A Center for Drug Use and HIV Research (CDUHR) Methods Core Presentation
Photovoice is a participatory, qualitative research approach where participants use photography and stories about their photos to identify and represent issues of importance to them enabling researchers to gain a greater understanding of the topic under study. During this presentation, Drs. Mark Padilla and Suzan Walters will discuss the theoretical origins and practical applications of the method using examples of their respective research studies among individuals in marginalized communities including those who use drugs and are affected by HIV.
About the Presenters
Mark Padilla is a Professor at the Stephen J. Green School of International and Public Affairs at Florida International University. Dr. Padilla is a medical anthropologist with training and experience in public health both domestically and internationally. Most of his work is located at the juncture of anthropology and the more applied concerns of public health. As an anthropologist trained in ethnographic methods, globalization, and critical medical anthropology, he has sought to bring structural and social inequalities into greater focus in public health, and to advocate for evidence-based policy reforms to address the health needs of marginalized populations. Dr. Padilla has incorporated visual methods into his research, including PhotoVoice and award-winning documentary films.
Suzan Walters is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Epidemiology in the Department of Population Health at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine and an affiliated researcher at the Center for Drug Use and HIV/HCV Research (CDUHR) at New York University. Her mixed-methods research focuses on the social and structural determinants of health among drug using populations. Her current K01 grant focuses on how intersectional stigma experiences affect health outcomes among people who use drugs. Dr. Walter's current CDUHR-funded pilot study is exploring barriers and facilitators to PrEP, harm reduction, and use of Overdose Prevention Centers using Photovoice, a community-based, participatory research methodology.