Justino Flores (he/him) is currently in his third year in the clinical psychology doctoral program at GWU. He received his B.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he majored in Psychology and minored in Public Health and Gerontology. During his gap years, Justino served as the Program Director for the San Bernardino LGBTQ+ Center and gained clinical experience as a Primary Counselor at Shandin Hills Behavioral Health Center, where he provided psychoeducational groups. Then, he served as a lab manager for the Laboratory of Aging and Neurocognitive Imaging at the University of California, Riverside, and prior to entering the doctoral program, he served as a Research Coordinator for the Body Image, Sexuality, and Health Lab at San Diego State University.
Justino's research interests encompass the intersection of sexual health, mental health, and resilience among Queer and Transgender People of Color.
Research interests: HIV prevention and treatment; LGBTQ+ health; Sexual health; Mental Health; Resilience
Publications
Calabrese, S. K., Holt, M., Kalwicz, D. A., Flores, J. J., Onochie, K. C., Bavinton, B. R., Haire, B., Smith, A. K. J., MacGibbon, J., Brener L., Broady, T. R., Rule, J., Richman, B., & Treloar, C. (in press). Suboptimal patient-provider communication about Undetectable= Untransmittable and HIV transmission risk in Australia and the US. AIDS and Behavior.
Hernandez, E., Siegel, J. A., Douglas, V., Flores, J. J., Jones, I. J., Rivera, D. B., Blashill, A. J. (2025). Internalized homophobia and cigarette use among sexual minority men of color: Protective and risk factors. Stigma & Health. https://doi.org/10.1037/sah0000625
Flores*, J. J., Huang*, S., Sawyer*, S., Thomas*, M., Venegas*, L., Burke, M. W., Blankenship, K. M., Wutoh, A. (2023). Developing an inclusive generation of HIV researchers through diversity and community. JAIDS Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, 94(2S), S53-59. https://doi.org/10.1097/QAI.0000000000003252
Olivares, A., Flores, J., Ly, K., Christensen, C., Brown, B., & Polonijo, A. N. (2022). A qualitative evaluation of transgender and gender-nonconforming patients’ experiences in Southern California’s Inland Empire. Transgender Health,7(5), 440-448. https://doi.org/10.1089/trgh.2020.0187
*Denotes equal contribution by authors
Presentations
Flores, J. J., Kalwicz, D. A., Onochie, K. C., Treloar, C., Bavinton, B. R., Broady, T. R., Brener, L., Cama, E., & Calabrese, S. K. (2025, June 10-12). Healthcare providers’ perspectives related to PrEP implementation and the streamlining of existing practices in Australia and the United States [poster presentation]. Continuum 2025, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Flores, J.J., Kalwicz, D.A., Hernandez, J.I., Redina, J., del Río-González, A.M., & Calabrese, S.K. (2024, November 13-17). Preferences in HIV Educational Video Content and Presentation Styles among Sexual and Gender Minorities in Washington, DC: Insights from English and Spanish Speakers [poster presentation]. The Society for Scientific Study of Sexuality Annual Conference. San Diego, CA.
Brown, T. A., Alexander, J., Becker, C. B., Calzo, PhD, J. P., Corliss, H. L., Flores, J. J., Jun, H., Kimball, D., Lin, C., Mitzner, J., Murray, S. B., Pennesi, J., Siegel, J. A., Tesselaar, J., & Blashill, A. J. (2024, September 18-20). Primary outcomes from a large-scale randomized controlled trial of a brief, peer-co-led, group-based eating disorder prevention program for young adult sexual minority men [poster presentation]. 30th Annual Meeting of Eating Disorder Research Society. Sitges, Spain.
Hernandez-Mozo, E., Douglas, V., Siegel, J. A., Jones, I., Flores, J., Rivera, D., & Blashill, A. J. (2022, November 17-20). Moderators of the link between internalized homophobia and cigarette use among sexual minority men of color [Poster presentation]. Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies Annual Convention. New York, NY.
Hernandez-Mozo, E., Douglas, V., Siegel, J. A., Jones, I., Flores, J., Rivera, D., & Blashill, A, J. (2022, March 4-5). Internalized stigma and substance use among sexual minority men of color [Poster presentation]. San Diego State University Student Research Symposium, San Diego, CA.
Flores, J. J., Pennesi, J.-L., Blashill, A. J. (2021, May 20-21). Medical mistrust, HIV risk perception, and HIV sexual transmission risk behaviors in Latinx sexual minority men [Poster presentation]. National LGBTQ Health Conference. Virtual.
Olivares, A., Flores, J., Ly, K., Christensen, C., Brown, N., Polonijo, A. (2021, May 20-21). A qualitative analysis of transgender and gender non-conforming patient experiences in California’s Inland Empire [Poster presentation]. National LGBTQ Health Conference. Virtual.
