Julia López, PhD, MPH, LCSW
Assistant Professor of Medicine
- Phone: 314-454-8249
- Email: julialopez@nospam.wustl.edu
Dr. López (she/ella) is a bilingual public health researcher and mental health clinician who leverages her extensive clinical expertise in trauma, stigma, mental wellness, and substance use disorders to drive systemic change in health equity among underserved minority populations. She integrates implementation science to ensure that evidence-based interventions are effectively adapted, scaled, and sustained across diverse settings. Through her work, Dr. López actively destigmatizes mental health and substance use issues by collaborating with community organizations, academic institutions, and policymakers, thereby fostering a holistic approach to care that addresses both individual and structural determinants of health. Her recent efforts focus on reducing health disparities affecting reproductive health, people living with HIV, immigrant communities, and sexual and gender minority individuals by designing and facilitating interventions that dismantle the mechanisms through which stigma and various forms of trauma and minority stress adversely impact health outcomes.
- 2025 – Secondary Appointment, Assistant Professor in the School of Public Health, Washington University in St. Louis
- 2021-Present Faculty Affiliate, Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity & Equity, Washington University in St. Louis
- 2021-Present Associate Member, Center for Diabetes Translation Research, Washington University in St. Louis
- 2018-Present Faculty Scholar, Institute for Public Health at Washington University in St. Louis
Graduate Courses
- 2016-Present Adjunct Professor, Approaches to Trauma Care, Saint Louis University
- 2018-Present Adjunct Professor, Community Health Promotion, Washington University School of Medicine
- 2021-Present Adjunct Professor, Introduction to SPSS, Washington University School of Medicine
- Honors BS in Social Work and Honors BA in Spanish & International Studies: Saint Louis University, St. Louis MO (2009)
- MSW and Certificate in Community Mental Health: Saint Louis University, St. Louis MO (2010)
- MPH in Behavioral Science and Health Education: Saint Louis University, St. Louis MO (2013)
- PhD with Distinction in Public Health Sciences: Saint Louis University, St. Louis MO (2017)
- 2007-Present Sigma Delta Pi, Spanish Honor Society
- 2014-Present Alpha Epsilon Lambda, Graduate Honor Society
- 2016 Mary Gumble Levy Award, PhD Nominee
- 2024-Present Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society
- 2018-Present Peer Reviewer, AIDS and Behavior
- 2020-Present Peer Reviewer, Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes
- 2021–2025 Associate Editor, Pilot and Feasibility Studies
- 2023-Present Peer Reviewer, Preventive Medicine
- 2024-Present Peer Reviewer, JAMA Network Open
- 2025-Present Editorial Review Board, Journal of the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care
- 2025-Present Senior Editor, Pilot and Feasibility Studies
- López JD, Duncan A, Shacham E, McKay V. Disparities in health behaviors and outcomes at the intersection of race and sexual identity among women: Results from the 2011–2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Preventive medicine. 2021;142:106379. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2020.106379.
- López JD, Shacham E, Brown T. The Impact of Clinic Policy Attendance and the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Medical Case Management Program on HIV Clinical Outcomes: A Retrospective Longitudinal Study. AIDS and behavior. 2019. Epub 2019/11/27. doi: 10.1007/s10461-019-02738-8. PubMed PMID: 31768689.
- Shacham E, Lew D, Xiao T, López JD, Trull T, Schootman M, et al. Testing the Feasibility of Using Ecological Momentary Assessment to Collect Real-Time Behavior and Mood to Predict Technology-Measured HIV Medication Adherence. AIDS and behavior. 2019;23(8):2176-84. Epub 2019/01/03. doi: 10.1007/s10461-018-2378-9. PubMed PMID: 30600455.
- López JD, Sriprasert I, Wilson ML. Editorial: Inequities and disparities in reproductive health: reproductive epidemiology. Editorial. Frontiers in Reproductive Health. 2024-May-13 2024;6doi:10.3389/frph.2024.1419178