Dr. Connie Celum, professor at the University of Washington Schools of Public Health and Medicine, is the recipient of the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health’s (ASPPH) 2024 Research Excellence Award. ASPPH awards honor individuals who exhibit excellence in education, research, practice, student services, and exceptional community engagement. The awardees will be recognized at the Annual ASPPH Meeting Awards Luncheon on March 21 in Arlington, VA.
“Connie’s contributions and impact demonstrate her excellence in leadership and promotion of health equity and inclusiveness in academic public health research,” said UW SPH Dean Hilary Godwin. “Results of her landmark clinical trials on HIV and STI prevention have led to the adoption of interventions that have prevented disease, saved lives, and dramatically improved the health and well-being of the most vulnerable and marginalized community members, domestically and globally.”
Celum holds positions as a professor of global health and medicine, as well as an adjunct professor of epidemiology at the UW. She serves as an epidemiologist, clinical investigator and infectious disease physician. Additionally, Celum directs both the International Clinical Research Center (ICRC) and the Center for AIDS Research (CFAR). Her research focuses on HIV prevention methods such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and the prevention of sexually transmitted infections. Notably, she co-led the Partners PrEP Study, which played a significant role in FDA approval of PrEP for HIV prevention. Celum has also conducted studies on the implementation of oral PrEP among young African women and a cross-over study of oral PrEP and dapivirine ring among adolescents and young African women. Furthermore, she co-led a randomized trial of doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis for STI prevention among men who have sex with men and transgender women, which contributed to draft CDC guidelines on doxy-PEP.