Dr. Seul Ki Choi, Director of Science at the Eidos LGBTQ+ Health Initiative at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, has been awarded a grant from the Penn Global Research and Engagement Grant Program to expand her HIV prevention research to her home country of South Korea. In collaboration with Ewha Womans University and a cross-disciplinary team of Penn faculty, Dr. Choi will culturally adapt and test a digital health intervention to address HIV disparities for young Korean men who have sex with men (MSM).
For over 10 years, Dr. Seul Ki Choi has focused her research on LGBTQ+ health disparities, digital interventions, and HIV prevention. As a contributor to the HealthMpowerment (HMP) study, Dr. Choi helped develop and test a mobile-optimized platform created to support HIV prevention among young Black MSM and transgender women in the U.S. HMP has demonstrated measurable success in reducing condomless anal sex, increasing HIV testing, and improving viral suppression.
Now, with support from Penn Global and the Eidos LGBTQ+ Health Initiative, Dr. Choi is bringing this work full circle: back to South Korea, where she was born and raised.
South Korea is facing a quiet but concerning HIV crisis, with over 1,000 new infections reported annually for more than a decade—even as global rates decline. A growing number of cases are among MSM, who face steep barriers to care due to widespread stigma, a lack of LGBTQ+-affirming services, limited provider training, and the absence of national legal protections.
"When I began my master’s degree in the U.S. in 2012, I didn’t expect to build my research career in LGBTQ+ health. But it became clear that LGBTQ+ health disparities are urgent and global in scope. I’m grateful for the opportunity to apply what I’ve learned in the U.S. to advance LGBTQ+ health in Korea, in collaboration with my alma mater."
Dr. Choi’s newly funded project will adapt the HMP platform to reflect the realities of LGBTQ+ life in Korea. That means reworking the content, language, and design to feel relevant, welcoming, and effective for Korean MSM.
Over the next two years, Dr. Choi’s team at Penn Nursing’s Eidos LGBTQ+ Health Initiative will work closely with researchers at Ewha Womans University to complete three phases:
- Qualitative research with Korean MSM to identify stigma-related barriers to HIV prevention behaviors
- Design and community validation of the adapted intervention
- A pilot randomized trial to test feasibility and acceptability
The goal is a digital health tool that supports HIV testing, condom use, PrEP uptake, and peer connection in culturally relevant ways.
This cross-cultural project is a collaborative effort between Penn and Ewha faculty:
- Dr. Seul Ki Choi, Research Assistant Professor, Department of Family and Community Health, Penn Nursing
- Dr. José Bauermeister, Albert M. Greenfield Professor of Human Relations, Department of Family and Community Health, School of Nursing
- Dr. So-Rim Lee, Assistant Professor in Penn’s Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations, whose expertise helps ground the adaptation process in cultural and linguistic nuance
- Dr. Sook Jung Kang, Professor at Ewha Womans University and key partner in Korea
“This cross-cultural project not only addresses stigma and health disparities in Korea but also models inclusive digital health innovation. I believe it will inspire more Korean health researchers to engage in LGBTQ+ health and ultimately contribute to advancing global health equity.”
By testing how a U.S.-based intervention can be meaningfully adapted to another cultural setting, the project will generate important knowledge on how digital health tools can be designed to be inclusive, responsive, and globally relevant—especially in settings where stigma is high and resources are limited.
Dr. Choi’s project is one of 16 faculty-led initiatives selected this year through the Penn Global Research and Engagement Grant Program, each tackling global issues in health, climate, migration, and more. For her, the grant marks a deeply personal milestone, and an opportunity to build a bridge between two regions and their shared pursuit of LGBTQ+ health equity.