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Wendee M. Wechsberg
Wendee M. Wechsberg (born May 21,1954) is an American biobehavioral social science researcher. She has utilized mixed methods research to develop and evaluate HIV prevention interventions for diverse populations, focusing on underserved women, adolescent girls, and couples who use substances since 1994. She is a pioneer in the scientific field of addressing gender inequalities in relation to the syndemic factors of substance use, HIV, and gender violence.[1] She is known for the creation of the evidence-based Women’s CoOp[2][3] HIV prevention intervention for women who used crack-cocaine and subsequent age-, gender- and culturally-sensitive global adaptations across more than three decades of HIV research.[4] Early life and educationWechsberg was born in Miami, Florida on May 21,1954 to Drs. Florence and Henry Wechsberg. She had one older brother. Florence was in the first edition of Who's Who of American Women and was the first female president of the Dade County Psychological Association.[5] Henry came from Nazi Germany. Wechsberg went to Pinecrest Elementary School[6] in South Miami and Palmetto Middle School and High School and graduated in 1972. In 1975, Wechsberg received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology from the University of South Florida and earned her spot in Who’s Who in Colleges and Universities,[7] and other leadership honors including, the Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society[8] and Mortar Board. She also started the Free Vegetarian Kitchen on campus and served as chief justice on the Student Court.[9] She received her Master of Science degree in Human Developmental Counseling[10] from Peabody College at Vanderbilt University in 1979. Her academic journey culminated in a PhD in Community Psychology from North Carolina State University in 1993. For her doctoral work, Wechsberg worked in HIV and gender differences, and began a scientific career to develop gender-focused interventions. CareerDr. Wechsberg started her earlier career in 1977 as a substance use addiction clinician and treatment director, being a woman with lived experience. Her first HIV-positive patient in the methadone program threatened to "infect every woman", a pivotal moment that profoundly impacted and redirected her career. Since 1999, she has served as the Principal Researcher and Director of the Substance Use, Gender, and Applied Research (SUGAR) Program[11] at RTI International (formerly known as the Substance Abuse Treatment, Evaluations, and Interventions program), and the Founding Director of RTI International’s first RTI Global Gender Center since 2014.[12][13] The global center connects gender-sensitive researchers and advocates both within RTI and globally, fostering collaboration among over 500 affiliates and experts to address gender inequalities and disparities through innovative research and science.[14] In addition to her pivotal roles at RTI, Wechsberg has held adjunct professor positions in Health, Policy and Administration at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) Gillings School of Global Public Health,[15] Psychology in the Public Interest at North Carolina State University (NCSU),[16] and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Duke University School of Medicine.[17] Wechsberg’s distinguished career has resulted in the successful execution of 15 National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded five-year studies and numerous supplemental and pilot trial studies, including a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) study focused on adolescent women.[18] Her work is deeply rooted in empowerment theory,[19] focusing on equipping women to take control of their lives and reducing their risk for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) by addressing a complex interconnected triad of behaviors and factors, including substance misuse, gender-based violence, sexual behaviors, and enhancing sexual negotiation and partner communication skills.[20][21][22] She is the creator of the Women's CoOp,[23] an HIV prevention program[24] tailored for women who use substances, conceived in 1998, with subsequent global adaptations including the Women’s Health CoOp,[25] the Young Women's CoOp,[26] and Couples Health CoOp[27] series focused on changing the gender norms.[28][29] Funded by National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) for over two decades, the original Women's CoOp was recognized by the CDC in the compendium of Evidence-Based Interventions and Best practices for HIV Prevention as a Best-Evidence Risk Reduction intervention.[30][31][32] Its impact spans across the United States, where it has been rigorously adapted for adult and adolescent women and couples who use substances and in multiple regions in South Africa, Tanzania, the Republic of Georgia and in Russia. A South African adaptation, the Women’s Health CoOp,[33] is also listed in USAID’s Compendium of Programs in Africa[34] and has been packaged for implementation into substance use treatment programs in South Africa.[35] Wechsberg oversaw the development of an mHealth mobile app version of the Young Women's CoOp[36] in North Carolina, aiming to enhance accessibility of the intervention content for adolescent and young adult women who use substances. This innovation marks a significant milestone as the first evidence-based, women-centric HIV intervention addressing substance use and empowerment delivered through a mobile platform.[37] She has been affiliated with the National Association for Addiction Professionals,[38] Addiction Professionals of North Carolina,[39] American Association of Community Psychology, American Psychological Association, American Public Health Association, College on Problems of Drug Dependence, and the International AIDS Society. Ending Gender Inequalities ConferencesWechsberg spearheaded the creation and execution of RTI International’s first gender science focused Ending Gender Inequalities conferences, serving as the chair for both events. The 2016 conference[40] in Chapel Hill at the UNC Friday Center[41] brought together over 240 attendees from 30 countries, focusing on collaboration and scaling up evidence-based programs addressing HIV, drug use, and violence.[42] Building on its success, she led the 2018 Johannesburg conference, which gathered nearly 200 participants from over 30 countries.[43] The event, centered on translating research into action, featured keynote speakers, panels, and collaborative sessions on critical issues like reproductive health, gender-based violence, and HIV prevention. South African journalist Redi Tlhabi emceed the conference, underscoring the importance of collaboration in ending gender inequalities. Renown keynote speakers included, Agnes Pareyio, a Kenyan women’s rights activist, Nabila El-Bassel, professor of social work at Columbia University, Glenda Gray, of the South African Medical Research Council, and Grizelda Grootboom,[44] a South African human trafficking survivor and activist. Scientific AuthorWechsberg has authored over 185 peer-reviewed publications on HIV, substance use, and gender, and has delivered more than 100 invited presentations.[45] Additionally, she has contributed to several commentaries and opinion editorials in various newspapers and served as a reviewer for prominent scientific journals such as the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, the American Journal of Public Health, and AIDS and Behavior. In her book, HIV pioneers: Lives Lost, Careers Changed, and Survival,[46] Wechsberg chronicles the narratives of early HIV researchers during the epidemic's inception, garnering praise for its poignant portrayal of their contributions.[47] From the foreword by James Curran, MD, to endorsements by Paul A. Volberding, MD, Kenneth H. Mayer, MD, and Gerald Friedland, MD,[48] HIV Pioneers is hailed as an indispensable addition to the historical documentation of efforts against the epidemic.[49] In, Methadone maintenance treatment in the U.S.: a practical question and answer guide[50], Wechsberg and co-authors provide a comprehensive, user-friendly reference on methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) programs, covering their effectiveness, successful characteristics, and regulatory issues. The book is designed for clinicians, program administrators, researchers, and policymakers, offering insights based on a study of over 150 MMT programs across 15 states. In, Prevention Issues for Women's Health in the New Millennium[51], Wechsberg recounts the need for and the gains that can be achieved by targeting prevention and health promotion programs toward minority and low-income women in the communities where they live. FEM-torshipCoining the word, “FEMtorship” the feminine version of mentorship, Wechsberg is passionate about guiding the next generation of women scientists.[52] In 2013, Wechsberg received an award for her exceptional mentorship in National Institute on Drug Abuse-supported research training programs.[53] She is recognized for her leadership in helping to build an international community of scientists collaborating on substance use, gender, and HIV research globally. Previously serving as President of WomenNC[54] and current chair of their advisory board, Wechsberg has been instrumental in the WomenNC Scholars Program.[55] This competitive, application-based initiative offers a comprehensive leadership development opportunity for university students, empowering the next generation to advance gender equality in North Carolina. Wechsberg has overseen the matching of RTI Global Gender Center scientists with WomenNC scholars for a femtee-femtor process to conduct an original research project addressing inequalities in local communities. Additionally, Wechsberg started the International Women's and Children's Health and Gender (InWomen's) Group[56] in 2007 with support from NIDA.[57] She served as Chair of the InWomen's Group for over 16 years. InWomen's is the only multidisciplinary forum addressing all aspects of substance use among women, children, and families with respect to gender differences. The InWomen’s Group began meeting virtually and in person in 2007 and consists of more than 1,000 members from over 44 countries worldwide, with an annual meeting. The InWomen's meeting was associated with the NIDA International Forum andthe College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD).[58] InWomen's offered competitive travel scholarships to US-based and global attendees. InWomen's haDA International Forum andthe College on Problems of Drug Dependence.[59][60] Throughout her career, Wechsberg has femtored numerous students and early career scientists, and has served on a wide array of advisory boards and committees. Her contributions include serving on the Friends Committee NC, HIV Prevention Work Group, the Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) Internal Advisory Board at the University of North Carolina,[61] and the North Carolina Coalition Against Human Trafficking.[62] She has also been a board member of the North Carolina Community AIDS Fund and a member of the Comprehensive International Programme for Research on AIDS in South Africa’s Scientific Advisory Board in Cape Town. HONORSIn 2008, Wechsberg was ranked third among all researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health who received HIV/AIDS investigator-initiated grants with research in the United States and internationally in the scientific magazine, Science.[63] Dr. Wechsberg was nominated and selected to be on the 2022 Forbes Women 50 over 50 Impact list.[64] Selected in 2023 and 2024 for North Carolina’s Top Women Leaders in Women We Most Admire.[65][66] Wechsberg has been honored with several prestigious awards throughout her career. In 2018, she received the Margaret Elliot Knox Excellence Award for excellence in the area of substance use, gender, and HIV research from RTI International.[67] Her contributions were further recognized with the Pioneer Certificate from NIDA in 2015 for Two Decades of International Collaborations.[68] In 2014, she was awarded the Women in Business Mentoring Award by the Triangle Business Journal,[69] and in 2013, she received the NIDA International Mentoring Award.[70] Earlier, in 2007, the Triangle Business Journal named her one of the “10 People Working to Change the World".[71] Additionally, in 2002, she was honored with the RTI President’s Award for her innovative adaptation of a U.S.-developed research and intervention protocol for HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention programs in South Africa.
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