Kimberly Kisler, Ph.D.

Kimberly Kisler, Ph.D.
Kimberly Kisler, Ph.D.
Research Scientist

Ph.D., Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles
kkisler@friendsresearch.org
Phone: 323-463-1601
Fax: 323-463-0126
Brief Biography

Kimberly Kisler received her Ph.D. in Public Health from the University of California, Los Angeles and her Master’s in Public Health degree from the University of Southern California. Dr. Kisler’s professional experience ranges from serving as an HIV test counselor and managing a school-based health center to running an immunization program for high school students and coordinating health education efforts for Los Angeles county. In addition to a wide range of experience in public health, especially in HIV prevention among marginalized populations, she has received a number of merit-based fellowships, including the Charles F. Scott award and the UCLA Faculty Women’s Club Scholarship, as well as received the “Excellence in Abstract Submissions among New Investigators” award from the HIV/AIDS Caucus at the 138th annual American Public Health Association meeting.

Prior to joining Friends Research Institute, she served as the Project Director for the Enhanced Sexual Health Intervention for Men (ES-HIM) Project at UCLA. This research study, which was also the topic of her dissertation work, was a six-session culturally congruent intervention aimed at reducing symptoms of depression and posttraumatic stress disorder, as well as reducing high-risk sexual behaviors among HIV-positive non-gay identifying African American bisexual men who have histories of childhood sexual abuse. Currently, Dr. Kisler works as the Program Director for three Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-funded programs, including an adapted version of the evidence-based intervention, Safety Counts, for high-risk transgender women, as well as the comprehensive risk counseling and services (CRCS) and counseling, testing, and referral (CTR) programs, both which serve transgender women and substance-using MSM. In addition, Dr. Kisler also oversees a HRSA-funded SPNS initiative, The Alexis Project, which aims to identify, link, and retain HIV-positive transgender women of color in quality HIV care.

Selected Publications
Fehrenbacker, A. E., Fletcher, J. B., Clark, C., Kisler, K. A., & Reback, C. J. (in press). Social network and exchange sex among transgender women Journal of Sex Research.
Hirshfield, S., Contreras, J., Luebe, R. Q., Swartz, J. A., Scheinmann, R., Reback, C. J., Fletcher, J. B., Kisler, K. A., Kuhns, L. M., & Molano, L. F. (in press). Engagement in HIV care among New York City transgender women of color: Findings from the peer-led, TWEET intervention, a SPNS trans women of color initiative. AIDS & Behavior.
Reback CJ, Kisler KA, Fletcher JB (in press). A Novel Adaptation of Peer Health Navigation and Contingency Management for Advancement Along the HIV Care Continuum Among Transgender Women of Color AIDS and Behavior 2019 Jun 11. doi: 10.1007/s10461-019-02554-0. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 31187355.
Williams JK, Glover DA, Wyatt GE, Kisler KA, Liu H, and Zhang M (in press). A sexual risk and stress reduction intervention for HIV-positive African American MSMW with childhood sexual abuse histories American Journal of Public Health
Fehrenbacher, A. E., Fletcher, J. B., Clark, K. A., Kisler, K. A., & Reback, C. J. (2021). Social networks and exchange sex among transgender women. Journal of Sex Research, 58 (6), 743-753.
Hirshfield, S., Contreras, J., Luebe, R. Q., Swartz, J. A., Scheinmann, R., Reback, C. J., Fletcher, J. B., Kisler, K. A., Kuhns, L. M., & Molano, L. F. (2021). Engagement in HIV Care Among New York City Transgender Women of Color: Findings from the Peer-Led, TWEET Intervention, a SPNS Trans Women of Color Initiative. AIDS and Behavior, 25(1), 20-30. AIDS and Behavior 25(1), 20-30.
Kisler, K. A., Fletcher, J. B., Fehrenbacher, A. E., & Reback, C. J. (2021). Age Is associated with HIV sexual risk behaviors among trans women in Los Angeles County. AIDS Education & Prevention, 33 (6), 483-494.
Reback, C. J., Fletcher, J. B., & Kisler, K. A. (2021). Text messaging improves HIV care continuum outcomes among young adult trans women living with HIV: Text Me, Girl! AIDS & Behavior, 25 (9), 3011-3023.
Reback, C. J., Kisler, K. A., & Fletcher, J. B. (2021). A novel adaptation of peer health navigation and contingency management for advancement along the HIV care continuum among transgender women of color. AIDS & Behavior, 25 (Suppl 1), 40-51.
Gerke DR, Step MM, Rünger D, Fletcher JB, Brooks RA, Davis N, Kisler KA, Reback CJ (2020). Associations Between Social Support and Social Media Use Among Young Adult Cisgender MSM and Transgender Women Living With HIV. Health Promotion Practice 21(5), 705-715.
Reback CJ, Fletcher JB, Fehrenbacher AE, Kisler K (2019). Text Messaging to Improve Linkage, Retention, and Health Outcomes Among HIV-Positive Young Transgender Women: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial (Text Me, Girl!) JMIR Res Protoc. 8(7):e12837. doi: 10.2196/12837. PMID: 31359867.
Reback CJ, Kisler KA, Fletcher JB (2019). A novel adaptation of peer health navigation and contingency management for advancement along the HIV care continuum among transgender women of color. AIDS and Behavior, 1-12
Reback CJ, Ferlito D, Kisler KA and Fletcher JB (2015). Recruiting, Linking, and Retaining High-risk Transgender Women into HIV Prevention and Care Services: An Overview of Barriers, Strategies, and Lessons Learned International Journal of Transgenderism 16(4): 209-221. DOI: 10.1080/15532739.2015.1081085.
Fletcher JB, Kisler KA, Reback CJ (2014). Housing Status and HIV Risk Behaviors among Transgender Women in Los Angeles Archives of Sexual Behavior 43: 1651-1661. DOI: 10.1007/s10508-014-0368-1.
Glover DA, Williams JK, and Kisler KA (2013). Using novel methods to examine stress among HIV-positive African American men who have sex with men and women Journal of Behavioral Medicine 36 283-294.
Kisler KA, and Williams JK (2012). Ima GE over risk reduction: perceptions of masculinity as HIV risk factors among non-gay identifying HIV-positive Black MSMW Journal of AIDS and Clinical Research S1:008.
Glover DA, Williams JK, and Kisler KA (2011). Psychobiological effects of sexual abuse In: Ersi A. Kalfoglu, ed. Sexual Abuse- Breaking the Silence ISBN: 978-953-51-0425-4.
Williams JK, Kisler KA, Glover DA, and Sciolla A (2011). Exploring childhood sexual experiences and vulnerability to intimate partner violence among African American MSMW: was that abuse or love? In: Lauren E. Hynes In: Lauren E. Hynes, ed. Sexual Abuse: Types, Signs and Treatments, Hauppauge: Nova Science Publishers (pp. 1-22).