Dr. Guillermo Prado Receives National Award for Research Excellence

Guillermo “Willy” Prado, Ph.D., dean of the University of Miami Graduate School, Leonard M. Miller Professor of Public Health Sciences, and director of the Division of Prevention Science and Community Health at the Miller School of Medicine, was recently honored by the National Hispanic Science Network with the National Award of Excellence in Research by a Senior Investigator. The prestigious award recognizes outstanding contributions to drug abuse research.

“It’s a privilege to be honored by this national science organization,” said Dr. Prado, whose research has focused on the development, evaluation, and dissemination of evidence-based, family-centered preventive interventions for Hispanic adolescents and their families.

To date, he has served as principal investigator, co-investigator, or mentor of 24 grant-funded studies, and he has contributed to nearly 120 publications.

“In a relatively short time, Dr. Prado has received international recognition as a top scholar in drug abuse and HIV prevention among Hispanic adolescents,” said Miguel Angel Cano, Ph.D., MPH, who was one of six mentees from UM and Florida International University who nominated him for the award. “Our understanding of how social and cultural determinants of health impact substance use and abuse and HIV risk behaviors among Hispanic adolescents has been substantially augmented by his innovative research.”

Dr. Prado is a co-developer of Familias Unidas, a family-based prevention intervention to reduce health risk behaviors among Hispanic youth. The program is now being implemented collaboratively by community-based organizations in the United States, Ecuador, and Chile.

Tags: drug abuse research, Guillermo “Willy” Prado, National Hispanic Science Network