Rafael E. Pérez-Figueroa

Associate Dean for Community Engagement and Public Health Practice and Associate Professor Urban-Global Public Health, Rutgers University, New Brunswick

Chapter Member: New Jersey-Philadelphia SSN

Areas of Expertise:

Public Health

Connect with Rafael

@RafaelPFigueroa

Faculty Page

About Rafael

Pérez-Figueroa studies how historically and contemporary under-resourced communities experience health inequities. He engages in theoretically driven research that seeks to disentangle the effects of different social determinants of health on the outcomes of these communities. Pérez-Figueroa's scholarly work focuses on public health issues related to HIV/AIDS prevention and care, substance use and abuse, harm reduction, mental health, and healthcare utilization. Pérez-Figueroa uses different community-engaged approaches to study these issues, focusing on the interplay between social, structural, and environmental factors that influence health systems in which inequities are embedded.

Contributions | No Jargon Podcast | In the News | Publications

Contributions

The Complex, Misunderstood Problem of Absent Fathers

Antonio Garcia

Commentary, June 2023

In the News

Opinion: "New Study Shows the Inequities of Fatherhood and That Children Need Involved Dads.," Rafael E. Pérez-Figueroa (with Antonio Garcia), Courier Journal, June 13, 2023.

Publications

"Access to Naloxone in Underserved Communities" The BMJ (2023): 84.

Underscores challenges and barriers related to the implementation of over-the-counter naloxone from a community-based perspective. Mentions how the US Food and Drug Administration has approved naloxone nasal spray (Narcan) for over-the-counter use to reverse opioid overdose. Finds the change may decrease barriers to accessing naloxone but could increase the cost and compromise existing harm reduction programs.