Margaret R. Weeks, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Institute for Community Research
860-278-2044 ext. 229
mweeks@icrweb.org

Margaret R. Weeks, Ph.D. is a socio-cultural anthropologist and Executive Director of The Institute for Community Research in Hartford, Connecticut. The Institute is an independent non-profit organization that conducts research with community partners on health, education, and cultural expression. Dr. Weeks has significant experience in community-based, applied social science research and collaborative program development and administration. She has research expertise in substance abuse and AIDS, including issues of HIV prevention for drug users and their sex partners (particularly culturally targeted prevention for African Americans and Puerto Ricans), as well as expertise in women's health and gender issues both in the U.S. and China. As an applied social science researcher, since 1989 she has conducted studies of HIV/AIDS prevention among drug users and their sex partners, and evaluated AIDS prevention programs in collaboration with other community research and service organizations.

She is currently conducting a study of sustained female condom use for HIV/STD prevention in high-risk women in Hartford, as well as a study to test an experimental program to train active drug users as "Peer Health Advocates," who provide HIV prevention to their peers in high-risk drug-use settings in the city. Dr. Weeks also has conducted research on the status of women in the People's Republic of China, and is currently conducting a study of microbicide and female condom acceptability with commercial sex workers in rural areas in southern China.

Education
1978 B.A., Anthropology State University of New York at Potsdam, NY
1980 M.A., Anthropology University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
1987 Ph.D., Anthropology University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT

Teaching Experience
1986-present
Adjunct Instructor, Dept. of Sociology, St. Joseph College, Hartford, CT.
1989 & 1985
Adjunct Instructor, Dept. of Sociology, University of Hartford, CT.
1986-87
Adjunct Instructor, Dept. of Anthropology, University of CT, Storrs & Hartford, CT.

Research Experience

2005-2008

Principal Investigator, Institute for Community Research (ICR), Hartford, CT; Longitudinal Study of the RAP Peer Intervention for HIV, funded by the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA)

2005-2007

2004-2008

Principal Investigator, Institute for Community Research (ICR), Hartford, CT; Sustained Safe Behavior in High-Risk Women, funded by the National Institute on Mental Health (NIMH)

2001-2005
Principal Investigator, Institute for Community Research (ICR), Hartford, CT; HIV Prevention in High Risk Drug Use Sites: Project RAP (Risk Avoidance Partnership); funded by the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) (R01 DA13356).

2000-2003
Principal Investigator, Institute for Community Research (ICR), Hartford, CT; Microbicide Acceptability to Prevent HIV in High-Risk Women; funded by the National Institute on Mental Health (NIMH) (#R01 MH63631).

1997-2001
Project Director, ICR, Hartford, CT; Study of High-risk Drug Use Settings for HIV Prevention and RAP Pilot Study Supplement; Project 3 of the Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS, Yale University; PI: Michael Merson; funded by NIMH and NIDA (#P01 MH/DA56826).

2000-2003
Co-Principal Investigator, ICR, Hartford, CT; Effects of Partner Violence Victimization in Drug Use; PI: Merrill Singer (Hispanic Health Council-HHC); funded by NIDA (#R01 DA13140).

1998-2002
Co-Principal Investigator, ICR, Hartford, CT; Pathways to High-risk Drug Abuse among Urban Youth; PI: Jean J. Schensul (ICR); funded by NIDA (#R01 DA11421)

1998-2001
Co-Principal Investigator, ICR, Hartford, CT; Longitudinal Study of HIV Risk Among Drug Users; PI: Merrill Singer (HHC); funded by NIDA (#R01 DA11359).

1997-2000
Co-Principal Investigator, ICR, Hartford, CT; Intersecting Epidemics among Puerto Rican Drug Users (Substance Abuse, Violence and AIDS); PI: Merrill Singer (HHC); funded by NIDA (#R01 DA10438).

1994-1997
Co-Principal Investigator, ICR, Hartford, CT; Effectiveness of Needle Exchange in AIDS Prevention; PI: Merrill Singer (HHC); funded by NIDA (#R01 DA09224).

1992-1997
Co-Principal Investigator, ICR, Hartford, CT; Community Outreach Prevention Effort II; PI: Merrill Singer (HHC); funded by NIDA (cooperative agreement #U01 DA07284).

1988-1992
Project Director, ICR, Hartford, CT; Community Outreach Prevention Effort; PI: Merrill Singer (HHC); funded by NIDA (demonstration research #R18 DA05750).

1982-1987
Dissertation research conducted in the People's Republic of China; Dissertation title: Concepts of Gender and Reproduction and the Changing Status of Urban Women in the People's Republic of China

Recent Publications

Weeks, M.R., Liao, S.S., Abbott, M., He, B., Zhou, Y.J., Jiang, J.M., Liu, W., and Wang, Y. (in press). Opportunities for woman-initiated HIV prevention methods among female sex workers in Southern China. Journal of Sex Research.

Weeks, M.R., Dickson-Gomez, J., Mosack, K.E., Convey, M., Martinez, M., and Clair, S. (2006). The Risk Avoidance Partnership: Training active drug users ad Peer Health Advocates. Journal of Drug Issues (Summer): 541-570.

Dickson-Gomez, J., Weeks, M.R., Martinez, M. and Convey, M. (2006). Times and places: Process evaluation of a peer led HIV prevention intervention. Substance Use and Misuse 41(5): 669-690.

Mosack, K.E., Weeks, M.R., Novick Sylla, L., and Abbott, M. (2005). High-Risk women’s willingness to try a simulated vaginal microbicide. Women and Health, 44 (2): 71-88.

Mosack, K.E., Abbott, M., Singer, M., Weeks, M.R., and Rohena, L. (2005). If I didn't have HIV I'd be dead now: Illness narratives of drug users living with HIV/AIDS. Qualitative Health Research, 15(5): 586-605.

Romero-Daza, N., Weeks, M.R. and Singer, M. (2005). Conceptualizing the impact of indirect violence on HIV risk among women involved in street level prostitution. Aggression and Violent Behavior 10(2): 153-170.

Singer, M. and Weeks, M.R. (2005). The Hartford Model of AIDS practice/research collaboration. In E. Trickett & W. Piquegnat (Eds.), Community Intervention and AIDS. London: Oxford University Press.

Weeks, M.R., Mosack, K., Abbott, M., Sylla, L.N., Valdes, B., and Prince, M.  (2004).  Microbicide acceptability among high-risk urban U.S. women: Experiences and perceptions of sexually transmitted HIV prevention.  Sexually Transmitted Diseases 31(11): 682-690.

Dickson-Gomez, J., Weeks, M.R., Martinez, M. and Radda, K.  (2004). Reciprocity and exploitation: Social dynamics in private drug use sites.  Journal of Drug Issues, 34(4): 913-932.

Romero-Daza, N., Weeks, M.R., and Singer, M.  (2003) . “Nobody gives a damn if I live or die.” Experiences of violence among drug-using sex workers in Hartford, CT. Medical Anthropology 22(3): 233-259.

Weeks, M.R., Clair, S., Borgatti, S.P., Radda, K., & Schensul, J.J. (2002). Social networks of drug users in high risk sites: Finding the connections. AIDS and Behavior, 6, 193-206.

Schensul, J.J., Radda, K., Weeks, M.R., & Clair, S. (2002). Ethnicity, social networks and HIV risk in older drug users. In: Pescosolido, B. and Levy, J., (Eds.), Advances in Medical Sociology Volume8: Social Networks and Health, pp. 167-197. London: Oxford Press.

Weeks, M.R., Clair, S., Singer, M., Radda, K., Schensul J.J., Wilson, D.S., Martinez, M., Scott, G. & Knight, G. (2001). High-Risk drug use sites, meaning and practice: Implications for AIDS prevention. Journal of Drug Issues, 31, 781-808.

Dushay, R.A., Singer, M., Weeks, M.R., Rohena, L., & Gruber, R. (2001). Lowering HIV risk among ethnic minority drug users: Comparing culturally targeted intervention to a standard intervention. American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 27, 501-523.

Singer, M., Scott, G., Wilson, D.S., Easton, D. & Weeks, M.R. (2001). "War Stories": AIDS Prevention and the street narratives of drug users. Qualitative Health Research, 11, 589-611.

Singer, M., Juvalis, J.A., & Weeks, M.R. (2000). High on illy: Monitoring an emergent drug problem in Hartford, CT. Medical Anthropology, 18, 365-388.

Weeks, M.R., Grier, M., Radda, K. & McKinley, D. (1999). AIDS and social relations of power: Urban African American women's discourse on the contexts of risk and prevention. In: Elwood, W., (Ed.). Power in the Blood: AIDS, Politics, and Communication. Pp. 181-197, Lawrence Erlbaum Press.

Weeks, M.R., Singer, M., Himmelgreen, D.A., Richmond, P., & Romero-Daza, N. (1998). Drug use patterns of substance abusing women: Gender and ethnic differences in an AIDS prevention program. Drugs and Society, 13, 37-64.

Weeks, M.R., Grier, M., Romero-Daza, N., Puglisi-Vasquez, M.J., & Singer, M. (1998). Streets, drugs, and the economy of sex in the age of AIDS. Women and Health, 27, 203-228.

Selected Presentations
2003
"Partnerships in Community-Based Research: Building Connections for Social Change." Presented at the 63rd annual meeting of the Society for Applied Anthropology, Portland, OR, (March).

2002
"Microbicide Acceptability and Readiness Among High-risk Urban U.S. Women." Poster presented at the Microbicides 2002 International conference, Antwerp, Belgium (May).

2002
"The Risk Avoidance Partnership: Peer-led HIV Prevention with Drug Using Networks in High Risk Settings." Presented at the annual Society for Applied Anthropology meetings, Atlanta, GA (April).

2002
"Linking People Through Places: Drug User Social Networks and Connections to Drug-Use Sites." (Updated) Presented at the 22nd Annual Sunbelt International Social Network Conference, New Orleans, LA (February).

2001
"Women-Controlled Prevention of Sexually Transmitted HIV: Microbicide Preparedness Among High-Risk Women." Presented at the annual Society for Applied Anthropology meetings, Merida, Mexico (March).

2000
"High-Risk Sites and Drug User Social Networks: Linkages for HIV Transmission." Presented at the 20th annual International Sunbelt Social Network Conference, Vancouver, BC, Canada (April).

Professional Memberships
American Anthropological Association
National Association of Practicing Anthropologists (Former Board Member)
Society for Applied Anthropology Fellow
American Public Health Association