1967 B.S. City College of the City University of New York
1972 M.A. Lehmann College of the City University of New York
1996 Ph.D. Graduate School and University Center of the City University of New York

After two decades as a mathematics teacher, Dr. Strauss began her involvement in public health research in 1996. A Principal Investigator since 1999 on grants funded by the National Institutes of Health and private foundations, her research has primarily focused on studying the drug treatment response to the hepatitis C virus, and support for alcohol reduction among HIV positive patients. Dr. Strauss has also applied innovative statistical methodology to examine the validity of self-report of HIV status among out-of-treatment drug users. Among other past projects are an examination of social support and drug treatment for women mandated to treatment through the criminal justice system, smoking bans in prisons and jails, and an evaluation of a community-based program supporting the liver disease related needs of minority populations. A more recent focus has involved an examination of the relationship between periodontal disease and diabetes, and the potential of the dental office to serve as a site for diabetes screening.

Research Interests

• Ways to support primary and secondary prevention of HCV and HIV in drug users and other at risk persons
• Drug treatment program organizational response to infectious diseases (especially HCV)
• Application of optimal statistical methodology for data analysis (especially involving multilevel modeling and missing data)
• Relationship between periodontal disease and diabetes