Dr. Russell Brewer currently serves as Research Professor at the University of Chicago (UC). He is an implementation scientist and mixed-methods community-engaged researcher whose work has centered on developing and evaluating bundled HIV, substance use, mental health, and structural interventions for highly HIV-impacted populations including criminal legal-involved populations in the Midwest and Southern United States. He seeks to create a more supportive environment for service utilizers and transform organizations, communities, and service delivery systems to provide accessible and high-quality integrated services. He specializes in building and sustaining collaborative, cross sector partnerships with a range of stakeholders including correctional facilities, service providers, re-entry groups, clinical treatment providers, community-based organizations (CBOs), and coalitions. He has a proven track record of leading multi-site studies employing a range of methodologies, including longitudinal surveys, in-depth interviews, focus groups, and process mapping.

Dr. Brewer has more than 25 years of experience in public health program development, implementation, and evaluation from a variety of settings (e.g., non-profit, governmental public health, and philanthropy) and levels (e.g., local, state, and national). From 2011 – 2017, he led the HIV/STI Portfolio at the Louisiana Public Health Institute in New Orleans. From 2010-2012, he was an HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN) Scholar conducting research to examine the relationship between incarceration and HIV among HPTN 061 participants. From 2008-2011, he served as Program Manager at FHI 360 in Washington, DC where he managed the partnership component of an NIH-funded national education initiative designed to build awareness and support for HIV vaccine research among populations most impacted by HIV.