Roles
- Professor
- Medical Director, IDEA Exchange
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Biography
Hansel Tookes is a tenured Professor of Medicine at University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. He is founder of the IDEA Lab whose mission is to implement, disseminate, educate, and advocate for the health of people who use drugs. His lab also houses the IDEA syringe services program – the first legal program in Florida. Dr. Tookes spent five years advocating in the Florida Legislature for the creation of the program as an evidence-based HIV prevention intervention. In 2016, he succeeded and the pilot was signed into law. Today, Dr. Tookes serves as medical director of IDEA and successfully passed Infectious Disease Elimination Act of 2019 authorizing statewide expansion of syringe services programs. As a physician at Jackson Memorial, one of the largest public hospitals in the nation, Dr. Tookes attends on the HIV service as well as the Ryan White clinic. He is an advocate for health equity and has extensive experience working with both patients of low socioeconomic status and individuals who use drugs. His research interests include structural/systemic interventions and innovative approaches to HIV prevention and treatment. He is a 2021 recipient of a NIDA Avenir Award which is testing his innovative tele-harm reduction model for HIV treatment in a randomized controlled trial and, more recently, 3 NIDA R01s. The R01s include a trial of tele-harm reduction for the prevention of HIV, a team science cohort study, and an implementation science trial on opt-out HIV and hepatitis C testing for people who inject drugs. He has received numerous honors, including Miami Chamber of Commerce Healthcare Hero, Starbucks Upstander, and SAVE Champion of Equality. In 2023, he was appointed to the board of the HIV Medicine Association, the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS and the CDC/HRSA Advisory Committee on HIV, Viral Hepatitis, and STD Prevention and Treatment. -
Education & Training
Education
Post Graduate Training
Licensures and Certifications
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Honors & Awards
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Research Interests
Dr. Tookes’ research interests include behavioral interventions and innovative approaches to HIV prevention. He is a 2021 recipient of a $2.3M NIDA Avenir Award which will test his Tele-Harm Reduction model in a randomized controlled trial. He has received numerous honors, including Miami Chamber of Commerce Healthcare Hero, Starbucks Upstander, and SAVE Champion of Equality. He previously served as a member of the Board of Governors of the Florida Medical Association and as a delegate to the American Medical Association. Prior to medical school, Dr. Tookes worked in public health. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology at Yale University. -
Publications
Disclaimer: Information presented in this section has been consolidated using AI and machine learning technologies. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, errors may occur. If you identify any inaccuracies, use this link to inform our data team. Your feedback is appreciated and helps us improve the quality of our content.Professional Activities
Articles & News
Weeks Into Medical School, Miller School Students Help Save a Neighbor’s Life
Four Miller School Alumni Honored at 2026 Medical Alumni Awards
Dr. Hansel Tookes Named National Academy of Medicine Emerging Leaders in Health and Medicine Scholar
Disclaimer:
Information presented in this section has been consolidated using AI and machine learning technologies. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, errors may occur. If you identify any inaccuracies, use this link to inform our data team. Your feedback is appreciated and helps us improve the quality of our content.
Clinical Trials
Viewing 0 of 2 clinical trials.
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This is a randomized control trial to determine if using telehealth to bring clinicians to people who inject drugs is superior to linkage to a traditional clinic.
- Principal Investigator: Hansel Tookes III
- Study Phase: N/A
- Enrollment Status: Not Accepting
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The study seeks to pursue a one-stop shop for HIV prevention and treatment in people who inject drugs. CHARIOT will compare the efficacy of the syringe services program-based Comprehensive Tele-Harm Reduction intervention for HIV prevention services (PrEP and medications for opioid use disorder) vs. offsite linkage to a clinic by a patient navigator.
- Principal Investigator: Hansel Tookes III
- Study Phase: TBD
- Enrollment Status: Open