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California State University, Long Beach
Health Science Department at CSULB

Javier Lopez-Zetina, Ph.D., MA, Chair

Dr. Lopez-Zetina received his Ph.D. degree from the University of Texas, School of Public Health, and his M.A. degree from the University of Houston, Texas.  

Javier Lopez-Zetina, Ph.D., M.A., is Associate Professor of Epidemiology and Chair of the Department of Health Science at California State University, Long Beach. Dr. Lopez-Zetina’s research interests include the use of field epidemiologic methods with emphasis on the implementation of behavioral surveillance of drug abuse and addiction. His research has focused primarily in two areas: identifying bloodborne infection co-morbidities among injection drug users, and cross-cultural correlates of methamphetamine use in the U.S./Mexico border.  Dr. Lopez-Zetina has extensive experience in the epidemiology HIV seroconversion among drug users. He has published articles and presented nearly 100 abstracts at numerous national and international epidemiology and public health conferences.  In addition, Dr. Lopez-Zetina has conducted research on the epidemiology of obesity and physical activity with special focus on environmental determinants of physical activity and nutrition, and the role of social obesogenic factors and the built environment.

Dr. Lopez-Zetina has taught advanced courses in epidemiology, environmental epidemiology and bio-statistics in the MPH graduate program at California State University, Long Beach.

Special current and past projects that he is either the principal investigator or co-principal investigator include:

  • Methamphetamine use and mental health status among immigrants in Southern California and residents of a migration-impacted community in a Mexican Gulf state.  Health Initiative of the Americas and California, Program on Access to Care at UC Berkeley, School of Public – Research Program on Migration and Health (active)
  • Comparison of substance abuse patterns in the U.S./Mexico border.  A pilot study supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse to examine cultural factors among individuals in drug treatment in the U.S. California/Mexico border (completed)
  • Methamphetamine use in the U.S./Mexico border.  A study sponsored by the University-wide AIDS Research Program to assess acculturation and transborder residency of methamphetamine users in San Diego, California and Tijuana, Mexico (completed)
  • Mortality of Injection Drug Users Study.  A collaborative research project designed to examine the mortality experience of young injection drug users in the U.S. Secondary analysis and matching of risk behavior data with the U.S. National Death Index database was implemented to determine correlates of cause of mortality in the study cohort (completed)

Dr. Lopez-Zetina is active in journal editorial tasks and has served as ad hoc reviewer of many epidemiology and public health journals, including Addiction, American Journal of Clinical Pathology, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, and Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved.  He is a member of the Editorial Board of Open Journal of Epidemiology. Since 2003, Dr. Lopez-Zetina has been actively involved in international academic endeavors including a Fulbright Scholar-Abroad appointment in Peru and appointments as Visiting Professor at universities in Ecuador and Mexico.