Skip to main content
Division of Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs Graduate Division
  1. HOME
  2. Student Life
  3. Student Spotlights
  4. Health Sciences
  5. Danielle M. Campbell

Meet Danielle M. Campbell

Tell us a bit about yourself: I am a proud South Los Angeles native. I am a community organizer for HIV/ AIDS and sexual and reproductive health, rights, and justice awareness policies and campaigns. In my free time, I dedicate my energy to serving as a member of a community scientific subcommittee for a global HIV/ AIDS research network, past Chair of the American Public Health Association HIV/AIDS Section, Chair of the Science Board, as a volunteer HIV tester/ counselor aboard a mobile testing unit, and as an educator and promoter of positive sexual health awareness.

What are you studying/researching?

I am a predoctoral fellow in the Investigating Syndemic and Trauma-Related Influences on HIV/AIDS Etiology (iSTRIVE) research lab, under the mentorship of Dr. Jamila K. Stockman. My research examines the influence of structural systems and paradigms of power on the production of health inequities among racial/ethnic and sex/gender minority populations living with and affected by HIV/ AIDS and other marginalized populations with an emphasis on women and girls. Since 2020, I have worked on her NIMH-funded R34 (#R34MH122014) mobile health technology intervention to develop and pilot test a trauma-informed smartphone app that utilizes peer navigation, peer support, and an ART self-monitoring and reminder system, to improve HIV care outcomes (i.e., retention in care, ART adherence, viral suppression) among Black women affected by interpersonal violence. Specifically, I've assisted Dr. Stockman and other team members including co-principal investigator Dr. Keith Horvath and co-investigator Dr. Kiyomi Tsuyuki, with the development of the educational tips component of the smartphone app and standard operating procedures manual; tested the functionality of the smartphone app, and conducted baseline and follow-up surveys and sample collections. Subsequently, I led the submission of a grant to a pharmaceutical company to expand the LinkPositively Study to the state of Oklahoma which has since been funded.

Tell us about your campus involvement at UC San Diego:

My service to the UC San Diego community began with my membership on the San Diego Center for AIDS Research Health Equity Community Advisory Board. I am also a member of the Black Graduate and Professional Student Association on campus.

Why UC San Diego?

UC San Diego is home to some of the best HIV researchers in the field. I chose UCSD because I wanted to entrust my doctoral training to an investigator with a demonstrated track record of publication and grant funding success, but cultural and gender alignment was also important. Before deciding to apply to a graduate program, I had been following the work of Drs. Jamila K. Stockman and Steffanie Strathdee. I decided to apply to UC San Diego and hoped for the opportunity to work with one or both of them. As a Southern California native, the campus location and proximity to beaches didn't hurt either!

Have you received any awards or fellowships?

1) T32 Trainee, Ruth L. Kirschstein Institutional National Research Service Award, NIH, PI: Strathdee/Martin, 2) Supporting and Uplifting New and Diverse Scientists in HIV Program, San Diego Center for AIDS Research (SD SUN) Fellowship, 3) University Graduate Fellowship, 4) UCLA Center for HIV Identification, Prevention, and Treatment Services (CHIPTS) William E. Cunningham Scholar Award 5) ViiV Healthcare Positive Action for Women Grant, 6) SD SUN Seed Grant

What has been your favorite part about your graduate experience at UC San Diego?

By in large, my favorite part about my graduate experience at UCSD has been the relationships I have built, in particular with my cohort. I have had the privilege of getting to know 6 other AMAZING human beings who have served as a key part of my academic experiences since 2020: Patricia Dionicio, Rowena Tam, Junghwan Park, Victoria Telles, Linda Salgin, and Jessica Swartz. We began our doctoral program at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic during a time when the world was in a great deal of uncertainty and transition. Aligned in our willingness to be successful in the program, we have bonded like family and they are some of my favorite people.