Claude Ann Mellins, PhD
Co-Director, of the HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies Co-Director, HIV Center Postdoctoral Training Program
Associate Director, Division of Gender, Sexuality and Health
Program Director, CopeColumbia
Professor of Medical Psychology (in Psychiatry and Sociomedical Sciences), Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Email: cam14@cumc.columbia.edu
Phone: (646) 774 - 6934
Claude Ann Mellins, PhD, is a clinical psychologist with research and clinical expertise in psychosocial aspects of HIV disease, substance use, and stress and trauma in children, adolescents, young adults and families in the US and globally. She is a Professor of Medical Psychology (in Psychiatry and Sociomedical Sciences) at Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC), the co-director of the HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies at the New York State Psychiatric Institute and CUIMC, as well as its T32 Post-doctoral training program, and Associate Director of the Division of Gender Sexuality and Health where the Center is based. From 2014-2022, Dr. Mellins was the Co-Director of the Office of Clinical Psychology for CUIMC psychologists functioning in clinical roles throughout the medical center. She is currently the Program Director of CopeColumbia, a peer support program to promote wellbeing in faculty and staff at CUIMC.
Over the past 30 years, Dr. Mellins has been the PI or Co-Investigator of a large number of foundation and federally-funded research projects based in the US and internationally, including multiple cohort and intervention studies of young people living with perinatal HIV-infection or who have parents affected by HIV. Her research has focused on the intersection of HIV prevention and care – targeting the critical psychosocial and contextual determinants of behavioral health outcomes (mental health, sexual and drug risk behavior, and treatment adherence) and neurocognitive outcomes, informing evidence-based interventions for youth and families living with or affected by HIV and health disparities in the US and globally, including South Africa, Uganda, Mozambique and Thailand. Her research has involved longitudinal cohort studies, intervention trials and collaborations with inter-disciplinary academic teams, medical and community providers, and governmental health officials. Most recently these projects include:
CASAH (Pathways to Successful Aging Among Perinatally HIV-infected and Exposed Young Adults: Risk, Resilience, and the Role of Perinatal HIV Infection; R01-MH69133: PI: Mellins), a federally funded multisite behavioral study in NYC of youth living with perinatally-acquired HIV and youth perinatally- HIV-exposed, but uninfected;
Combinado (UG3 HD096926; Abrams (PI); Role: Co-Investigator). A Combination Intervention Strategy to Improve Health Outcomes for Adolescents Living with HIV in Mozambique;
Suubi+Adherence-R2 (R01HD074949; Ssewamala (PI), Role: Co-Investigator). Examining longitudinal study of HIV treatment adherence among youth living with HIV (YLHIV) transitioning into young adulthood
The Pediatric HIV/AIDS Cohort Study (PHACS; NICHD P01 HD103133; Williams (mPI; Role: Co-Investigator). PHACS is a large federally funded multi-site study of perinatally HIV-exposed infants, children, and adolescents;
From 2009-2013, Dr. Mellins was a standing member of NIH Behavioral and Social Consequences of HIV/AIDS Study Section and has consulted on international issues related to children and risk behavior for the New York State Psychiatric Institute’s IRB.
In addition to her research, Dr. Mellins co-founded and co-directed the Special Needs Clinic at New York Presbyterian Hospital, one of the first and largest mental health clinics for HIV-infected women, children, adolescents and families.
Through all of her work to-date, Dr. Mellins has developed extensive skills in cognitive and behavioral research and the interface with biomedical issues; integration of sexual risk reduction prevention and mental health services; academic-clinical partnerships; studies in clinical and hospital-based settings; experience with oversight of longitudinal studies with children, adolescents, young adults and families from impoverished communities; assessment of pediatric cognitive and mental health function, as well as adolescent and young adult sexual risk behavior; and adapting evidence-based interventions for low resource settings in ways that are feasible and scalable.
EDUCATION
Brown University, Providence, RI
BA - 1982 - Psychology
University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
PhD - 1990 - Clinical Psychology
Columbia University, NY NY. Internship in Clinical Psychology
Columbia University, NY NY. Post-doctoral fellowship in HIV Behavioral/ Social Science
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE (Selection)
2021-Present Co-Chair Columbia University (CU) President’s Advisory Council on Sexual Assault (PACSA)
2020-Present Program Director, CopeColumbia, faculty and staff, wellbeing program at Columbia University Irving Medical Center
2019-Present Adhoc member of NIH study section, HIV/AIDS Intra- and Inter-personal Determinants and Behavioral Interventions
2019-2024 Member, Data Safety and Monitoring Board. For NIMH funded study (R01MH114544; PI: C. Celum), PrEP for young South African women: Evaluating scaled adherence support using a SMART design
2018-Present Co-chair, Office of University Life mental health workgroup, CU
2017-Present Lead investigator on Columbia College Well-being Survey with (Office of University Life, and CU Health)
2016-Present Research Scientist VII, New York State Psychiatric Institute, NYC, NY
2014-2022 Co-Director, Office of Clinical Psychology, CUIMC
2013-Present Co-Director, HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies, New York Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University, NY, NY
2013-Present Professor of Medical Psychology (in Psychiatry and Sociomedical Sciences) at CUIMC, NY, NY
2010-Present Co-Director of NIMH Post-doctoral Research Fellowship at the HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies, NY, NY
2010-2013 Professor of Clinical Psychology (in Psychiatry and Sociomedical Sciences), CUMIC, NY, NY
2009-2013 Standing member of NIH Behavioral and Social Consequences of HIV/AIDS Study Section
1992-2015 Co-Director, Special Needs Clinic for Families Affected by HIV, CUMIC, NY, NY
