Jagadīśa-devaśrī Dācus Joins ISGMH as Associate Director

The Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing (ISGMH) at Northwestern University has named Jagadīśa-devaśrī Dācus, Ph.D., L.M.S.W., (he/him) as its new Associate Director. As Associate Director, Dācus will oversee institute operations, provide thought leadership, and develop and implement strategic goals and objectives.

“Dr. Dācus has an impressive resume that includes more than 20 years of experience in leadership and organizational development,” said ISGMH Director Brian Mustanski, Ph.D. “His extensive work with LGBTQ and Black communities as an administrator, researcher, and social worker will help take ISGMH to new heights. Dr. Dācus joins ISGMH at a moment of continued growth, and I am excited to see how he helps shape the future of our institute.”

Dācus comes to ISGMH from the HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies at Columbia University and the New York State Psychiatric Institute, where he was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow studying HIV-negative Black men who have sex with men (MSM) and the resiliencies that contribute to this population’s ability to stay HIV-negative.

“I’m honored by this opportunity to help lead the Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing. I have long been familiar with the research conducted at ISGMH, as well as with the National LGBTQ Health Conference that it hosts,” said Dācus. “As Associate Director, I hope to grow and advance ISGMH by capitalizing on its many existing strengths and by using those strengths as platforms to explore new areas, including research into additional populations and topics, engagement with public policy, and exploration of additional stakeholder partnerships.”

Dācus received an M.S. in social work from Columbia University and a Ph.D. from the Graduate Center at the City University of New York. In addition to research on HIV-negative Black MSM, Dācus has conducted qualitative research on older Black women’s sexuality, the community-level factors influencing heterosexual Black men’s sexuality, the health of older sexual and gender minority individuals, and sexual minority young men in South Africa.

“What immediately attracted me to ISGMH was not only its diverse research scope, but also its focus on sexual and gender minority health and wellbeing. ISGMH’s holistic approach to health includes talking about mind and body, spirit and wellbeing. It’s crucial for researchers studying sexual and gender minority populations to recognize these populations and participants as whole people,” said Dācus.

A licensed social worker, Dācus gained extensive experience with community-based organizations, non-profits, and local and state health departments that provide HIV-prevention programs and interventions for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) individuals, youth, people who use substances, and LGBTQ populations. Prior to pursing a Ph.D., Dācus was also an organizational development and capacity building specialist with expertise in BIPOC and LGBTQ cultural competency, strategic planning, team building, and program development and evaluation.

Dācus views this training as a social worker as critical to his leadership approach. “I bring my heart to every leadership role. I bring my passion for this work, my commitment to the populations we research, and my emotional connection to my colleagues. I like to see people succeed,” he explained.

According to Kathryn Macapagal, Ph.D., ISGMH’s Interim Associate Director and co-chair of the Associate Director search committee, Dācus brings invaluable professional and personal experience to ISGMH.

“Dr. Dācus impressed all of us with a combination of robust professional experience and obvious passion for the communities that ISGMH researches,” said Macapagal, who is also a Research Associate Professor. “On the heels of its fifth anniversary as an institute and exponential growth in both size and research scope, ISGMH has an exceptionally bright future with Dr. Dācus leading us as Associate Director.”

Dācus’ appointment as Associate Director of ISGMH and Research Assistant Professor begins on April 1, 2021.