MarkAlain Dery

Dr. Dery has been advocating for HIV testing throughout his career. He has been instrumental in creating a new music festival in New Orleans (no small accomplishment in a city chock full of festivals) that promotes HIV awareness and HIV testing. The event has been branded as HAMPFest (HIV Awareness Music Project) and uses musicians and media figures to get on stage and show how quick and easy it is to be tested for HIV. The events are notable for having free HIV testing; and, if imitation is the best compliment, other groups have started to use the same HAMPFest model to also promote HIV awareness.Aside from HIV testing, Dr. Dery's main research interest are in antibiotic stewardship (reducing the burden of multi-drug resistant organisms) and documenting the failed policies of abstinence-only sexuality education.

December 2013