Adjunct Faculty
Adjunct faculty typically have an academic or research appointment at another institution and contribute or collaborate with one or more School of Medicine faculty members or programs.
Adjunct rank detailsRoman Shrestha, PhD, MPH
Assistant Professor AdjunctDownloadHi-Res Photo
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Assistant Professor Adjunct
Biography
Dr. Shrestha is an Assistant Professor Adjunct at the Yale School of Medicine’s AIDS program. He is the Principal Investigator on the National Institute of Health funded K01 (NIDA: K01DA051346), R21 (NIDA: R21DA051934), and R21/R33 (FIC: R21TW011665) awards. His research has largely centered on enhancing the design, delivery, and placement of interventions that integrates evidence-based behavioral approach, biomedical components, and innovative use of mHealth strategies, aimed at improving health outcomes and the quality of life of underserved populations. Specifically, he is interested in syndemics of health issues that have profound implications for access to and utilization of healthcare services and overall HIV prevention efforts in a range of settings, including community and healthcare, addiction treatment, and criminal justice settings, both domestically and internationally. His current work focuses on reducing the HIV epidemic that disproportionately affects socioeconomically disadvantaged (i.e., drug users) and sexual minority group (i.e., men who have sex with men) using mHealth technologies as an innovative platform to scale-up prevention efforts.
Last Updated on April 19, 2025.
Appointments
Infectious Diseases
Assistant Professor AdjunctPrimary
Other Departments & Organizations
- Clinical & Community Research (YCCR)
- Infectious Diseases
- Internal Medicine
- mHealth Research and Innovation Lab
Education & Training
- Postdoctoral Research Associate
- University of Connecticut (2019)
- PhD
- University of Connecticut, Public Health (2017)
- MPH
- University of Connecticut, Public Health (2013)
Research
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Overview
Public Health Interests
Sexually-Transmitted Infections; Substance Use, Addiction; Behavioral Health; Clinical Trials; Community Health; Global Health; Health Equity, Disparities, Social Determinants and Justice; HIV/AIDS
ORCID
0000-0003-4340-3101
Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Frequent collaborators of Roman Shrestha's published research.
Publications Timeline
A big-picture view of Roman Shrestha's research output by year.
Jeffrey A. Wickersham, PhD
Frederick (Rick) Lewis Altice, MD, MA
Kamal Gautam
Kiran Paudel
Sheela Shenoi, MD, MPH, FIDSA
Zhao Ni, PhD, BMedSci, RN, FAAN, FAHA
151Publications
2,911Citations
Publications
2026
Smartphone-Based Ecological Momentary Assessment to Monitor Opioid Use and Overdose Among People Who Use Opioids: Prospective Observational Feasibility Study
Gautam K, Paudel K, Wickersham J, Khati A, Thapa A, Bhusal S, Sujan S, Pagoto S, Ha T, Shrestha R. Smartphone-Based Ecological Momentary Assessment to Monitor Opioid Use and Overdose Among People Who Use Opioids: Prospective Observational Feasibility Study. JMIR Human Factors 2026, 13: e95655. PMID: 42372226, PMCID: PMC13313411, DOI: 10.2196/95655.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsEcological momentary assessmentSyringe service programsNaloxone accessOpioid useOverdose experiencesEcological momentary assessment promptsOverdose eventsOpioid cravingDigital health interventionsEMA completion ratesMomentary assessmentEcological momentary assessment measuresSmartphone-based EMAMonitoring opioid useSmartphone-based ecological momentary assessmentOverdose deathsObservational feasibility studyService programsMonitoring of opioid useDrug-use-related behaviorDrug overdose deathsHealth interventionsOpioid overdose deathsBaseline assessmentRisk of overdoseAssessing digital health literacy among middle-aged adults in urban Nepal
Niroula S, Bhattarai G, Paudel K, Chapagain Y, Bhusal S, Jha A, Shah S, Pandey A, Wagle S, Rai V, Bhandari B, Shrestha R, Gautam K, Adhikari T. Assessing digital health literacy among middle-aged adults in urban Nepal. Discover Public Health 2026, 23: 885. DOI: 10.1186/s12982-026-02275-5.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsDigital health literacyMiddle-aged adultsHealth literacyDigital health inequityLow digital health literacyHealth literacy indexEquitable public health policiesUrban NepalDigital health resourcesHealth-related purposesCross-sectional surveyCommunity-based educationPublic health policiesHealth decision-makingAssociated with older ageMultivariate linear regressionHealth inequalitiesSPSS version 27Lack of internet accessHealth policyHealth resourcesHealthcare landscapeTargeted interventionsOlder ageAdultsNurse Practitioner-Led, Same-Day, Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Delivery Program for People Who Inject Drugs in the United States: Findings From a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.
Gautam K, Paudel K, Altice F, Vlahov D, Khati A, Wickersham J, Moore T, Bae E, Bhusal S, Sujan M, Kil N, Shrestha R. Nurse Practitioner-Led, Same-Day, Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Delivery Program for People Who Inject Drugs in the United States: Findings From a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal Of The Association Of Nurses In AIDS Care 2026 PMID: 42201314, DOI: 10.1097/jnc.0000000000000657.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsNurse practitioner-ledSyringe service programsPractitioner-ledRandomized Controlled TrialsPilot randomized controlled trialInjected drugsPre-exposure prophylaxisService programsTreatment-as-usualPrEP deliveryPrEP prescriptionPrEP uptakeHIV preventionPrEP modelsDelivery programsControlled TrialsNursesSame-dayFollow-upParticipantsPrescriptionUnited StatesPeopleAcceptanceProgramEffects of a Brief Smokeless Tobacco Cessation Counseling Among People with HIV Who Smoke Cigarettes in Nepal
Poudel K, Silwal R, Chalise B, Shrestha R, Poudel-Tandukar K. Effects of a Brief Smokeless Tobacco Cessation Counseling Among People with HIV Who Smoke Cigarettes in Nepal. Substance Use & Misuse 2026, ahead-of-print: 1-5. PMID: 42126141, DOI: 10.1080/10826084.2026.2671344.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsSmokeless tobaccoCessation counselingPost-interventionAverage daily intensityCessation interventionsHarms of smokeless tobaccoTobacco cessation counselingBenefits of quittingSmokeless tobacco useSmokeless tobacco usersSmoking cessation sessionsProportion of PWHResource-limited settingsQuit smokingSmoking cessationPost-recruitmentSmoking cigarettesLong-term abstinencePilot trialPWHQuit dateSmokingCounselingCigaretteInterventionExploring Perceived Utility of a Clinic‐Integrated HIV Prevention App for Men Who Have Sex With Men in Malaysia: A Qualitative Think‐Aloud Study
Sujan S, Wickersham J, Khati A, Gautam K, Paudel K, Azwa I, Altice F, Tan Y, Sabri N, Copenhaver M, Shrestha R. Exploring Perceived Utility of a Clinic‐Integrated HIV Prevention App for Men Who Have Sex With Men in Malaysia: A Qualitative Think‐Aloud Study. Health Science Reports 2026, 9: e72458. PMID: 42094620, PMCID: PMC13139626, DOI: 10.1002/hsr2.72458.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsHIV prevention servicesHIV prevention appHIV prevention effortsPreventive servicesPrevention appsPrevention effortsSemi-structured interviewsHIV testingHealthcare settingsHealthcare stakeholdersApp featuresMSMQualitative interviewsPilot testVulnerable groupsQualitative dataHealth concernPre-specified tasksQualitative think-aloud studyHIVHealthcareGlobal health concernUser feedbackParticipantsTheme analysis“Silent or Silenced?”: Cross-sectional Findings of Internalised Homophobia and Intimate Partner Violence as Mediators between Stigma and Concealment Motivation Among Men who have Sex with Men in Malaysia
Hui E, Murthi T, Sabri N, Tan Y, Sujan S, Gautam K, Paudel K, Azwa I, Wickersham J, Shrestha R. “Silent or Silenced?”: Cross-sectional Findings of Internalised Homophobia and Intimate Partner Violence as Mediators between Stigma and Concealment Motivation Among Men who have Sex with Men in Malaysia. Psychology And Sexuality 2026, ahead-of-print: 1-17. DOI: 10.1080/19419899.2026.2655665.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsIntimate partner violenceEffects of stigmaInternalised homophobiaConcealment motivationCross-sectional findingsPartner violenceSerial mediation analysisMinority stress theoryMediation analysisCross-sectional designTotal effectBronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theoryMSM participantsSocio-cultural challengesEcological systems theoryConvenience sampleMixed-methods approachStigmaHomophobiaNon-urban populationsMSMViolenceNon-significantIndirect effectsParticipantsAn Examination of African Immigrants With Overweight or Obesity: Weight, Lifestyle Behaviors, and Body Image Following Immigration
Bannor R, Pagoto S, Idiong C, Goetz J, Kimani J, Kalinowski J, Shrestha R, Xu R. An Examination of African Immigrants With Overweight or Obesity: Weight, Lifestyle Behaviors, and Body Image Following Immigration. Journal Of Racial And Ethnic Health Disparities 2026, 1-15. PMID: 41945302, DOI: 10.1007/s40615-026-02954-8.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsBody image perceptionLifestyle behaviorsWeight gain prevention interventionObesity-related health conditionsPhysical activity guidelinesPhysical activity changesFast food intakeObesogenic food environmentCross-sectional surveyActivity guidelinesAverage weight changePost-migrationAfrican immigrantsPhysical activityVegetable consumptionFood environmentPaired t-testSedentary lifestylePreventive interventionsHealthy dietHealth conditionsDescriptive statisticsBody imageLifestyleObesityTrends and burden of tobacco use in Nepal: Insights from the Global Burden of Disease study 1990–2021
Paudel K, Gautam K, Niroula S, Bhusal S, Wickersham J, Sujan S, Kc B, Adhikari T, Shrestha R. Trends and burden of tobacco use in Nepal: Insights from the Global Burden of Disease study 1990–2021. Tobacco Prevention & Cessation 2026, 12 PMID: 41869373, PMCID: PMC13001751, DOI: 10.18332/tpc217390.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsDisability-adjusted life yearsGlobal Burden of DiseaseTobacco useDeaths attributable to tobacco useTobacco consumptionBurden of tobacco useTobacco productsGlobal burdenGlobal Burden of Disease StudyPersistent burdenBurden of Disease StudyBurden of tobaccoSmoking cessation programBurden of diseaseSex-specific mortalityTobacco controlPublic health problemPublic awareness campaignsPublic health concernAge-standardizedCessation programsAge-specificLife yearsHealth problemsDisease StudyTrends and burden of tobacco use in Nepal: Insights from the Global Burden of Disease study 1990–2021
Paudel K, Gautam K, Niroula S, Bhusal S, Wickersham J, Sujan M, KC B, Adhikari T, Shrestha R. Trends and burden of tobacco use in Nepal: Insights from the Global Burden of Disease study 1990–2021. Tobacco Prevention & Cessation 2026, 12: 1-10. DOI: 10.18332/tpc/217390.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchUnderstanding barriers and facilitators of healthy diet and physical activity among African immigrants in the US: a qualitative study
Bannor R, Baidoo R, Ray S, Idiong C, Goetz J, Kalinowski J, Shrestha R, Xu R, Pagoto S. Understanding barriers and facilitators of healthy diet and physical activity among African immigrants in the US: a qualitative study. Ethnicity And Health 2026, 31: 313-331. PMID: 41703704, DOI: 10.1080/13557858.2026.2630828.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsPhysical activityHealthy dietLifestyle interventionFocus groupsPhysical activity facilitatorsSugary beverage consumptionObesogenic food environmentInter-rater reliabilityConsumption of vegetablesSustained behavior changeAfrican immigrantsFruit servingsGym membershipFood environmentSedentary lifestyleUnique barriersBeverage consumptionScreening surveyQualitative studyLean proteinActive facilitationLifestyleBehavioral changesFacilitationBlack Americans
Academic Achievements & Community Involvement
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Activities
activity mHealth App Development for HIV prevention
03/01/2020 - PresentResearchDetailsKuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysiaactivity Expanding PrEP access to PWID (EPIC-P)
01/06/2020 - PresentResearchDetailsNew Haven, CT, United States
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