RISE 2019 Conference

Dr. Alfonso R. Latoni is Chief of the Scientific Review Branch in the Division of Extramural Research and Training at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS/NIH), in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. Prior to joining the NIEHS, Dr. Latoni was Deputy Chief of Review in the Scientific Review Branch of the National Institute on Aging at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). He has also served in the Center for Scientific Review, NIH, where he was a Scientific Review Officer in the Health of the Population Integrated Review Group, and later in the Biobehavioral and Behavioral Processes Integrated Review Group. Prior to joining the NIH, Dr. Latoni was Director of the Minority Affairs Program of the American Sociological Association (ASA) and Director of the ASA’s Minority Fellowship Program. Previously, he was Associate Professor of Sociology, Political Science, and Applied Social Research at the Universidad de Puerto Rico, Recinto Universitario de Mayagüez (UPRM), Departamento de Ciencias Sociales y Centro de Investigación Social Aplicada (CISA). Dr. Latoni’s primary research interests have been at the intersection of social and economic inequalities and disparities among underrepresented populations, with particular emphasis on the underclass, the elderly, and the homeless. During his doctoral training, he conducted fieldwork research in Central America and the Caribbean where he explored the delivery of health care services in countries that were undergoing significant social, economic, and political change. While at the UPRM, he taught courses in sociology, political sciences, and social policy. As a researcher in CISA, his primary projects were dedicated to training undergraduate students in diverse methodologies of applied social research, conducting fieldwork studies, and mentoring CISA’s Research Assistants. Dr. Latoni received his B.A. in Sociology and Political Science from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, his M.A. in Latin American Studies (social and economic development) from Georgetown University, and his Ph.D. in Sociology (Social Economy and Social Policy) from Boston College.