Meet Jerome Jacobs ’23, an OUR Peer Research Ambassador (PRA) majoring in Allied Health Sciences, with a concentration in public health and health promotion, and minoring in Global Studies.

What is the focus of your research?

My research is a mobile-based HIV prevention project in Malaysia. I have helped develop research-informed HIV prevention content and evaluated various features of the mobile app, which helped me realize that HIV stigma is one of the most persevering barriers to effective HIV/AIDS services in Malaysia.

Why did you get involved in research?

Interestingly, before acquiring my research assistantship, I had never done any research in m-health, stigma, or HIV and other STIs. However, since immersing myself in this position, I have grown passionate about it and am pursuing it for the UConn IDEA Grant and my Honors Thesis project.

What advice would you give to aspiring student researchers?

The biggest piece of advice I would give is to really search for something you are passionate about, or if you do not quite have a specific area of research you are passionate about, be very open-minded and find a topic that you can learn a lot about, not necessarily something in your comfort zone.

What do you enjoy the most about participating in research?

I love the fact that I am constantly learning. Even though I have been doing the same research for 7 months, every week, every team meeting, I am constantly learning one new aspect of the Malaysian healthcare system, the impact of stigma on HIV prevention/intervention, the Malaysian population, and more.

Click here for more information on Jerome and other OUR Peer Research Ambassadors.

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