2. Profile
  3. Geri Donenberg

Geri Donenberg PhD

Geri Donenberg
Designation
  • Associate Dean of Research, School of Public Health
  • Professor of Psychology in Psychiatry
Contact Information
  • gdonenberg [at] psych.uic.edu
  • (312) 996-8602
  • Institute for Juvenile Research (IJR)
    1747 W. Roosevelt Rd.
    Chicago IL 60612

Dr. Geri Donenberg received her Bachelor Degree in Psychology and Political Science at the University of Michigan and her Master of Arts and Doctoral Degree in clinical psychology from UCLA. She completed her psychology internship at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute, and was a recently Fulbright Scholar in South Africa.

Dr. Donenberg directs the Community Outreach Intervention Projects (COIP) and the Healthy Youths Program (HYP) at the University of Illinois at Chicago. COIP addresses HIV/AIDS among substance users operating from five storefronts and mobile units in Chicago. COIP is based on the Indigenous Leader Outreach Model and provides numerous services, including street outreach, diabetes, HCV, and blood pressure screenings, counseling and testing for HIV/AIDS, syphilis, and other infectious diseases associated with substance use, case management for persons living with or at high risk for HIV infection, syringe exchange, drug abuse and risk reduction counseling, support groups, education, and projects that enhance linkages to care for HIV-positive men and women exiting jail. HYP includes a number of HIV/AIDS risk and prevention studies for families and youth with mental health problems, teens involved in the juvenile justice system, and in international settings. Dr. Donenberg's research focuses on understanding the underlying mechanisms of risky sexual behavior and substance use among youth and designing specially targeted interventions to prevent HIV transmission. She supervises and mentors psychology interns, postdoctoral fellows, and junior faculty, is a fellow of the Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) program and a licensed clinical psychologist, and she has served on numerous review panels for the National Institutes of Health and the CDC since 1998.

  • psychiatry

    HIV/AIDS risk and prevention; Adolescent mental health; Juvenile justice; International research; Families and youth

  • (1) “An Integrative HIV Prevention Program for African American Mothers and Daughters” (R01MD006198) is a 5-year 2-arm randomized controlled trial to reduce HIV-risk among African American women and daughters receiving mental health services. 
    (2) “PHAT Life: Preventing HIV Among Juvenile Offenders” (R01MD005861) is a 5-year 2-arm randomized controlled trial to reduce risky sexual behavior, substance use, and mental health problems among juvenile offenders on probation. 
    (3) “South Africa STYLE: HIV Prevention for South African Youth and Families” (R34MH092251) is a 3-year developmental project to adapt and test an family-based HIV prevention program for South African teens in psychiatric care. 
    (4) “HIV/STD Prevention Program for African American Males” (R01MD004125; PI: S. Kennedy) is a 4-year 2-arm randomized controlled trial to increase condom use among African American 18 – 24 year old males. 
    (5) “Building AIDS Research Capacity for Indonesia at Atma Jaya Catholic University” (R24 HD056642; PI: Judith Levy) includes a pilot study to design, adapt, and test an HIV prevention program for street youth in Jakarta. 
    (6) “Violence Exposure and HIV Risk in Adolescent Women of Color” (PI: Helen Wilson; R03MH086361) explores the history of violence exposure among African American girls. 
    (7) “Psychiatric Diagnoses Among IV Drug Users” (PI: Larry Oullett; R01DA020368) is a 4-year study to examine the severity of psychiatric illness among 18 – 24 year old injection drug users. 
    (8) “HIV Prevention for Youth with Severe Mental Illness” (PI: Larry Brown; R01MH63008) is a 9-year, multisite, 3-arm randomized controlled trial testing the efficacy of a family-based HIV prevention program for youth with serious mental health problems. 
    (9) “Therapeutic Schools: Affect Management & HIV Prevention” (R01MH066641) is a 5-year multi-site 3-arm randomized controlled trial testing the efficacy of a school-based affect management HIV prevention program.

Title Description Investigator(s) Category Status
Community readiness for a culturally relevant sexually transmitted infection (STI/HIV) and intimate partner violence (IPV) intervention with urban American Indians There is growing recognition of the need to understand the health and development of American Indians (AIs) living in urban communities. The relationship between sexually transmitted infections (STI), including HIV, and intimate partner violence (IPV) is well-documented in non-AI populations, but relatively few studies have focused on urban AI populations specifically. Community Based Children and Family Mental Health Services Research Program On-going