Assistant Professor (tenure-track)
Ph.D. (2012), Virginia Commonwealth University

Doctoral Program Affiliation

Health Psychology

Websites

• PROGRESS Research Lab
• Center for Cultural Experiences in Prevention

Research Interests

My research interests focus on preventive health behaviors and promoting positive health outcomes among people of color and underserved populations. More specifically, I am interested in psychosocial determinants of health behavior, health disparities, condom use attitudes and persuasion, and sexual health promotion. A central aim has been to find innovative ways to disseminate persuasive messages and implement HIV interventions to increase the scope of prevention efforts. Identifying as both a basic and applied researcher, one of my goals is to bridge the gap between these domains. Ultimately, I am interested in translating basic, lab-based findings in persuasion, attitudes, and behavior change to applied real world settings related to HIV prevention.

• Can apps increase rural women’s access to HIV prevention services?

Select Publications

Belgrave, F. Z., Abrams, J. A., Hood, K. B., Moore, M. P., & Nguyen, A. B. (in press). Development and validation of a preliminary measure of gender role beliefs for African American women. Journal of Black Psychology.

Hood, K. B., Shook, N. J., & Belgrave, F. Z. (2016). “Jimmy cap before you tap”: Condom use messages for African American women. Journal of Sex Research. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1080/00224499.2016.1168351

Hood, K. B., Robertson, A. A., & Baird-Thomas, C. (2015). Implementing solutions to barriers to on-site HIV testing in drug treatment. Evaluation and Program Planning, 49, 1-9.

Hood, K. B., & Shook, N. J. (2014). Who cares what others think?: The indirect effect of other’s attitudes on condom use intentions. International Journal of Sexual Health, 26, 282-294.

Hood, K. B., & Shook, N. J. (2013). Conceptualizing attitudes towards condom using the Tripartite Model. Women & Health, 53, 349-368.

Recent Courses

• Culture, Ethnicity, and Health, graduate level
• Application of Statistics, undergraduate level

Recent Grants

Reaching Rural African American Communities Through VOICES

Amount: $20,000 (pilot award)
Role: Pilot Project Principal Investigator (PI: Neilands)
Source: Training Program for Scientists Conducting Research to Reduce HIV/STI Health Disparities, National Institute of Mental Health
Period: 6/2016—6/2018
Number: 5R25MH067127-13 

Increasing Rural African Americans Access to HIV Prevention Interventions Through the Use of Social Media

Amount: $4,000 (pilot award)
Role: Pilot Project Principal Investigator (PI: Townsend)
Source: National Institute of Mental Health, APA Cyber Mentors Program
Period: 12/2015—6/2017
Number: 6R25MH083635-06 

Increasing Rural Substance-Using African American Women's Access to Evidenced-Based HIV Intervention

Amount: $200,000
Role: Principal Investigator
Source: National Institute on Drug Abuse
Period: 9/2015—8/2017
Number: 1R03DA039744-01 

Increasing Rural African American Women's Access to Evidenced-Based HIV Intervention

Amount: $70,000
Role: Principal Investigator 
Source: National Institutes of Health Loan Repayment Program
Period: 7/2015—6/2017 

Increasing the Enrollment Rate of Under-Represented Students and Women in Graduate Studies in Behavioral and Social Science Disciplines at MSU through Undergraduate Research Experiences

Amount: $2,000
Role: Co-Principal Investigator 
Source: Mississippi State University Cross-College
Period: 11/2014—10/2015 

Revisiting the Romeo and Juliet Effect

Amount: $2,000
Role: Principal Investigator
Source: Mississippi State University Cross-College
Period: 11/2013—10/2014 

Revisiting the Romeo and Juliet Effect

Amount: $2,000
Role: Co-Principal Investigator
Source: Center for Open Science Replications of Important Results in Social Psychology
Period: 7/2013—5/2014 

Increasing Access to HIV Prevention Messages Through the Use of Social Media

Amount: $70,000
Role: Principal Investigator
Source: National Institutes of Health Loan Repayment Program
Period: 7/2013—6/2015 

Increasing Access to HIV Prevention Interventions Through the Use of Social Media

Amount: $20,000 (pilot award)
Role: Pilot Project Principal Investigator (PI: El-Bassel)
Source: Columbia University HIV Intervention Science Training Program Pilot, National Institute of Mental Health
Period: 11/2012—11/2014
Number: 5R25MH080665-05

Awards

• 2014, Developing Diverse Investigators Workshop, NIMH
• 2013, Special Populations Research Development Seminar Series Workshop, NIDA
• 2012-2014, Fellow, HIV Intervention Science Training Program, Columbia University