2026 CHIPTS Mentored Pilot Grant – Call for Applications

CHIPTS is proud to announce our 2026 Mentored Pilot Grant Program for emerging and new investigators (ranging from Doctoral Students to Assistant Professors). Through this grant program, applicants will obtain individualized, mentored research from engaged and committed faculty mentor/sponsors while conducting a well-defined research project.

Innovative Interventions for Sustainable HIV/AIDS Epidemic Control in Zambia in a Quest to end the Pandemic in Africa by 2030 – Slides

This presentation is on the Howard University’s differentiated service delivery (DSD-Plus) model which is an innovative approach that seeks to contribute to the national 2030 HIV epidemic control in Zambia. The DSD-Plus model is a treatment quality assurance program that ensures adherence, continuity in care(retention), viral load suppression and transition for sustainability. Through such interventions, Zambia is among the six countries to have reached the UNAIDS95-95-95 targets for 2025.

Developing and testing a multilevel intervention to promote viral suppression in the Dominican Republic – Slides

In this presentation, Dr. Barrington will first provide a summary of the context of HIV prevention and care for transgender women in the Dominican Republic. She will then describe her collaborative mixed methods research process to develop and test an intervention to improve HIV care and treatment outcomes and promote overall wellbeing among transwomen with HIV in Santo Domingo.

Potential Implications of Key 2024 California Ballot Measures

Panel will discuss the potential impact of California ballot propositions that passed and did not pass on the well-being of individuals and communities that are affected by HIV, with a focus on those related to the criminal legal system.

Community Health Ambassador Program (CHAP): Evaluating the Success of a CDR SNS Strategy in LAC – Slides

In Los Angeles County (LAC), we implemented a cluster detection and response (CDR) social network strategy (SNS) among HIV molecular clusters with the goal of addressing service gaps and bringing individuals into HIV prevention and care, preventing further HIV transmission. SNSs have strong evidence of effectively reaching populations who may not otherwise test. The Community Health Ambassador Program (CHAP) used this strategy to distribute HIV self-test kits among the social, sexual, and behavioral networks of communities who may be at increased risk for HIV.

Identifying Preferences for a Conditional Cash Transfer to Increase PrEP Use among MSM of Color in Los Angeles County – Slides

This study examines how to optimize a conditional cash transfer (CCT) intervention to increase PrEP use among Black and Latinx men who have sex with men (MSM) in Los Angeles County. Findings from a discrete choice experiment reveal preferences for larger cash payments provided more frequently, with some variation in PrEP modality. These results highlight the potential of tailored CCT designs to improve PrEP uptake and advance national efforts to reduce new HIV transmissions among key populations.

Violence and Coercion among Sex Workers in India: Gender Differences and PrEP Implications – Slides

We examined the relationship between violence/coercion and PrEP acceptability among cisgender female sex workers and transgender sex workers in urban West Bengal, India. We found very high rates of violence and coercion among participants, particularly among transgender sex workers. We also found that the relationship between coercion/violence and PrEP willingness was conditional on gender.

Analyzing Complex Pathways Between Resilience, Health, and Well-Being in Kenyan Youth Aged 15-24 Living with HIV in Informal Settlements – Slides

We conducted a cross-sectional survey to examine various pathways of resilience among HIV-positive youth living within informal settlements outside of Nairobi, Kenya. Relationships between variables were modelled and evaluated using linear regression analysis and structural equational modelling. We identified unique pathways linking social support, adverse childhood experiences, and HIV stigma to general health and resilience. These results may provide valuable insights for developing targeted intervention strategies to improve treatment adherence and HIV management in this population.