Rachel C. Kidman PhD

Dr. Kidman is a social epidemiologist whose work focuses on the experiences of children and youth living with adversity. Much of her research examines the impact of HIV/AIDS on child and adolescent welfare in sub-Saharan Africa, factors that create vulnerability or resilience in this population, and interventions that can effectively meet their needs. Her current work in this area examines adversity in the lives of HIV-infected adolescents and its role in HIV transmission risk in South Africa. She also leads a 5-year study in Malawi to examine the role of adverse childhood experiences in shaping divergent HIV risk trajectories during adolescence. Past work includes evaluation of national policies to improve health for vulnerable adolescents; longitudinal impact evaluations of community-based programs for children affected by AIDS in South Africa; investigation of health and educational disparities among children affected by AIDS in Malawi, case studies of community programming for orphans in Botswana, and research on best practices for programs serving vulnerable children and their families for UNICEF.