Understanding the Moment of Diagnosis

Ariana Johnson, Ph.D., M.P.H., assistant professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences, is studying how social networks and support systems change immediately after an HIV diagnosis. Her project focuses on how these changes influence mental health, resilience, and engagement in care, areas that can significantly influence a patient’s ability to remain in treatment. 

The study focuses on individuals recently diagnosed with HIV, a time often marked by disruption of support systems, increased psychological stress, and uncertainty about where to seek help. Using a mixed-methods design that combines in-depth interviews with social network surveys, Dr. Johnson and her team are examining how relationships evolve before, during, and after diagnosis. The goal is to identify patterns that reveal which types of support are most protective and how targeted strategies can promote resilience from the outset. 

“Mental health plays a central role in how individuals adjust to and manage an HIV diagnosis,” said Dr. Johnson. “My goal is to design support-based strategies that can be delivered at diagnosis to promote emotional well-being and stability.” 

Dr. Johnson’s work is conducted in collaboration with the University of Miami’s R.A.P.I.D. Program and the Jackson Health System Special Immunology Clinic.

The R.A.P.I.D. Program provides innovative and accessible approaches to infectious disease prevention, lowering barriers to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), post-exposure prophylaxis (nPEP), and HIV care entry for people living in South Florida. Through Mobile PrEP Program units, Rapid Access Wellness clinics, and the GenWell Program, R.A.P.I.D. delivers services while advancing research in partnership with academic and community organizations.

The Special Immunology Clinic at Jackson Memorial Hospital is a long-standing leader in HIV care and prevention, offering comprehensive services to patients across South Florida. The clinic combines expert medical treatment with psychosocial support, serving as a critical partner in community-based research and ensuring that scientific advances are directly connected to patient care.

For Dr. Johnson, the NIMH award represents more than research support; it provides the foundation for a career devoted to designing interventions that enhance mental health and care engagement. “This award allows me to develop a line of work I am deeply committed to,” she said. “It strengthens my expertise in social network analysis and helps me build interventions that can translate into practical improvements in patient care.”

Partnering with Communities

Edda Rodriguez, Ph.D., M.P.H., research assistant professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences, is addressing the broader syndemics of HIV, substance misuse, violence, and mental health. Her work applies dissemination and implementation science alongside social network approaches to design and adapt culturally tailored, sustainable interventions. 

Since 2018, Dr. Rodriguez’s work has targeted some of Florida’s most pressing public health crises. Her projects address adults’ health needs through improved HIV prevention knowledge, including PrEP education and resource distribution, as well as substance misuse prevention and engagement with harm reduction messaging. 

“As a prevention scientist, I am committed to working with communities to address health disparities and prevent further inequities,” Dr. Rodriguez said. “By integrating social network analysis and community engagement, I hope to create scalable strategies that improve health outcomes and address disparities in vulnerable populations.”

Her dedication is deeply rooted in her background.

A Florida native, Dr. Rodriguez began her public health career at the Florida Department of Health, where she developed community health improvement plans for rural counties and played key roles in community assessments following hurricanes Irma and Michael. These assessments evaluated suicidality, access to care, and barriers to recovery, earning her recognition for her project leadership. 

“Those early experiences showed me the importance of designing public health interventions that reflect the vision, needs, and desires of the community itself,” Dr. Rodriguez said. 

Building on those experiences, Dr. Rodriguez has forged strong partnerships with community-based organizations in South Florida serving low-income Latino individuals, sexual minority men, and people living with HIV. Her current project uses a convergent mixed-methods design and multilevel social network analysis to better understand how syndemic factors shape health outcomes among Latino adults.

This approach allows for a nuanced view of how mental health, HIV, and substance misuse intersect and how interventions can be tailored for lasting impact.

Building a Research Future

Both faculty members emphasize the importance of mentorship in shaping their work, noting the guidance of colleagues such as Mariano Kanamori, Ph.D., M.A., professor and director of the Division of Prevention Science and Community Health, and Susanne Doblecki-Lewis, M.D., professor of clinical medicine, chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases, and director of HIV Prevention. 

With the support of their LRP awards, Dr. Johnson and Dr. Rodriguez are advancing the use of social network science to strengthen mental health and community resilience while laying the groundwork for interventions that can be scaled across diverse populations.

Written by Deycha Torres Hernández, published on September 16, 2025.