Julio Contreras

Julio Contreras is a manager on the NASTAD Policy & Legislative Affairs team, where he leads the viral hepatitis and drug user health policy advocacy portfolios. Julio works in coalition to secure federal support and increased funding for viral hepatitis and harm reduction programs at state and territorial health departments and their community partners in order to build strong networks for hepatitis elimination and overdose and infectious disease prevention. Additionally, Julio engages Congress, the White House, federal agencies, health department staff, industry representatives, local and national nonprofits, and community-based organizations to advance policies and programs that support the well-being and health of people who use drugs. Julio graduated from Georgetown University in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and minors in Russian language and cognitive science. Julio is based in Washington, DC.

NASTAD is a leading non-partisan non-profit association that represents public health officials who administer HIV and hepatitis programs in the U.S. NASTAD works to advance the health and dignity of people living with and impacted by HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis, and intersecting epidemics by strengthening governmental public health through advocacy, capacity building, and social justice. Each of NASTAD’s seven programmatic teams—Health Care Access, Health Systems Integration, Policy & Legislative Affairs, Hepatitis, Prevention, Health Equity, and Drug User Health—interpret and influence policies, conduct trainings, offer technical assistance, and provide advocacy mobilization for U.S. health departments to improve health outcomes for people living with HIV and hepatitis.