Daniel Halperin
Lecturer on International Health
Department of Global Health and Population
665 Huntington Avenue
Boston, Massachusetts 02115
617.432.7388
daniel_halperin@harvard.edu
Harvard Affiliations
Research
Prior to joining the faculty of the Harvard School of Public Health, Dr. Halperin served for over five years as the Senior HIV Prevention and Behavior Change Advisor at the US Agency for International Development. Dr. Halperin has conducted epidemiological and ethnographic research for over thirty years on a number of health and sociocultural issues in Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa and other developing regions. Since completing his doctoral training in medical and cultural anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley in 1995, his work has mainly focused on the heterosexual transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. He has had extensive involvement in the design, management and evaluation of prevention, care and other HIV-AIDS programs, and continues to be actively engaged in collaborative endeavors with UNAIDS, WHO, CDC, UNICEF, Gates Foundation and other international partners in developing and disseminating policy-setting technical consultations, guidance documents, etc.
Most of Dr. Halperin's research and scientific publications (including in leading journals such as The Lancet, British Medical Journal, AIDS, and Science) have dealt with some of the previously more neglected HIV co-factors, such as concurrent sexual partner networks, lack of male circumcision, "dry sex" practices, alcohol use, and heterosexual anal intercourse. He has conducted field research and consultations over the years in a number of countries, including Brazil, South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Peru and in various inner-city U.S. communities, and has an extensive background working with at-risk youth, particularly socially disadvantaged young men.
Selected Publications
Halperin, D.T., Stover, J., Reynolds, H. Benefits and costs of expanding access to family planning programs to women living with HIV. AIDS 2009, 23:S123-S130.
Mah, T., Halperin, D.T. The evidence for the role of concurrent partnerships in Africa's HIV epidemics. AIDS and Behavior 2009, DOI 10.1007/s10461-009-9617-z.
Halperin, D.T. Combination HIV prevention must be based on evidence. Lancet 2009, 373:544-45. [click here to access this article, free registration required]
Halperin, D.T., de Moya, A., Perez-Then, E., Pappas, G., Garcia Calleja, J.M. Understanding the HIV epidemic in the Dominican Republic: A prevention success story in the Caribbean? Journal of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome 2009, 51(6):S52-59. [click here to access this article]
Potts, M., Halperin, D.T. (co-primary author), Kirby, D., Swidler, A., Klausner. J., Marseille, E., Hearst, N., Wamai, R., Kahn, J., Walsh, J. Reassessing HIV prevention. Science 2008, 320:749-50. [click here to access this article]
[responses]
De Lay, P. Tailoring AIDS prevention. Science 2008, 321 (5896): 1631. [click here to access]
Prince, A.M. HIV Testing for whole populations. Science 2008, 321 (5896): 1631. [click here to access]
Halperin, D.T., Potts, M., Kirby, D., Klausner, J., Wamai, R., Swidler, A., Marseille, A., Walsh, J., Hearst, N. Response to DeLay and Prince. Science 2008, 321 (5896): 1632-4. [click here to access both Prince and Halperin, et al.]
Ruark, A., Shelton, J., Halperin, D.T., Wawer, M., Gray, R. Universal voluntary HIV testing and immediate antiretroviral therapy. Lancet 2009, 373:1078 [click here to access this article, free registration required]
Morris, B.J., Bailis, S.A., Waskett, J.H., Wiswell, T.E., Halperin, D.T. Medicaid coverage of newborn circumcision: A health parity right of the poor. American Journal of Public Health 2009; 99(6): 969-971.
Kirby, D., Halperin, D.T. Success in Uganda: an analysis of behavior changes that led to declines in HIV prevalence in the early 1990s. ETR Associates, 2008. [click here to access this report as well as other reports in the "Success in Uganda" series]
Wilson, D., Halperin, D.T. "Know your epidemic, know your response": A useful approach - if we get it right. Lancet 2008, 372:423-26. [click here to access, free registration required]
Mah, T., Halperin, D.T. Concurrent sexual partnerships and the HIV epidemic in Africa: The evidence to move forward. AIDS and Behavior 2008, DOI 10.1007/s10461-008-9433-x. [click here to access]
Wamai, R.G., Weiss, H.A., Hankins, C., Agot, K., Abdool Karim, Q., Shisana, O., Otolorin, E.O., Kapiga, S., Serwadda, D.M., Sanchez, J., Pape, J.W., Mabuza, K., Bowa, K., Kebaabetswe, P., Wilson, D., Simelane, D., Morris, B., Sawires, Phiri, M., Setswe, G., Sewankambo, N.,Heywood, M., Woelk, G., Ntaganira, I., Cates, W., Rees, H., Diallo, M.O., Makhubele, M.B., Leclerc-Madlala, L., Jackson, H., Dludlu, S., Kalambayi Kayembe, P., Nyamucherera, O.F., Bongaarts, J., Geffen, N., Heywood, M., Ncala, J. Betukumesu, B., Kintaudi, L, Salang Seloilwe, Zungu, N., E., Ruiz, M., Venter, F., Micheni, K., de Moya, E.A., Cash, R., Bailey, R.C., Halperin, D.T. (co-primary author) Male circumcision is an efficacious, lasting and cost-effective strategy for combating HIV in high-prevalence AIDS epidemics: Time to move beyond debating the science. Future HIV Therapy 2008, 2(5): 399-405. [click here to access]
Weiss H.A., Halperin, D.T., Bailey R.C., Hayes R., Schmid, G., Hankins, C. Male circumcision for HIV prevention: From evidence to action? AIDS 2008, 22:567-74. [can be accessed for a fee at www.aidsonline.com]
Klausner, J., Wamai, R., Bowa, K., Agot, K., Kagimba, J., Halperin, D.T. (co-primary author) Is male circumcision as good as the HIV vaccine we've been waiting for? Future HIV Therapy 2008, 2:1-7 [click here to access]
Halperin, D.T., Epstein, H. Why is HIV prevalence so severe in southern Africa? The role of multiple concurrent partnerships and lack of male circumcision. Southern African Journal of HIV Medicine 2007, 26:19-25. [click here to access]
Drain, P.K., Halperin, D.T., Hughes, J.P., Klausner, J., Bailey, R.C. Male circumcision, religion, and infectious diseases: An ecologic analysis of 118 developing countries. Bio-Med-Central Infect Dis. 2006, 6(1):172. [click here to access]
Shelton, J.D., Halperin, D.T., Wilson, D. Has global HIV incidence peaked? Lancet 2006, 367:1120-22. [click here to access, free registration required]
Green, E.C., Halperin, D.T. (co-primary author), Nantulya, V., Hogle, J.A. Uganda's HIV prevention success: The role of sexual behavior change and the national response. AIDS and Behavior 2006, 10:335-46. [click here to access]
Halperin, D.T., Fritz, K., McFarland, W., Woelk, G. The feasibility of adult male circumcision for HIV prevention in Zimbabwe. Sexually Transmitted Diseases 2005, 32:238-39.[click here to access]
Halperin, D.T., Steiner, M., Cassell, M., Green, E.C., Hearst, N., Kirby, D., Gayle H., Cates, W., et al. [149 signers in total]. The time has come for common ground on preventing sexual transmission of HIV. Lancet 2004, 364:1913-15. [click here to access, free registration required]
Halperin, D.T., Post, G.L. Global HIV prevalence: The good news might be even better. Lancet 2004, 364:1035-36.[click here to access, free registration required]
Shelton, J.D., Halperin, D.T. (co-primary author), Nantulya, V., Potts, M., Gayle, H.D., Holmes, K.K. Partner reduction is crucial for balanced "ABC" approach to HIV prevention. British Medical Journal 2004, 328:891-94. [click here to access]
Halperin, D.T., Bailey, R.C. Male circumcision and HIV infection: Ten years and counting. Lancet 1999, 354:1813-15. [click here to access]
Halperin, D.T. Heterosexual anal intercourse: Prevalence, cultural factors, and HIV infection and other health risks, part I. AIDS Patient Care 1999,13(12):717-30.
Halperin, D.T Putting a plague in perspective. New York Times, January 1, 2008, p. A19. [click here to access]
Halperin, D.T. AIDS prevention: What works? Washington Post, October 22, 2007, p. A23. [click here to access]
Honors and Awards
Hahnemann
Medical College/Drexel University, Award for Service to Profession, 2008
USAID Office of HIV-AIDS, Superior Award for Outstanding Career Achievement, 2007
American Public Health Association, Best International
Paper on HIV-AIDS, 2003
Courses Taught
HIV-AIDS in Developing Countries (GHP 267), Qualitative Research Methodologies for Health Sciences (GHP 536).
Education
B.A. University of California at Berkeley, 1979, Economics; Development Studies (Honors)
M.S. University of California at Berkeley, 1982, Health and Medical Sciences
M.C.A.T. Hahnemann University/Medical School, 1992, Creative Arts/Movement Therapies
Ph.D. University of California at Berkeley, 1995, Medical and Cultural Anthropology, Latin American Studies