Recognized as the world’s leading authority on the application of self-determination theory for HIV prevention and care, he is also trailblazing the use of a rapid psychological trauma recovery intervention to reduce the negative impacts of stigma and trauma on HIV outcomes in African and African diaspora communities.
Dr. Nelson’s work has influenced US foreign health policy on the decision to include men who have sex with men in its key population targets for prevention services in West Africa. He has been invited to the White House on numerous occasions to provide consultation on setting research priorities for addressing stigma to improve HIV prevention and care outcomes in the US and sub-Saharan Africa.
Dr. Nelson was named one of Canada’s Rising Stars in Global Health for his groundbreaking research in Ghana and was honoured by the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care with the Excellence in HIV Prevention Award. He is also a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing and the inaugural holder of the OHTN HIV Research Chair in Program Science with African, Caribbean and Black Communities.
Dr. Nelson is an Associate Professor and Associate Dean of Global Health & Equity in the Yale School of Nursing. He is an affiliate scientist with MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions in the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael’s Hospital, and a scientist with the Independence Foundation.