Meet Kevin Pizarro
A protocol team member for HPTN 106 and HPTN 115, Kevin serves as the outreach coordinator at the UCLA CARE Center in Los Angeles, where he leads all community engagement and participant recruitment efforts for HIV prevention research. With a deep commitment to health equity, Kevin bridges clinical research with grassroots activism, focusing on reaching historically underserved communities. His work blends creative outreach strategies with a passion for public health justice.
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Q: What attracted you to a career in HIV prevention research?
A: In high school, I served as president of our Gay-Straight Alliance and was passionate about creating a more inclusive space for queer students. Attending my first AIDS Walk in 2010 was a turning point. It opened my eyes to the realities of HIV stigma and the power of community advocacy. From that moment on, I made it a point to promote sexual health and tolerance among my peers. That early passion eventually grew into a career focused on education, research, and empowering communities most impacted by HIV.
Q: What would you say most motivates you to do what you do?
A: I’m driven by the people I meet in the community who share their stories, ask questions, and show up because they want to be part of meaningful change. Their commitment to advocating for their communities inspires me. Knowing that my work helps bridge the gap between clinical research and real community needs is what motivates me. To me, HIV prevention research is more than science; it is a form of advocacy.
Q: What aspect of your role do you enjoy the most?
A: I’m driven by the people I meet in the community who share their stories, ask questions, and show up because they want to be part of meaningful change. Their commitment to advocating for their communities inspires me. Knowing that my work helps bridge the gap between clinical research and real community needs is what motivates me. To me, HIV prevention research is more than science; it is a form of advocacy.
Q: Who has been the biggest influence in your career? Why?
A: The entire team at the UCLA CARE Center has had a profound impact on me. The research coordinators, Jasmine Warren, Maricela Gonzalez, and Olivia Silao, advocate for patient health and celebrate important milestones, like when patients become adherent to their medication or achieve sobriety. Dr. Aleen Khodabakhshian helps me navigate the changing landscape of HIV prevention and offers support in every way. Lisa Mark, our PA, took the time after work to help me understand HIV when I was just starting. I came in with limited knowledge, but through ongoing education, I now lead community presentations on HIV prevention and research. The principal investigators, including Dr. Kara Chew, Dr. Raphael Landovitz, and Dr. Judith Currier, who read my 10-page outreach proposals and continuously encourage me to be creative. This team drives my passion and is the main reason I proudly advocate working on weekends.
Q: What volunteering or passion projects do you do outside of work?
A: Outside of work, I help run a grassroots community group called QUACK (Queers United in Activism, Community, and Knowledge). We host events that center queer joy, education, and advocacy in the South Bay in Los Angeles and beyond. Some of our past events have included a queer book club, a PRIDE movie night at a local family-owned cinema, hikes through the abandoned Los Angeles Zoo, and letter-writing campaigns to incarcerated transgender people across California. QUACK gives me space to connect with my community in creative and meaningful ways.
Q: What is your guilty pleasure?
A: My guilty pleasure is watching reality television. Especially anything with dramatic confessionals or a competition twist. Shows like RuPaul’s Drag Race, The Real Housewives series, and Survivor are my go-to comfort watches. I tell myself it’s to help with community engagement and stay up to date… but really, I just love the chaos.