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Rafael E. Pérez-Figueroa

Associate Dean of Community Engagement and Public Health Practice
Associate Professor of Urban-Global Public Health, Rutgers University-New Brunswick
Chapter Member: New Jersey-Philadelphia SSN
Areas of Expertise:

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About Rafael

Pérez-Figueroa studies how historically and contemporary under-resourced communities experience health inequities. He engages in theoretically driven research that seeks to disentangle the effects of different social determinants of health on the outcomes of these communities. Pérez-Figueroa's scholarly work focuses on public health issues related to HIV/AIDS prevention and care, substance use and abuse, harm reduction, mental health, and healthcare utilization. Pérez-Figueroa uses different community-engaged approaches to study these issues, focusing on the interplay between social, structural, and environmental factors that influence health systems in which inequities are embedded.

Contributions | No Jargon Podcast | In the News | Publications

Contributions

The Complex, Misunderstood Problem of Absent Fathers

    Antonio Garcia
Commentary,

In the News

"New Study Shows the Inequities of Fatherhood and That Children Need Involved Dads.," Rafael E. Pérez-Figueroa (with Antonio Garcia), Opinion, Courier Journal, June 13, 2023.

Publications

"Access to Naloxone in Underserved Communities" The BMJ (2023): 84.

Underscores challenges and barriers related to the implementation of over-the-counter naloxone from a community-based perspective. Mentions how the US Food and Drug Administration has approved naloxone nasal spray (Narcan) for over-the-counter use to reverse opioid overdose. Finds the change may decrease barriers to accessing naloxone but could increase the cost and compromise existing harm reduction programs.