Frank 'Frankie' Y. Wong

Dr. Wong has expertise in community-based research targeting racial/ethnic and underserved populations with a history of or who are currently using alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs (ATOD) and engaging in HIV-related risk practices. His NIH-funded research (since 2001) focuses on the social epidemiology of ATOD, HIV, and other non-HIV sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among these populations in the China, Panamá, South Africa, Tajikistan, U.S., Việt Nam, and Russia.
Dr. Wong is one of the handful of behavioral and social sciences researchers who conduct NIH-funded research addressing the sexual health and substance use/abuse as well as other health disparities among AAPIs in the United States. In addition, he is one of the first Western investigators to examine HIV-related risks (including ATOD) among men who have sex with men in China, where they now have the highest incidence and prevalence of HIV and other non-HIV STIs such as syphilis. Collectively, these two sets of work have informed others in the field how to conduct research with these hard-to-reach and hard-to-engage populations.
Dr. Wong is also known for his work in capacity building for research infrastructure. Before returning to academia full-time in 2000, he spent 7 years of his professional career delivering social and health prevention services that targeted under-served and vulnerable populations such as immigrants and refugees (in Boston) and ex-offenders (in New York City).
ACADEMIC ADMINISTRATIVE LEADERSHIP APPOINTMENTS
2020-present
Founding Director, Center of Population Sciences for Health Equity (C-PHSE) College of Nursing, Florida State University
- Overseeing a transdisciplinary research center promoting health equity
2018-2020
Acting Associate Director, Center for Indigenous Nursing Research for Health Equity (INRHE), College of Nursing, Florida State University
- Assisting the Director in all aspects of operation and research development as well as promoting the mission of the Center
ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS
2018-present
Professor (tenured), College of Nursing, Florida State University
2020-present
Scientist-Educator (courtesy), Department of Population Health Science, John D. Bower School of Population Health, University of Mississippi Medical Center
2020-present
Professor (courtesy), Department of Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine, College of Medicine, Florida State University
2019-present
Professor (courtesy), College of Social Work, Florida State University
2019-present
Faculty Affiliate (courtesy), Center for Translational Behavioral Science, College of Medicine, Florida State University
2018-present
Graduate Affiliate Faculty (courtesy), Department of Psychology, College of Social Sciences, University of Hawaii at Mānoa
2016-present
Concurrent Professor (highest level of appointment for a non-Chinese national in recognition for contributions to the University), Fudan University, Shanghai, China
2015-present
Adjunct Professor (courtesy), Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
EDUCATION
- Ph.D., Social Psychology (major) and Management (minor), Texas A&M University
- B.A. (Honours), Psychology, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada
HONORS and AWARDS
- Fellow, American Psychological Association
- Concurrent Professor (highest level of appointment for a non-Chinese national in recognition for contributions to the University), Fudan University, Shanghai, China
RESEARCH EXPERTISE
Study Populations
- Asian Pacific Americans in the United States and Affiliated Jurisdictions
- Immigrants, Refugees, and Transient as well as Displaced People
- Indigenous Populations
- Racial/Ethnic Minorities
- Sexual and Gender Minorities
Areas
- Intersectionality of clinical and macrosocial determinants on physical, psychosocial, and mental health
- Migration and Health (especially depression, HIV, other non-HIV sexually transmitted infections such as syphilis, substance misuse, and viral hepatitis)
- Sexual Health (including HIV and other non-HIV STIs such as syphilis)
- Substance Misuse
- HIV Disease Progression and Management (e.g., hypertension)
EDITOIRAL BOARDS
- AIDS Education and Prevention
- American Journal of Community Psychology
- Globalization and Health
SERVICES
Florida State University
2021- Member, Ph.D. Task Force, College of Nursing
2021- Member, Health Research Funding Working Group, Office of Research
2021- Member, Committee of the Milton S. Carothers Faculty Lecture Series
2021 Ad Hoc Reviewer, Collaborative Collision Seed Fund, Office of Research
2020-21 Member, Search Committee for the Dean of Nursing (Provost Appointment)
2020-21 Member, Council of Associate Dean for Research
2020- Executive Committee Member, United Faculty of Florida-FSU Chapter
2020 Member, Faculty Merger Committee (College of Nursing & College of Human Sciences; Provost Appointment)
2019- Member, Advisory Working Group, Florida Health Equity Research Institute
2019-20 Mentor, Center for Undergraduate Research and Academic Engagement
2019- Member, Institutional Review Board, Office of Research
2019- Member, International Advisory Committee, Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
2019-20 Member, Research Committee, College of Nursing
2019-20 Member, Search Committee for the Dean of Nursing
2019-20 Member, Working Group on 100&Change’s application (MacArthur Foundation), Office of Research
2018- Founder, Viet Nam Initiative (Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs)
2018-20 Member, Promotion and Tenure Committee, College of Nursing
2018-19 Member, Ph.D. Task Force, College of Nursing
International, National, and Regional Committee and Boards:
2021- Member, Data Safety and Monitoring Board, mHealth Messaging to Motivate Quitline Use and Quitting among Persons Living with HIV (PLWH) in Vietnam (U01CA261604; MPIs: Rajani Sadasivam and Hoa Nguyen)
2021- Member, Professional Advisory Board, The Lotus Project: Improving Trauma-informed Care and Prevention for Asian Children and Families (funded by SAMHSA: 1H79SM085087-01)
2019-20 Scientific Advisor, University of Utah National Research Mentoring N etwork (funded by the NationalInstitutes of Health)
2018- Faculty Interviewer, Vietnam Education Foundation-2, Hà Nội, Việt Nam
2018- Member, Scientific Community Leadership Council, The Indigenous Wellness Research Institute National Center of Excellence, School of Social Work, University of Washington funded by the National Institutes of Health
2018-2020 Mentor, Grantwriting Uncovered: Maximing Strategies, Help, Opportunities, Experiences (GUMSHOE) of the National Research Mentoring Network (University of Colorado, University of Hawaii, Washington State University) funded by the National Institutes of Health
2018-2020 Member, Scientific Community Leadership Council, The Indigenous Wellness Research Institute National Center of Excellence, School of Social Work, University of Washington funded by the National Institutes of Health
2017- Member, Steering Committee, Research Core J (Sociobehavioral and Prevention Research), Center for AIDS Research, University of Washington
2016- Faculty Interviewer, Vietnam Education Foundation (and VEF-2), Washington, D.C.
2015- External Reviewer, Research Grants Council (RGC) of Hong Kong
Peer-reviewed Articles and Contributions (2018-present)
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5835-9938
https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=7kY-804AAAAJ&cstart=0&pagesize=20
* Mentee and/or Student
** Junior colleague
- Burns PA**, Hall CX**, Poteat T, Mena LA, Wong FY. Living while Black, gay, and poor: Race, neighborhood structural disadvantage, and PrEP utilization among a sample of Black men who wave sex with men in the Deep South. AIDS Education and Prevention, 2021, 33(5): 395-410. doi: 10.1521/aeap.2021.33.5.395
- Millender E**, Barile JP**, Bagneris J*, Harris R*, De Faria L, Wong FY, Crusto C, Taylor JY. Associations between social determinants of health, perceived discrimination, and body mass index on symptoms of depression among young African American mothers. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, 2021; 35(1): 94-101. doi: 10.1016/j.apnu.2020.09.014
- Wang L*, Barile JP**, Simoni JM, Harris R*, Yue Q, Fu J, Huang Z, Ning Z**, Wong FY. Intimate partner violence among transwomen in Shanghai, China: Associations with sexual risk behaviors and HIV testing. Sexually Transmitted Diseases, 2021; 48(5): 362-369. doi: 10. 1097/OLQ.0000000000001317
- Wong JA, Dang LH, Ngoc PT, Le T, Vu NC, Vu TD, James S, Katona P, Katona L, Rosen J, Wong FY, Nguyen CK.Effectiveness of an automated errors checking and feedback system to improve text message reporting fordisease surveillance in Vietnam. Telemedicine and e-Health, 2021; 27(4); 448-453. doi: 10.1089/tmj.2020. 0065
- Xu X, Lin H, Chen X, Zhu B, Shen W, Ning C, Qian X, Xu X, Shi R, Liu X, Wong FY, He N, Ding Y**. Differences in hypertension and prehypertension among adults with and without HIV infection in China: role of HIV infection and antiretroviral therapy. HIV Medicine, 2021; 22(5): 409-417. doi: 10.1111/hiv.13040
- Shi RZ, Chen XX, Lin HJ, Shen WW, Xu XH, Zhu BX, Xu XY, Ding Y**, Wong FY, He N. Association of HIV infection with metabolic syndrome among normal or underweight young adults: evidence from The CHART Cohort.BioScience Trends, 2020; 14(6): 450-456. doi: 10. 5582/bst.2020.03351
- Xavier Hall CDX*, Luu M*, Nehl E**, He N, Zheng T, Haardörfer R**, Wong FY. Do the same socio-demographic variables predict testing uptake and sero-status?: HIV and syphilis among an observational sample of Chinese MSM in Shanghai, China. International Journal AIDS & STD, 2020; 31(10): 939-949. doi: 10.1177/ 0956462420909733
- Ding Y**, Ma Z, He J, Xu X, Qiao S, Xu L, Shi R, Xu X, Zhu B, Li J, Wong FY, He N. Evolving HIV epidemiology in mainland China: 2009-2018. Current HIV/AIDS Reports, 2019; 16(6); 423-430. doi: 10.1007/s11904-019-00468-z
- He N (corresponding author), Ding Y**, Li J, Yuan S, Xu L, Qiao S, Xu X, Zhu B, Shi R, Barile JP**, Wong FY (corresponding author). HIV and aging in mainland China: Implications for control and prevention research.Current HIV/AIDS Reports, 2019; 16(6): 439-447. doi: 10.1007/s11904-019-00473-2
- Hall CD*, Ibragimov U*, Luu M*, Wong FY. “Actives,” passives, and power: Heteronormative gender norms and their implications for intimate partner violence among men who have sex with men in Tajikistan. Culture, Health and Sexuality, 2019; 22(6): 630- 645. doi: 10.1080/13691058.2019.1623913
- Ibragimov U*, Haardöefer R**, Cooper HLF**, Dunkle KL**, Zule WA, Wong FY. Pharmacists’ attitudes and practices about selling syringes to people who inject drugs in Tajikistan: results of a syringe purchase audit and a survey. The International Journal of Drug Policy, 2019; (71): 62-72. doi: 10.1016/j.drugpo.s019. 06.009
- Tran BX**, Wong FY, Huy-Pham KT, Latkin CA, Hai-Ha G, Thu-VU G, Ho CSH, Ho RCM. Evolution of interdisciplinary landscapes of HIV/AIDS studies from 1983 to 2017: Results from the Global Analysis for Policy in Research (GAPRESEARCH). AIDS Reviews, 2019; 21(4): 184-194. PMID: 31834329
- Ning Z**, Jie F**, Zhuang M, Park JA*, Ibragimov U*, He N, Wong FY (corresponding author). HIV and syphilis epidemic among MSM and non-MSM aged 50 and above in Shanghai, China: A yearly cross-sectional study, 2008-2014. Global Public Health, 2018; 13(11): 1625-1633. doi: 10.1080/17441692.2018. 1427271
- Liu Y, Zhang Y, Ning Z**, Zheng H, Ding Y**, Gao M, Wong FY, He N. Intimate partner violence victimization and HIV infection among men who have sex with men in Shanghai, China. BioScience Trends, 2018; 12(2): 142-148.doi: 10.5582/bst. 2018.01035
- MA GX, Tan Y, Lee M, Hanlon AL, Feng Z, Shireman TI, Rhee J, Wei Z, Wong FY, Koh HS, Kim C, York Q.Efficacy of a community-based participatory intervention to enhance hepatitis B screening and vaccination in underserved Korean Americans. Cancer, 2018; 124(5): 973-982. doi: 10.1002/cncr.31134
- Liu C, Ding Y**, Zhen N**, Gao M, Liu X**, Wong FY, He N. Factors associated with uptake of HIV pre-exposureprophylaxis: Some qualitative insights from an intervention study of men who have sex with men in China. Sexual Health, 2018; 15(1): 39-45. doi: 10.1071/SH17075
- Ibragimov U*, Wong FY. Qualitative examination of enacted stigma towards gay and bisexual men and related health outcomes in Tajikistan, Central Asia. Global Public Health, 2018; 13(5): 597-611. doi: 10.1080/17441692.2016.1224910
FUNDED GRANTS: Ongoing Research Support
2021-26 Fostering Institutional Resources for Science Transformation: The FLORIDA-FIRST Health-science Brigade (U54CA267730-01); National Institutes of Health: PI (Contact) -- $14,593,580
2021-23 Building Resilience to Minority Stress and HIV-related Stigma for Promoting Positive Sexual Health among Vietnamese High-risk Men (R21TW011759-01A1); Fogarty International Center, National Institutions of Health: PI (Contact) -- $369,164
2021-26 The Lotus Project: Improving Trauma-informed Care and Prevention for Asian Children and Families (1H79SM085087-01); Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration Consultant (PI: TooruNemoto)
2020-23 Identifying the Influence of Genetic and Social Epigenomic Factors on Long-term Comorbid Outcomes on Depression and Cardiovascular Disease (043846); Health Data Science Institute, Office of Research, Florida State University: Co-I (PI: Eugenia Millender) -- $20,000
2018-23 Unpacking the Mechanisms of Disparities for HIV-related Hypertension in African-American andAsian/Pacific-American MSM; National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities (R01MD013501-01): PI (Contact) -- $3,425,404