Theo Sandfort, PhD

Director, HIV Center Postdoctoral Training Program: Behavioral Sciences Training in HIV Infection
Director, Development Core
Professor, Clinical Sociomedical Sciences (in Psychiatry)

Email: tgs2001@cumc.columbia.edu
Phone: 646-774-6946

Theo Sandfort, PhD, is a Research Scientist at the HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies, and is Professor of Clinical Sociomedical Sciences (in Psychiatry), Columbia University. He is also Principal Investigator of the HIV Center's postdoctoral fellowship program on Behavioral Sciences Research in HIV Infection, and an Investigator with the Development Core and the Public Health Policy and Practice Core.

Prior to joining the HIV Center in 2001, Dr. Sandfort was Chairman of the Interfaculty Department of Lesbian and Gay Studies at Utrecht University, the Netherlands, and Director of the Research Program "Diversity, Lifestyles and Health" at the Netherlands Institute of Social Sexological Research. He is a former President of the Dutch Society of Sexology, and the International Academy of Sex Research. He serves on the board of various academic journals on sexuality.  

Dr. Sandfort has engaged in numerous basic and applied empirical investigations in the field of sexuality and health. In terms of research methods he is skilled in both quantitative and qualitative approaches. He was involved in large as well as small-scale studies, aimed at surveying sexual behavior and attitudes, identifying determinants of health behavior, needs assessments, evaluating mass media and small-scale health interventions, and identifying the epidemiology of mental disorders. In his applied research he enjoys helping to identify basic research needs of professional organizations and promoting the application of research findings. His current research interests focus on sexual health, sexual development, homosexuality, and emerging LGBT communities. In promoting the understanding of various health issues, his major aim is to contribute to health and well being, especially in relation to sexuality and sexual orientation.

EDUCATION

Catholic University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
MA - 1979 - Social Psychology

Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
PhD - 1988 - Social Sciences

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE  

1977-1979: Student Assistant, Department of Social Psychology, Catholic University, Nijmegen, Netherlands

1980-1981: Research Assistant, Sociological Institute, Utrecht University, Netherlands

1981-1988: Research Assistant, Department of Clinical Psychology and Personality Theory, Utrecht University

1988-1989: Researcher, Interfaculty Department of Lesbian and Gay Studies, Utrecht University

1988-1993: Co-director of research programme social-scientific AIDS research, Utrecht University

1993-1997: Chair of Interfaculty Department of Lesbian and Gay Studies, Utrecht University

1996-2001: Director of research programme "Diversity, lifestyles and health", Netherlands Institute of Social Sexological Research, Utrecht, Netherlands

1998-2001: Associate Professor, Department of Clinical Psychology, Utrecht University

2001-present: Research Scientist, HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies, New York State Psychiatric Institute, Department of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY
Associate Professor, Department of Sociomedical Sciences, Joseph L. Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY

2001-2010: Associate Professor of Clinical Sociomedical Sciences (in Psychiatry), Departments of Psychiatry and Sociomedical Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY

2002-2003: President, International Academy of Sex Research

2002-present: Fellow, American Psychological Association

2003-2010: Training Director, HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies, New York State Psychiatric Institute, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY

2008: John Money Award (Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality)

2010-present: Professor of Clinical Sociomedical Sciences (in Psychiatry), Departments of Psychiatry and Sociomedical Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY
Principal Investigator, Postdoctoral Training Program, HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies, New York State Psychiatric Institute, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY

2011-present: Member of the HPTN MSM Working Group