Loretta Sweet Jemmott, director of the Center for Health Disparities Research at the School of Nursing, received The Baxter International Foundation's 2007 Episteme Award earlier this month.
Jemmott earned the award for researching and developing strategies to reduce HIV risk-associated sexual behaviors among African-American, South-African and Latino youth and adults.
The Baxter International Foundation's Episteme Award provides $15,000 to a researcher who has made a major breakthrough in nursing knowledge that made a significant and recognizable benefit to the public.
Jemott's internationally recognized "Sister to Sister HIV Risk-Reduction Intervention" is a culturally sensitive and gender-specific HIV-risk-reduction program that can be used by primary-care clinical practices by nurses and other health-care providers.
The one-on-one skill-building exercises stress the importance of using condoms to reduce the risk of sexually transmitted infections and HIV.
Her research uses social psychology to target and reduce factors that create risky sexual behavior. She has received numerous awards for her contributions to HIV prevention.
Jemmott was selected by the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International, a not-for-profit organization that strives to improve worldwide health through leadership and scholarship in practice, education and research.
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