Amanda Gabster, PH.D., MSc

Amanda Gabster, Ph.D., MSc, is an epidemiologist and public health scientist whose work centers on the sexual health and infectious disease burdens experienced by vulnerable and marginalized populations in Panama and the broader Americas. She is a Postdoctoral Scholar at the Center for Population Studies and Health Empowerment in the Department of Nursing at Florida State University, where her research contributes to advancing evidence-based approaches to HIV care engagement, psychosocial determinants of health, and gender-related health inequities. Dr. Gabster has dedicated her career to strengthening public health responses through rigorous epidemiological research that informs policy and expands equitable access to prevention, diagnostic, and treatment services.
Dr. Gabster earned her Ph.D. in Epidemiology in the Department of Clinical Research at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, where her work focused on HIV and sexually transmitted infections among Indigenous and adolescent populations. She also holds a Master of Science in Public Health and a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences. Her research integrates mixed-methods epidemiology and community-engaged approaches to examine how social norms, trauma, migration, and structural inequities shape sexual health and infectious disease risk. She has served as Principal Investigator on multiple national and international studies, including research on advanced HIV disease, Mpox vaccine effectiveness, and epidemiological assessments of sexual and reproductive health indicators.
Through her research, mentorship, and academic engagement, Dr. Gabster remains committed to advancing evidence-based approaches to infectious disease prevention and to promoting health equity among underserved populations.