CUNY Hunter College · PsychologyCouples Health Intervention Lab
Tyrel J Starks · New York, New York
Research Focus
Dr. Tyrel J. Starks leads a research lab focused on developing innovative interventions to reduce drug use and HIV transmission risk among sexual minority men (SMM) in relationships. The lab aims to improve public health by applying a novel approach to couples motivational interviewing, which helps partners address their drug use and related health behaviors together. By conducting research that includes online recruitment and remote interventions, the lab aims to deliver effective health strategies tailored to the needs of SMM couples.
motivational interviewingHIV preventiondrug use interventionscouples therapysexual minority menpublic healthtelehealthbehavior change
Research Aims
5AIM 01Develop a couples motivational interviewing protocol to reduce drug use.
AIM 02Evaluate the efficacy of the Couples Health Project in reducing sexual health risk.
AIM 03Investigate the impact of telehealth delivery on intervention outcomes.
AIM 04Explore moderators and mediators of intervention effects among couples.
AIM 05Increase accessibility of health interventions for sexual minority men.
Skills the Lab Values
motivational interviewingtelehealth counselingrandomized controlled trialsbiological assaydata collectioncouples counselingstatistical analysisparticipant recruitmentconflict resolution strategies
Output against the department
Publications190top 36% of dept.106th of 296
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations4.7kbottom 42% of dept.171st of 296
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.