Nadia Lauren Dowshen
VerifiedUniversity of Pennsylvania · Rehabilitation Medicine
Active 2009–2026
About
Nadia Lauren Dowshen, MD, MSHP, is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics (Adolescent Medicine) at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. She serves as the Director of Adolescent HIV Services and Medical Director of the Adolescent HIV Clinic within the Craig-Dalsimer Division of Adolescent Medicine. Dr. Dowshen is also a faculty member at PolicyLab at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and is a Co-Founder and Medical Director of the Gender and Sexuality Development Program at the same institution. She holds the Distinguished Endowed Chair in the Department of Pediatrics at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and is the Associate Director for Student Affairs and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Master of Science in Health Policy Research Program at the University of Pennsylvania. Her academic background includes a BA in Urban Studies from the University of Pennsylvania, an MD from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, and an MSHP in Health Policy Research from the University of Pennsylvania. Her research focuses on adolescent health, HIV prevention, gender-affirming care, and the impact of legislation on adolescent medicine and gender-affirming care.
Research topics
- Political Science
- Sociology
- Law
- Medicine
- Internal medicine
- Family medicine
- Demography
- Psychiatry
- Gender studies
- Social psychology
- Pediatrics
- Psychology
Selected publications
AIDS Patient Care and STDs · 2026-01-14
articleIn the United States, youth are disproportionately affected by HIV and have poorer health outcomes than adults. Health care transition (HCT) from pediatric/adolescent- to adult-oriented HIV care is associated with disruptions to youths’ care retention, medication adherence, and viral suppression. However, no evidence-based interventions exist to improve HIV-related HCT outcomes. Accordingly, our team designed and implemented the iTransition intervention to support youth and providers in navigating HIV-related HCT. We conducted a pilot trial of iTransition in two cities in the United States with four participant groups: (1) historical control group ( n = 21), (2) youth intervention group ( n = 33), (3) provider intervention group ( n = 17), and (4) Transition Champions (i.e., staff members from each participating pediatric/adolescent and adult clinic designated to support iTransition implementation; n = 7). Analyses examined acceptability, feasibility, and preliminary efficacy. Youth, providers, and Transition Champions, who completed the assessments, generally assessed the feasibility and acceptability of the iTransition app and provider console favorably. Linkage to adult HIV care (defined as one adult HIV care appointment) was significantly higher in the youth intervention group, where 81.8% were linked compared with 47.6% in the historical control group (χ 2 = 6.96, p = 0.008). Rates of care linkage were not significantly different between app users and non-users (χ 2 = 1.09, p = 0.30). Notably, overall use of the app and the provider console was low. This study suggests that iTransition could serve as an important tool to support HCT for youth living with HIV in the United States; however, further work is needed to optimize implementation and improve uptake.
AIDS Patient Care and STDs · 2026-03-10
articlePreexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) continue to be underutilized among transgender people despite elevated HIV incidence in this population. Many transgender individuals report that their gender-affirming care (GAC) is their highest health care priority, and an increasing number seek this care via telehealth. We sought to understand clinician perspectives and needs regarding integrating HIV PrEP and HIV PEP into GAC in a telehealth model. We conducted semi-structured interviews with clinicians who self-identified as providing gender-affirming care via telehealth. We used the transdisciplinary approach to evidence-based practice to inform our interview guide and codebook and used thematic analysis to analyze the resulting data. Among our 20 participants interviewed in December 2023 and January 2024, there was enthusiasm to offer trans patients biomedical HIV prevention within GAC. Participants were most comfortable managing oral PrEP. Identified barriers include lab work cadence and issues getting medication to patients (especially the drugs for HIV PEP). PrEP navigators, patient self-advocacy, and trusting patient-clinician relationships were identified as facilitators of co-location. A clinician's ability to offer a transgender patient both GAC and PrEP/HIV PEP in the same telehealth visit is a promising strategy to tackle the disproportionate incidence of HIV among trans people. Trusting clinical relationships facilitated by the provision of GAC can be utilized to more accurately assess HIV risk and more effectively offer PrEP and HIV PEP.
Journal of Adolescent Health · 2026-02-13
articleOpen Forum Infectious Diseases · 2026-01-01
articleOpen accessAbstract Background Despite national progress in reducing HIV incidence, trans people in the United States remain disproportionately affected by HIV. Interdisciplinary research shows that receiving gender-affirming healthcare (GAHC) is linked to improved health outcomes. GAHC settings represent vital access points for addressing broader health needs, including biomedical HIV prevention. This study explores provider perspectives on co-locating biomedical HIV prevention and GAHC services. Methods We recruited 20 geographically diverse, self-identified GAHC providers from a large, national GAHC telehealth company and a national GAHC provider listserv to complete semi-structured interviews about their comfort and experiences with offering both biomedical HIV prevention (Post Exposure Prohylaxis (PEP) and Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP)) and GAHC, as well as perceived barriers and facilitators to co-locating these services. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using grounded theory. Results Providers expressed strong interest in and experience with offering both GAHC and biomedical HIV prevention. Oral PrEP was more commonly prescribed than injectable PrEP, due to insurance issues and provider hesitancy. Use of oral PrEP (versus injectable PrEP) was highlighted by both providers who saw clients in person and those who primarily practiced via telehealth. While less familiar with managing PEP, providers saw it as a useful complement to PrEP (e.g., “PEP to PrEP” and “PEP in Pocket” prescriptions). Facilitators of co-located, integrated care included PrEP navigators, on-site or mail-order pharmacies, and trusting patient-provider relationships. Barriers included insurance logistics, outdated prescribing guidelines that fail to reflect trans people’s experiences (equating transgender women's indications for PrEP with those for men who have sex with men), and the challenge of coordinating additional or asynchronous bloodwork. Conclusion Providers showed interest in and capacity for delivering biomedical HIV prevention within GAHC. Addressing logistical and systemic barriers to oral and injectable PrEP and PEP access, and co-locating and integrating these services into GAHC, may be a promising strategy to reduce HIV incidence among trans individuals. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures
Human-Animal Interactions · 2026-04-08
articleOpen accessAbstract Transgender, non-binary, and gender non-conforming (TGNC) youth are at heightened risk for anxiety, depression, and suicidality; these risks are exacerbated by stigma and rejection by peers and in greater society. Integration of animals into therapy has an emerging body of literature supporting its potential impact on anxiety and depression; Animal Assisted Play Therapy ® (AAPT) is one such intervention. Researchers conducted a randomized, controlled trial to determine the effects of an 8-week AAPT group on standardized measures of anxiety, depression, and perceived parental support. TGNC youth ( N = 40) referred by a hospital-based gender clinic were assigned to either an experimental ( n = 20) or waitlist-control condition ( n = 20). Standardized measures were administered before and after the experimental group participated in the group intervention. Youth who participated in the 8-week intervention group in the experimental condition had lower post-test measures of functional problems associated with depression, and higher measures of separation anxiety, as compared to children in the waitlist-control condition. There were significant negative correlations in the experimental group between post-test measures of parental support and panic disorder, and posttest measures of parental support and social anxiety; these correlations did not exist at pretest, or at any data point for the waitlist-control group.
Journal of Adolescent Health · 2026-02-13
articleSenior authorJournal of Adolescent Health · 2026-02-13
articleJournal of Adolescent Health · 2025-02-07
articleOpen accessJournal of Adolescent Health · 2025-08-06 · 2 citations
articleOpen access1st authorCorrespondingJournal of Adolescent Health · 2025-02-07
articleOpen accessSenior author
Recent grants
NIH · $875k · 2020
Frequent coauthors
- 90 shared
Sarah Wood
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
- 41 shared
Stephen Bonett
University of Pennsylvania
- 38 shared
Susan Lee
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
- 38 shared
Natalia Roszkowska
Cornell University
- 38 shared
Robin Stevens
Southern California University for Professional Studies
- 38 shared
Elizabeth Lazarus
Johns Hopkins University
- 37 shared
Essence Lynn Wilson
University of Southern California
- 37 shared
Jacqueline Ann Bannon
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Education
MD
University of Pennsylvania
MSHP
University of Pennsylvania
Awards & honors
- American Academy of Pediatrics, member
- Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine, Member
- PAX- Real Solutions to Gun Violence, Board of Trustees
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