Dominga S. Padilla

I am an Associate Professor and the Medical Director of the Department of Pediatrics - Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine at Rutgers NJMS. I am a scholar of the Hispanic Center of Excellence (HCOE) and continue to pursue opportunities to empower and advance leadership qualities in both medical professionals as well as adolescent and young adult community populations. I am currently a member of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Group on Diversity and Inclusion, and I served as Associate Director of Cultural Competency Programs at Rutgers NJMS for ten years. As a clinical educator involved in numerous patient-targeted healthcare programs, I provide training and assistance relating to the delivery of patient-centered, culturally sensitive care to diverse populations. My research interests center heavily on efforts to eliminate health disparities in underserved communities such as the Hispanic or Latino populations. I have been the principal investigator on multiple grants that target the adolescent and young adult population addressing substance use/abuse, domestic violence, sexual health, and HIV care in youths. I have also participated in numerous studies investigating potential causes, screening tools, and intervention methods to address health disparities among minority populations.