Departmental Affiliations
Center & Institute Affiliations
Karin Tobin, PhD ’04, MHS ’00, is a social and behavioral scientist who studies how social networks and place-based context shape health and inequalities.
Contact Info
Research Interests
social networks; behavioral interventions and evaluation; HIV prevention; overdose; Harm Reduction; injection drug users; gay bisexual and other men who have sex with men; intimate partner violence and trauma, MOUD
Experiences & Accomplishments
I am an Associate Professor and the Associate Director of the Lighthouse Studies @ Peer Point, our community-based clinic, and the Training Director of our Overdose Response Program. My research focuses on identifying social and contextual factors that are associated with health and risk and developing and testing behavioral interventions to improve health outcomes. My work addresses significant public health problems such as HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases, hepatitis C, mental health, addiction and overdose. I work with several key populations including people who use and inject drugs and sexual and racial minorities and I use a harm reduction framework to guide my research and practice. My research includes a focus is on the socio-spatial and temporal context of behavior and utilizes social influence theories to inform my work.
Current activities include: 1) evaluating a culturally-tailored HIV prevention intervention for African American gay bisexual and other men who have sex with men, 2) evaluation of a social-network oriented behavioral interventions with high-risk adults, 3) development and evaluation of an opiate overdose intervention 4) examination of the social and spatial context of violence experienced by transgender women and young Black women 5) examination of the socio-spatial context of injection drug use in Ukraine, and 6) medication assisted treatment for opiate use disorder thought telemedicine.
Honors & Awards
NIDA, Ruth L. Kirchstein National Research Service Award for Pre-Doctoral Fellows
NIDA Asian American and Pacific Islander Researchers & Scholars Workgroup Mentee
NIH Health Disparities Loan Repayment Program (LRP) Recipient
Select Publications
Tobin KE, Clyde C, Davey-Rothwell, M, Latkin C. (2018) Awareness and access to naloxone necessary but not sufficient: Examining gaps in the naloxone cascade. International Journal of Drug Policy. 59:94-97 Winiker, AK , Tobin, KE , Gicquelais, R , Owczarzak, J, Latkin, C (2020): “When You're Getting High… You Just Don't Want to Be Around Anybody.” A Qualitative Exploration of Reasons for Injecting Alone: Perspectives from Young People Who Inject Drugs, Substance Use & Misuse Tobin K, Edwards C, Fath N, Lee A, Gaydos C. (2018) Acceptability and feasibility of a Peer Mentor program to train young Black men who have sex with men to promote HIV and STI home-testing to their social network members. AIDS Care. 30(7):896-902 Tobin K, Davey-Rothwell M, Nonyane BAS, Knowlton A, Wissow L, Latkin C. (2017) RCT of an Integrated CBT-HIV Intervention on Depressive Symptoms and HIV Risk. Plos One Tobin KE, Currerio F, Latkin C.(2014) An examination of places where African American men who have sex with men (MSM) use drugs/drink alcohol: a focus on social and spatial characteristics. International Journal on Drug Policy May;25(3):591-7
Randomized Controlled Trials - Behavioral Interventions
Tobin KE, Kuramoto SJ, German, D, Fields E, Spikes P, Petterson J, Latkin C. (2012) Unity in Diversity: Results of a randomized clinical culturally tailored pilot HIV prevention intervention trial for African American men who have sex with men; Baltimore, Maryland. Health Education & Behavior (in press). PMC Journal - In Process
Davey-Rothwell MA, Tobin KE, Yang C, Sun CJ, Latkin CA. (2011) Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial of a Peer Mentor HIV/STI Prevention Intervention for Women Over an 18 Month Follow-Up. AIDS and Behavior Nov;15(8):1654-63. PMCID:PMC3158274
Tobin KE, Kuramoto SJ, Davey-Rothwell MA, Latkin CA. (2011) The STEP into Action study: a peer-based, personal risk network focused HIV prevention intervention with injection drug users in Baltimore, Maryland. Addiction Feb;106(2):366-75. PMCID:PMC3049994
Tobin KE, Sherman SG, Bielenson P, Welsh C, Latkin CA. (2009) Evaluation of the Staying Alive Programme: Training Injection Drug Users to Properly Administer Naloxone and Save Lives. International Journal of Drug Policy 20(2):131-136.