David DuPuy Celentano (born 1951) is a noted epidemiologist and professor who has contributed significantly to the promotion of research on HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
[3] While originally trained in a chronic disease paradigm (alcoholism and cancer control), he began his research in HIV/AIDS and STIs in the early 1980s.
[1] In 1990, Celentano turned to international research when he began a long-term collaboration with Chiang Mai University in northern Thailand.
[10][11] Celentano recently completed four NIH-supported studies in Thailand, focusing on interventions to influence the association between opiate use, methamphetamine use, and other drugs on HIV.
He was the Thailand principal investigator (PI) of Project Accept/HPTN 043, which showed the strong influence of community mobilization, HIV counseling and testing at the village level with post-test support services reduced behavioral risk and increased HIV counseling and testing to 72% of at-risk villagers in three years.