Mentoring Programs by and for a New Generation of Latino Investigators in Behavioral-Social Science HIV Research

Abstract

Latinos represent a critical resource of talent that could be cultivated to expand the HIV research workforce. However, their rapid growth, as the largest and fastest growing ethnic minority group in the US population, has yet to translate into a significant increase in Latino health academic researchers. Historically, strategies to build a diverse research workforce have grouped together individuals from underrepresented minority populations obscuring significance between and within group differences. This limits ap­proaches that are responsive to the diversity of needs and experiences of emerging investigators from underrepresented groups.In this article, we discuss challenges associ­ated with heterogeneity of Latinos and bar­riers that impede research independence/ career success in the context of a review of Latino-investigator targeted mentorship approaches on the behavioral-social science of HIV infection. Mentorship workforce strategies could benefit from a personal­ized framework emphasizing individualized and tailored approaches to address the limitations and gaps in knowledge regard­ing Latino research development. This perspective encourages increased emphasis on organizational and structural processes to aid in overcoming institutional-level barriers that impede research and career develop­ment. Recommendations are proposed for features and components of effective mentorship programs that will lead to robust outcomes for strengthening the Latino research workforce in the HIV research field and elsewhere.Ethn Dis. 2020;30(2):305- 312; doi:10.18865/ed.30.2.305.