Gregory D. Zimet

Gregory D. Zimet
Known forHPV vaccine acceptance research
Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS)
Academic background
Alma materVassar College (BA, 1978)
Duke University (MA, 1981; PhD, 1985)
Academic work
DisciplineClinical psychology
Sub-disciplineVaccination attitudes and behavior
InstitutionsIndiana University School of Medicine
Case Western Reserve University

Gregory D. Zimet is an American clinical psychologist and academic researcher known for his work on vaccination attitudes and behavior, particularly regarding human papillomavirus vaccination (HPV), and for co-developing the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). He is professor emeritus of Pediatrics and Psychiatry at Indiana University School of Medicine, where he served on the faculty for three decades.

Early life and education

Zimet earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Vassar College in 1978. He went on to receive both his Master of Arts (1981) and Doctor of Philosophy (1985) in clinical psychology from Duke University. He completed a predoctoral internship and postdoctoral training at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine from 1984 to 1986.[1]

Career

After his postdoctoral training, Zimet joined Case Western Reserve University as an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry (1986–1987), then as Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, a position he held from 1987 to 1993.[2]

In 1993, Zimet joined the faculty at Indiana University School of Medicine in the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Adolescent Medicine. He was promoted to full Professor of Pediatrics in 1999 and also held appointments in the Department of Psychiatry, the Department of Psychology at Indiana University Indianapolis, and the Indiana University School of Nursing.[3] From 2006 until his retirement Zimet was a faculty member in the Cancer Prevention and Control Program of the Indiana University Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center.[4] He served as co-founder and co-director of the Indiana University School of Medicine Center for HPV Research (2012–2023).[5]

Following his retirement from Indiana University in July 2023, Zimet was appointed professor emeritus of Pediatrics at the Indiana University School of Medicine and has continued to collaborate on research related to vaccination and vaccine hesitancy.[1][6]

Research

Zimet's primary research program has focused on the behavioural and social science aspects of vaccination, with particular emphasis on attitudes toward and determinants of HPV vaccination.[1] Beginning in the mid-1990s, his group was among the earliest to investigate adolescent and parental attitudes toward vaccines for sexually transmitted infections, work that predated the availability of HPV vaccines.[7][8][9]

His research has encompassed randomized clinical trials evaluating the effects of behavioral interventions on hepatitis B virus (HBV) and HPV vaccine uptake,[10] as well as acceptance of HIV testing among adolescents and young adults.[11] His federally funded investigations have also examined microbicide acceptability[12] and herpes testing acceptance.[13] Through nearly 15 years of involvement with the Adolescent Medicine Trials Network (ATN) for HIV/AIDS Interventions, Zimet investigated consent and ethical factors related to the recruitment of adolescents into biomedical HIV prevention clinical trials.[1][14][15]

More recently, Zimet has contributed to research on COVID-19 vaccination attitudes and prevention strategies.[16][17][18]

Zimet has authored or co-authored approximately 420 publications, including over 240 peer-reviewed research articles, review papers, and editorials specifically on vaccination topics in his career.[1][19]

Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS)

In the 1980s, while at Duke University, Zimet co-developed the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) along with several colleagues, including his mother, Sara Zimet.[20][21] The MSPSS is a 12-item self-report instrument that measures perceived social support from three sources: family, friends, and a significant other.[20]

The MSPSS has become one of the most widely used instruments in social support research globally.[22] It has been translated into more than 35 languages including Arabic, Chinese, French, Korean, Russian, Spanish, and Urdu[21][22] and has been validated across diverse populations in Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe.[22][23]

Selected publications

  • Zimet, GD; Dahlem, NW; Zimet, SG; Farley, GK (1988). "The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support". Journal of Personality Assessment. 52 (1): 30–41. doi:10.1207/s15327752jpa5201_2.
  • Zimet, GD; Mays, RM; Sturm, LA; Ravert, AA; Perkins, SM; Juliar, BE (2005). "Parental attitudes about sexually transmitted infection vaccination for their adolescent children". Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. 159 (2): 132–137. doi:10.1001/archpedi.159.2.132. PMID 15699306.
  • Fu, LY; Bonhomme, LA; Cooper, SC; Joseph, JG; Zimet, GD (2014). "Educational interventions to increase HPV vaccination acceptance: a systematic review". Vaccine. 32 (17): 1901–1920. doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2014.01.091. PMC 4285433. PMID 24530401.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: PMC format (link)
  • Sturm, L; Donahue, K; Kasting, M; Kulkarni, A; Brewer, NT; Zimet, GD (2017). "Pediatrician-Parent Conversations About Human Papillomavirus Vaccination: An Analysis of Audio Recordings". Journal of Adolescent Health. 61 (2): 246–251. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2017.02.006. PMID 28455129.
  • Head, KJ; Kasting, ML; Sturm, LA; Hartsock, JA; Zimet, GD (2020). "A National Survey Assessing SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination Intentions". Science Communication. 42 (5): 698–723. doi:10.1177/1075547020960463. PMC 7520657. PMID 38602991.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: PMC format (link)
  • Zimet, GD; Lim, E; Matsunaga, M; Liebermann, E; Kornides, M; Fontenot, HB (2025). "Early Adolescent Immunization Schedule Preferences". Journal of Adolescent Health. 77 (2S): S14–S17. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2025.05.003. PMID 40716907.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Gregory D. Zimet, PhD, MA". Indiana University School of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-03-11.
  2. ^ "2002–2003 nominations committee report". Journal of Adolescent Health. 31 (6): 488–490. 2002-12-01. doi:10.1016/S1054-139X(02)00462-7. ISSN 1054-139X.
  3. ^ Fouad, Ihab. "Acceptability of the human papilloma virus vaccine among Moroccan parents: a population-based cross-sectional study". www.emro.who.int. Retrieved 2026-03-11.
  4. ^ "Gregory D. Zimet, PhD – Staff Biography". Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center. Retrieved 2026-03-11.
  5. ^ "IUSM Center for HPV Research builds on vital work of Dr. Darron Brown". InScope, Indiana University. 2015-11-19. Retrieved 2026-03-11.
  6. ^ Saxena, Kunal; Dempsey, Amanda; Verma, Rishi P.; Schmier, Jordana K.; Kamat, Shweta; Zimet, Gregory D. (2025). "Potential acceptance of HPV vaccination at ages 9-10 in the United States among parents of HPV vaccine-naïve children". Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics. 21 (1) 2578906. doi:10.1080/21645515.2025.2578906. PMC 12574576. PMID 41160721.
  7. ^ Zimet, GD; Mays, RM; Sturm, LA; Ravert, AA; Perkins, SM; Juliar, BE (2005). "Parental attitudes about sexually transmitted infection vaccination for their adolescent children". Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. 159 (2): 132–137. doi:10.1001/archpedi.159.2.132. PMID 15699306.
  8. ^ Zimet, GD; Mays, RM; Fortenberry, JD (2000). "Vaccines against sexually transmitted infections: promise and problems of the magic bullets for prevention and control". Sexually Transmitted Diseases. 27 (1): 49–52. PMID 10654869.
  9. ^ Mays, RM; Sturm, LA; Zimet, GD (2004). "Parental perspectives on vaccinating children against sexually transmitted infections". Social Science & Medicine. 58 (7): 1405–1413. doi:10.1016/S0277-9536(03)00335-6. PMID 14759685.
  10. ^ Forster, AS; Liddon, N; Engel, ME; Zimet, GD (2013). "Beliefs, behaviors and HPV vaccine: Correcting the myths and the misinformation". Preventive Medicine. 57 (5): 414–418. doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2013.05.013. PMID 23732252.
  11. ^ Kasting, ML; Cox, AD; Cox, D; Fife, KH; Katz, BP; Zimet, GD (2014). "The effects of HIV testing advocacy messages on test acceptance: a randomized clinical trial". BMC Medicine. 12: 204. doi:10.1186/s12916-014-0204-4. PMC 4243315. PMID 25374047.
  12. ^ Tanner, AE; Zimet, GD; Fortenberry, JD; Reece, M; Graham, C; Murray, M (2009). "Young women's use of a vaginal microbicide surrogate: the role of individual and contextual factors in acceptability and sexual pleasure". The Journal of Sex Research. 46 (1): 15–23. doi:10.1080/00224490802398399. PMID 19012060.
  13. ^ Zimet, GD; Fortenberry, JD; Blythe, MJ (1997). "Acceptability of genital herpes immunization: The role of health beliefs and health behaviors". Sexually Transmitted Diseases. 24 (10): 555–560. PMID 9383842.
  14. ^ Knopf, AS; Ott, MA; Liu, N; Kapogiannis, BG; Zimet, GD; Fortenberry, JD; Hosek, SG (2017). "Minors' and young adults' experiences of the research consent process in a Phase II safety study of pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV". Journal of Adolescent Health. 61 (6): 747–754. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2017.06.013. PMC 5701834. PMID 28967541.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: PMC format (link)
  15. ^ Knopf, AS; Zimet, GD; Engel, ME; Ott, MA (2015). "Adolescent self-consent for biomedical HIV prevention research". Journal of Adolescent Health. 57 (1): 113–115. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2015.03.017. PMC 4477274. PMID 26095412.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: PMC format (link)
  16. ^ Head, KJ; Kasting, ML; Sturm, LA; Hartsock, JA; Zimet, GD (2020). "A National Survey Assessing SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination Intentions: Implications for Future Public Health Communication Efforts". Science Communication. 42 (5): 698–723. doi:10.1177/1075547020960463. PMC 7520657. PMID 38602991.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: PMC format (link)
  17. ^ Zimet, GD; Silverman, RD; Fortenberry, JD (2021). "Coronavirus Disease 2019 and Vaccination of Children and Adolescents: Prospects and Challenges". The Journal of Pediatrics. 231: 254–258. doi:10.1016/j.jpeds.2020.11.002. PMC 7644179. PMID 33161025.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: PMC format (link)
  18. ^ Kasting, ML; Head, KJ; Hartsock, JA; Sturm, LA; Zimet, GD (2022). "COVID-19 vaccine uptake and attitudes towards mandates in a nationally representative U.S. sample". Journal of Behavioral Medicine. doi:10.1007/s10865-022-00317-2. PMC 9051757. PMID 35486335.
  19. ^ "Gregory Zimet – Google Scholar profile". Google Scholar. Retrieved 2026-03-11.
  20. ^ a b Zimet, GD; Dahlem, NW; Zimet, SG; Farley, GK (1988). "The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support". Journal of Personality Assessment. 52 (1): 30–41. doi:10.1207/s15327752jpa5201_2.
  21. ^ a b "Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS)". MSPSS Official Site. Retrieved 2026-03-11.
  22. ^ a b c Dambi, JM; Corten, L; Jelsma, J; Chiwaridzo, M; Jack, H; Mlambo, T (2018). "A systematic review of the psychometric properties of the cross-cultural translations and adaptations of the Multidimensional Perceived Social Support Scale (MSPSS)". Health and Quality of Life Outcomes. 16 (1): 80. doi:10.1186/s12955-018-0912-0. PMC 5930820. PMID 29716589.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: PMC format (link)
  23. ^ Canty-Mitchell, J; Zimet, GD (2000). "Psychometric properties of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support in urban adolescents". American Journal of Community Psychology. 28 (3): 391–400. doi:10.1023/A:1005109522457. PMID 10945123.
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