/2027
Amount: $19,475,236
The FIU Research Center in a Minority Institution (FIU-RCMI)
The overarching goals of our Center renewal include: 1. enhancing institutional research capacity, 2. increasing investigator success in obtaining competitive extramural research support, 3. fostering an environment conducive to career development for ESIs, 4. disseminating research generally and specifically for advancing minority health, and 5. establishing sustainable relationships with community-based organizations. Our scientific focus areas will include basic biomedical research, behavioral research and population science, and clinical/health services research, with one R01-equivalent project in each area.
Role of Trepka: PI Investigator Development Core, Co-I Administrative Core, and Co-I Research Project 3
1 R01 MD017205-01A1 (NIMHD) Sheehan (PI) 07/2022-03/2027
Amount: $2,592,603
Efficacy of an mHealth + e-Navigator stepped care intervention for ART adherence among Latino MSM
The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of stepped care strategies to improve ART adherence among adult Latino MSM with HIV using a sequential, multiple assignment, randomized trial (SMART). The trial will compare a stepped care strategy of delivering TXTXT first and stepping up to remote patient navigation for non-responders vs. a stepped care strategy of delivering TXTXT + e-Navigation first and stepping up to EMA-supported e-Navigation for non-responders.
Role of Trepka: Co-Investigator
R01MD012421-01A1 (NIMHD) Trepka (PI) 1/29/2019-11/30/2024
Amount: $1,396,607 NCE
Influence of patient-centered HIV care on retention and viral suppression
The objective of the study is to identify provider patient centered care factors that are moderating the effect of changes in individual characteristics on retention in care and viral suppression while considering neighborhood social determinants and medical case management site factors and to predict to what extent changes in patient centered care factors could improve HIV care retention and viral suppression and thus reduce health disparities. We will accomplish these objectives with a cohort study of people enrolled in the Miami-Dade County Ryan White Program 2019–2021 and dynamic causal Bayesian networks.
3R01MD012421-02S1 (NIMHD) Trepka (PI) 7/1/2020-11/30/2024
Amount: $164,916 NCE
Influence of patient-centered HIV care on retention and viral suppression disparities-COVID 19 Supplement
The COVID-19 Public Health Emergency has led to important changes in how HIV care is delivered to protect people living with HIV from being exposed to the COVID-19 virus. Furthermore, because people living with HIV are more likely to have low incomes, they are particularly vulnerable to the economic hardships from the COVID-19 crisis. This supplemental study will evaluate the effects of the COVID-19-related changes in HIV care delivery and COVID-19-related economic and psychosocial hardships on viral load suppression among people living with HIV in the Miami-Dade County Ryan White Program.
3R01 MD012421-03S1 (NIMHD) Trepka (PI) 9/2021-11/30/2024
Amount: $570,013 NCE
Influence of patient-centered HIV care on retention and viral suppression disparities-COVID 19 Vaccination Supplement
This supplemental study will use a survey and in-depth interviews to identify barriers to COVID-19 vaccination and potential points of intervention to increase COVID-19 vaccination among African American, Hispanic, and Haitian people with HIV.
R01MD013563-01 (NIMHD) Trepka (PI) 9/12/18-4/30/2025 (No cost extension)
Amount: $2,353,572
Women-centered HIV care practices that facilitate HIV care retention and viral suppression in the presence of adverse sociocultural factors.
The objective of the study is to use a mixed-methods approach to identify effective provider and system women-centered HIV care practices within the Miami-Dade County Ryan White Program that positively influence care retention, antiretroviral therapy adherence, and thus viral suppression among women, particularly racial/ethnic minority women experiencing sociocultural challenges.