Natalie E Chichetto

Natalie E Chichetto, PhD, MSW

Assistant Professor

Department: Department of Epidemiology
Business Phone: (352) 273-8349
Business Email: nchichetto@ufl.edu

About Natalie E Chichetto

Dr. Natalie Chichetto is a formally trained social worker and epidemiologist in the area of Cardiovascular Behavioral Medicine. She received her MSW degree and a Research Specialization from Washington University in St. Louis and a PhD in Epidemiology at the University of Florida. Her primary focus as an epidemiologist is investigating the health implications of common behavioral health syndemics, particularly concurrent unhealthy alcohol use, cigarette smoking, and depressive symptoms. Her primary career goal is to reduce cardiovascular disease and other chronic conditions associated with behavioral health conditions. She is specifically interested in bridging the gap between mechanistic research and implementation science by focusing on biologically-informed pathways (e.g. the gut microbiome) for interventions to reduce inflammation, and by extension end organ disease (e.g., CVD) in those with syndemic behavioral conditions.

Dr. Chichetto is the Principal Investigator of an NIH/NIAAA K01 Mentored Career Development Award (K01AA029042) to understand the implications of alcohol-associated syndemics on the gut microbiome, a unique mechanistic risk pathway for CVD, among persons living with HIV. Through this award she will be conducting a microbiome based intervention for individuals burdened by behavioral health syndemics to understand the potential of prebiotics and probiotics as adjunct therapy to reduce CVD risk.

Teaching Profile

Courses Taught
2013-2014
PHC4101 Public Health Concepts
2014
PHC7065 Critical Skills in Epidemiological Data Management
2013
PHC6001 Principles of Epidemiology in Public Health
2022-2024
PHC7918 Independent Study
2022
PHC7979 Advanced Research
2022-2024
PHC6711 Measurement in Epidemiology and Outcomes Research
2023
PHC6941 MPH Applied Practice Experience
2023-2024
PHC7980 Research for Doctoral Dissertation
2024
PHC6905 Independent Study
2024
PHC6971 Research for Master’s Thesis

Research Profile

Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCID)

0000-0003-1543-1754

Areas of Interest
  • Alcohol Abuse
  • Behavioral Health Syndemics
  • Cardiovascular Epidemiology
  • Gut Microbiome

Publications

2024
Associations Between Reductions in Depressive Symptoms and Reductions in Pain and Anxiety Symptoms and Substance Use: Emulation of a Randomized Trial
AJPM Focus. 3(5) [DOI] 10.1016/j.focus.2024.100258. [PMID] 39290574.
2024
Emerging concepts in alcohol, infection & immunity: A summary of the 2023 alcohol and immunology research interest group (AIRIG) meeting
Alcohol. 118:9-16 [DOI] 10.1016/j.alcohol.2024.04.002. [PMID] 38582261.
2024
Is Abstinence from Alcohol and Smoking Associated with Less Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms Among People with HIV?
AIDS and behavior. 28(4):1447-1455 [DOI] 10.1007/s10461-023-04231-9. [PMID] 38285292.
2023
Does treating pain with alcohol affect drinking reduction among women with HIV enrolled in a clinical trial of naltrexone?
Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research. 47(10):1917-1925 [DOI] 10.1111/acer.15165. [PMID] 37864537.
2023
Psychosocial Syndemic Classes and Longitudinal Transition Patterns Among Sexual Minority men Living with or Without HIV in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS)
AIDS and Behavior. 27(12):4094-4105 [DOI] 10.1007/s10461-023-04123-y. [PMID] 37418062.
2023
Syndemic trajectories of heavy drinking, smoking, and depressive symptoms are associated with mortality in women living with HIV in the United States from 1994 to 2017.
Drug and alcohol dependence. 249 [DOI] 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2023.110838. [PMID] 37352734.
2021
Association of Syndemic Unhealthy Alcohol Use, Smoking, and Depressive Symptoms on Incident Cardiovascular Disease among Veterans With and Without HIV-Infection
AIDS and Behavior. 25(9):2852-2862 [DOI] 10.1007/s10461-021-03327-4. [PMID] 34101074.
2021
Brief original report: Does smoking status provide information relevant to screening for other substance use among US adults?
Preventive medicine reports. 23 [DOI] 10.1016/j.pmedr.2021.101483. [PMID] 34345578.
2020
Association of Alcohol Screening Scores With Adverse Mental Health Conditions and Substance Use Among US Adults.
JAMA network open. 3(3) [DOI] 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.0895. [PMID] 32163167.
2020
Contribution of Behavioral Health Factors to Non-AIDS-Related Comorbidities: an Updated Review.
Current HIV/AIDS reports. 17(4):354-372 [DOI] 10.1007/s11904-020-00498-y. [PMID] 32314325.
2020
Does Reducing Drinking in Patients with Unhealthy Alcohol Use Improve Pain Interference, Use of Other Substances, and Psychiatric Symptoms?
Alcoholism, clinical and experimental research. 44(11):2257-2265 [DOI] 10.1111/acer.14455. [PMID] 33030753.
2020
Insights Provided by Depression Screening Regarding Pain, Anxiety, and Substance use in a Veteran Population.
Journal of primary care & community health. 11 [DOI] 10.1177/2150132720949123. [PMID] 32772883.
2020
Syndemic burden and systemic inflammation, HIV health status, and blood pressure among women with unsuppressed HIV viral loads among women living with HIV.
AIDS (London, England). 34(13):1959-1963 [DOI] 10.1097/QAD.0000000000002617. [PMID] 32694420.
2019
Association between alcohol use and inflammatory biomarkers over time among younger adults with HIV-The Russia ARCH Observational Study.
PloS one. 14(8) [DOI] 10.1371/journal.pone.0219710. [PMID] 31437155.
2019
Association of Syndemic Unhealthy Alcohol Use, Cigarette Use, and Depression With All-Cause Mortality Among Adults Living With and Without HIV Infection: Veterans Aging Cohort Study
Open Forum Infectious Diseases. 6(6) [DOI] 10.1093/ofid/ofz188. [PMID] 31211153.
2019
HIV care provider perceptions and approaches to managing unhealthy alcohol use in primary HIV care settings: a qualitative study
Addiction Science & Clinical Practice. 14(1) [DOI] 10.1186/s13722-019-0150-8. [PMID] 31174601.
2019
The Impact of Past and Current Alcohol Consumption Patterns on Progression of Carotid Intima‐Media Thickness Among Women and Men Living with HIV Infection
Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. 43(4):695-703 [DOI] 10.1111/acer.13974. [PMID] 30735256.
2018
Association between alcohol consumption trajectories and clinical profiles among women and men living with HIV.
The American journal of drug and alcohol abuse. 44(1):85-94 [DOI] 10.1080/00952990.2017.1335317. [PMID] 28621562.
2018
Disclosure of HIV serostatus and condomless sex among men living with HIV/AIDS in Florida.
PloS one. 13(12) [DOI] 10.1371/journal.pone.0207838. [PMID] 30557362.
2017
Alcohol consumption patterns and HIV viral suppression among persons receiving HIV care in Florida: an observational study.
Addiction science & clinical practice. 12(1) [DOI] 10.1186/s13722-017-0090-0. [PMID] 28950912.
2017
Body mass index, inflammatory biomarkers and neurocognitive impairment in HIV-infected persons.
Psychology, health & medicine. 22(3):289-302 [DOI] 10.1080/13548506.2016.1199887. [PMID] 27319430.
2017
Marijuana use and viral suppression in persons receiving medical care for HIV-infection.
The American journal of drug and alcohol abuse. 43(1):103-110 [DOI] 10.1080/00952990.2016.1191505. [PMID] 27398989.
2017
Nonmedical Prescription Stimulant Use Among Girls 10-18 Years of Age: Associations With Other Risky Behavior.
The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine. 60(3):328-332 [DOI] 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2016.10.013. [PMID] 27998704.
2017
The impact of long-term moderate and heavy alcohol consumption on incident atherosclerosis among persons living with HIV.
Drug and alcohol dependence. 181:235-241 [DOI] 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2017.09.034. [PMID] 29121596.
2016
Analytic strategies to evaluate the association of time-varying exposures to HIV-related outcomes: Alcohol consumption as an example.
Current HIV research. 14(2):85-92 [PMID] 26511345.
2016
Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use for HIV Management in the State of Florida: Medical Monitoring Project.
Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.). 22(11):880-886 [PMID] 27631385.
2015
The association between alcohol use and cardiovascular disease among people living with HIV: a systematic review.
The American journal of drug and alcohol abuse. 41(6):479-88 [DOI] 10.3109/00952990.2015.1058812. [PMID] 26286352.
2014
Regarding: cardiovascular risk-factor knowledge and risk perception among HIV-infected adults.
The Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care : JANAC. 25(2):105-6 [DOI] 10.1016/j.jana.2013.11.005. [PMID] 24406084.
2014
Sexual behaviors and other risk factors for oral human papillomavirus infections in young women.
Sexually transmitted diseases. 41(8):486-92 [DOI] 10.1097/OLQ.0000000000000159. [PMID] 25013976.

Grants

May 2023 – Aug 2024
The impact of health disparities and alcohol use on late diagnosis of HIV in Florida: Understanding missed opportunities using a statewide dataset
Role: Other
Funding: NATL INST OF HLTH NIAAA
Sep 2021 ACTIVE
Alcohol-Associated Syndemic and Microbiome Evaluation and Targeted Treatment in Persons Living with HIV
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: NATL INST OF HLTH NIAAA

Education

PhD
2017 · University of Florida
Master of Social Work
2011 · Washington University in St. Louis
BS Psychology and Trauma Studies
2009 · University of Missouri – St. Louis

Contact Details

Phones:
Business:
(352) 273-8349
Emails:
Business:
nchichetto@ufl.edu
Addresses:
Business Mailing:
PO BOX 100165
Dept. of Epidemiology
GAINESVILLE FL 326100165