South American Program in HIV Prevention Research (SAPHIR)

Abstract: Effective HIV prevention interventions require the integrated analysis of behavioral, biological, and social transmission patterns within specific cultural contexts. The South American Program in HIV Prevention Research (SAPHIR) program offers developing investigators from the U.S. an intensive, structured program of education and practical research training on comprehensive HIV prevention in an international environment. Specific Aim 1. To provide researchers from the U.S. with a structured program of education and training based on a focused research topic within the field of HIV prevention in Latin America. SAPHIR program trainees are paired with research mentors from the U.S. and Latin America to develop an independent research program incorporating both secondary analysis of existing data and design of an original research study protocol. Potential research topics include behavioral, epidemiological, clinical and laboratory issues related to HIV prevention within specific Latin American contexts. Specific Aim 2. To provide a program of didactic instruction and interactive seminars addressing integrated approaches to HIV prevention in international settings. The training program includes a weekly series of lectures and seminars on key areas of global HIV prevention, including lectures, journal clubs, research presentations, and ethics case conferences. The conceptual framework for the educational program is based on the intersection of scientific disciplines through the lens of comprehensive HIV prevention. Specific Aim 3. To build the capacity of a collaborative network of international investigators and research centers with individual areas of scientific expertise to produce integrated approaches to HIV prevention research in Latin America. In addition to practical training for young investigators, a secondary aim of the program is to promote inter-institutional collaboration and capacity-building for participating research centers. Graduates of the program accomplish the following goals: 1) Acquire a foundation of knowledge in the four core areas of comprehensive HIV prevention (epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention); 2) Complete a secondary data analysis and prepare a corresponding abstract for submission to an international scientific conference; 3) Design an independent research sub-study; 4) Prepare a study protocol that meets requirements for the ethical conduct of research with human subjects as defined by the UCLA Office for Human Research Participant Protection; 5) Submit a funding proposal for peer review and receive a written summary statement; and 6) Present results of their research in a local community venue and at an annual conference of program trainees and mentors. All SAPHIR graduates acquire the exposure, skills, and practical experience necessary to gain admission to competitive post-doctoral training programs and to build an academic career in international HIV prevention research.

Project Number: 2R25MH087222-11

https://reporter.nih.gov/search/UTGlOQLsKEmZHEyMDXv20w/project-details/10012883

 

Contact PI/ Project Leader

CLARK, JESSE LAWTON , ASSISTANT PROFESSOR-IN-RESIDENCE (jlclark@mednet.ucla.edu)

 

Organization

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES

 

PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The newest generation of physician scholars recognizes the need for global approaches to HIV prevention but lacks structured opportunities for research training in international sites. Our dedicated program of education and practical training in international HIV prevention studies fills an important deficit in current AIDS research.

 

 

Project Start Date: 01-August-2011

Project End Date:31-March-2026

Budget Start Date: 03-June-2021

Budget End Date: 31-March-2022

 

NIH Categorical Spending

Funding IC:  NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH / FY Total Cost by IC: $255,193

The UCLA HIV/AIDS, Substance Abuse, and Trauma Training Program

Abstract: This R25 renewal application responds to PAR-16-224 for continued funding for the UCLA HIV/AIDS, Substance Abuse, and Trauma Training Program (HA-STTP). Our Program’s mission is to provide training and mentorship to early career postdoctoral scholars whose focus is reducing substance abuse and transmission of HIV in underserved populations at high risk for traumatic stress and health disparities. To date, our Program has been highly successful in training a diverse, productive group of 19 Scholars and seven Affiliate Scholars. Our core curriculum will maintain focus on our core topics, with the addition in this renewal of courses on social network analysis, technology-based interventions, addiction psychiatry, and implementation science. Our Program provides a two-year course of training and mentorship to a total of 20 (five/year over four years) postdoctoral and early career scholars. Our Program is unique in its incorporation of traumatic stress as a form of dysregulation, particularly as experienced by underserved populations. These populations, particularly racial/ethnic minority populations, are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS and typically experience a high degree of traumatic stress. Our Specific Aims are to: (1) Advance HA-TTP Scholars’ knowledge of the ways in which substance abuse, HIV/AIDS, traumatic stress, and health disparities are interconnected, particularly in underrepresented populations; (2) Provide focused, intensive mentorship to support Scholars’ research interests and career trajectories in the key areas addressed by this Program; (3) Capitalize on a local and national multidisciplinary, multiracial/ethnic network of expert faculty who are committed to fostering the intellectual and professional growth of the Scholars; and (4) Evaluate the impact of the Program on Scholars’ knowledge and productivity. Scholars will attend two week-long Institutes per year for two years and will receive continual, personalized career mentoring, training, and research supervision. Each cohort will be followed for the duration of the training grant, and all cohorts will come to together in the final year to share their experiences and successes. Scholars will be mentored by a UCLA-based core faculty mentor as well as a home mentor. Scholars will develop the necessary skills to pursue a productive research program in areas related to substance use, HIV/AIDS, traumatic stress, and health disparities. They will be supported in the development of competitive grant applications, including receiving a modest amount of funds to prepare preliminary studies data. The UCLA-based leadership team and core faculty include members from clinical and community psychology, medical anthropology, addiction psychiatry, public health, and social work. This Program will enhance nationwide efforts to diminish the prevalence of HIV/AIDS, substance use and traumatic stress to improve health and quality of life.

Project Number: 2R25DA035692-06

https://reporter.nih.gov/search/coWayWzr1EOmY6_GJvewwg/project-details/9561840

 

Contact PI/ Project Leader

WYATT, GAIL E.,PROFESSOR (GWYATT@MEDNET.UCLA.EDU)

 

Organization

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES

 

PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The mission of the UCLA HIV/AIDS, Substance Abuse, and Trauma Training Program (HA-STTP) is to provide training and mentorship to early career postdoctoral scholars whose focus is reducing substance abuse and transmission of HIV in underserved populations at high risk for traumatic stress and health disparities. Our Program provides a two-year course of training and mentorship to a total of 20 scholars. By fostering the growth of Scholars committed to conducting research with underrepresented populations that are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS, substance abuse, and traumatic stress, this Program will enhance nationwide efforts to diminish the prevalence of these problems and thereby improve health and quality of life.

 

 

Project Start Date: 01-June-2013

Project End Date: 31-January-2024

Budget Start Date: 01-March-2018

Budget End Date:31-January-2020

 

NIH Categorical Spending

Funding IC:  NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE/ FY Total Cost by IC:$377,991

Emerging Issues in Minority Aging Research

Abstract: Emerging Issues in Minority Aging Research will create five different one-day conferences on current NIA priority areas relevant to minority aging research. The conference series goal is to increase the quality, quantity, and relevance to communities of color of NIA-fundable research by providing both junior and senior researchers with new knowledge and greater interest in these emerging issues as applied to minority elderly. This is significant because the U.S. racial and ethnic minority older population is growing rapidly: minorities will increase from 25% to over 40% of the older population between 2020 and 2050. Protecting and improving the health of these elderly requires a highly skilled research workforce with interests and capabilities to produce new and useful knowledge. Yet the number and success of minority researchers funded by NIH is insufficient. The NIA’s Resource Centers for Minority Aging Research (RCMAR) program works to mentor and train junior faculty who conduct research on minority aging to strengthen the next generation of NIA-funded ethnic and racial minority research and researchers. Conferences topics are: Recruitment and retention of elders of color; Access to care & improved outcomes for cognitively impaired minority elderly; Applying the science of behavior change to intervention development for elders of color; Pragmatic intervention trials with minority elders; and Using biological measures of risk in health disparities research with older adults. Each will feature leading scholars on the topic, top scholars on minority aging, and representatives from multiple NIA-funded centers and networks. The programs will disseminate the state of the art on the topic, inform researchers on how existing research can be modified or expanded to be more valid and relevant for minority elders, and provide resources that can be used by researchers to further develop the fields in research with minority elders. They will be held as preconferences to the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) annual scientific meetings with an average of 50 participants each; the majority will be minorities and/or women. The planning committee will be compromised of the confirmed keynote speakers who are leaders in the field and researchers from RCMAR sites with expertise in the topic. The executive committee will be the RCMAR directors group. The project is innovative in the topics covered, the research networks involved, and the synergy with GSA. Program evaluation includes a process evaluation, a retrospective pre/post knowledge and confidence survey, and four-month follow-up survey on conference impacts. The lead investigators are national leaders in minority and aging research who have successfully led previous GSA preconferences. This proposal is a renewal of the previous successful series with new topics but similar objectives of improving the knowledge and interest in emerging issues supported by NIA among those with research agendas in minority aging and raising awareness of minority aging among leading researchers in each topic.

Project Number: 2R13AG023033-16

https://reporter.nih.gov/search/YfhOgZ8LmEm_RStNdvCEhA/project-details/9913950

 

Contact PI/ Project Leader

WALLACE, STEVEN PAUL,PROFESSOR OF COMM.HEALTH SCI. (SWALLACE@UCLA.EDU)

 

Organization

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES

 

PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE:Emerging Issues in Minority Aging Research: This project will create five different one-day conferences on current NIA initiatives that are relevant to minority aging research. The goal of the proposed conference series is to increase the quality, quantity, and relevance to communities of color of NIA-fundable research by providing both junior and senior researchers with new knowledge and greater interest in these emerging issues as they apply to minority elderly.

 

 

Project Start Date: 15-September-2019

Project End Date: 31-May-2024

Budget Start Date: 15-September-2019

Budget End Date:31-May-2020

 

NIH Categorical Spending

Funding IC:  NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON AGING/ FY Total Cost by IC: $50,000

Biobehavioral Research Approaches to reduce Effects of Trauma on Mental and Physical Health and Cognitive Outcomes in South Africa

Abstract: The UCLA/South African Trauma Training Research (Phodiso) Program seeks five additional years of funding to prepare future investigators to conduct research on trauma exposure and injury prevention in the context of South Africa’s high levels of interpersonal and community violence and intentional injuries. The Phodiso Program is an international collaboration between UCLA and the South African Research Consortium (SARC), which includes the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), North-West University (NWU), and University of Cape Town (UCT) and is based on a number of NIH-funded projects: 1) The Eban Project, a randomized clinical trial testing a culturally congruent intervention for HIV serodiscordant African American couples (R01; 2001-2009; El Bassel, et al., 2010); 2) The Implementation of the Eban Project, (NIH RO1; 2012-2017) 3) The Aftermath of Rape among South African Women (The Fulufhelo Project), a study examining the short- and long-term psychosocial sequelae of rape among South African women (R03; 2009-2013); and 4) The HIV/AIDS Substance use and Trauma Training Program for racial and ethnic minority postdoctoral scholars and early career investigators (R25; 2013-2018) (Wyatt and Milburn, co-PIs). Guided by ecological theory, social learning theory, and the Sexual Health Model, the focus of the Phodiso Scholar’s research will be to minimize the negative health and mental health effects of trauma exposure, specifically depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), in South Africa. An additional emphasis of the training will focus on the neurobiological and neurobehavioral manifestations of trauma, disease, substance use and intentional injury. In the past 10 years of funding, a total of eleven scholars have graduated from the Phodiso program and will join the core SARC and the TAMT, to assist with mentoring new Scholars. For this renewal, the UCLA and SARC core faculty and TAMT will conduct a countrywide application process to select one early career research candidate per year for a two-year postdoctoral fellowship. Scholars will receive research mentorship including a quarter of study (i.e., a 3-month period) at UCLA, one selection and planning meeting and one short-term trauma workshop each year in South Africa. Scholars will conduct their own research projects in South Africa as a basis for future studies in this field, and work closely with their SARC host university and TAMT mentors. The Phodiso Trauma Training program and the research careers of the scholars will be tracked over time. Specifically, the sustainability of the training program and integration into academic, private, and government-supported agencies and the Scholar’s ability to establish and sustain independent research careers will be evaluated and documented. Future goals will include encouraging the South African government to adopt the Phodiso program as a successful and replicable model of cross-cultural trauma research training.

Project Number: 2D43TW007278-11

https://reporter.nih.gov/search/3mBMfcaKOkGk9o8D_fB3Zw/project-details/9232020

 

Contact PI/ Project Leader

WYATT, GAIL E, PROFESSOR (GWYATT@MEDNET.UCLA.EDU)

 

Organization

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES

 

PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Myanmar has experienced one of the most serious HIV/AIDS epidemics in Southeast Asia. Because the country has been isolated from the rest of the world for 50+ years, there are very few researchers and public health specialists trained in advanced research methodologies who can do research to guide HIV/AIDS policy and staff the Myanmar University of Public Health. This program will address that need by providing degree and postdoctoral training in advanced research methodology.

 

 

Project Start Date: 25-May-2005

Project End Date: 31-August-2021

Budget Start Date: 15-September-2016

Budget End Date: 31-August-2017

 

NIH Categorical Spending

Funding IC:  FOGARTY INTERNATIONAL CENTER + OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH/ FY Total Cost by IC: $269,997

UCLA/Myanmar Training Program in Advanced HIV/AIDS Methodologies

Abstract: Myanmar has one of the worst epidemics of HIV/AIDS in Southeast Asia. Implementation of an effective HIV control program has been hampered by the isolation of Myanmar from the global community for more than 50 years. This isolation has prevented contemporary training in advanced research methodology for doctors and scientists in Myanmar. The UCLA Department of Epidemiology will collaborate with the Myanmar University of Public Health (UPH) to address this need. UCLA will provide training for six master’s of science trainees, as well as nine months of training in research methodology at UCLA for ten senior faculty of UPH and the AIDS Control Program. The M.S. candidates will conduct the field research for their theses in Myanmar under the supervision of UPH faculty. The short courses to be given in Myanmar include HIV biology, epidemiology, prevention of transmission, research methodology, research ethics, public health intervention strategies, and use of advanced technologies in support of epidemiologic research in developing countries. Candidates for the UCLA-based programs will be recommended by the Myanmar UPH faculty on the basis of their academic records, commitment to HIV and public health research, and intention to promote the health of the people of Myanmar.

Project Number: 5D43TW009600-05

https://reporter.nih.gov/search/-__kmzr9iE-k4ehpkEtYuA/project-details/9487770

 

Contact PI/ Project Leader

DETELS, ROGER, PROFESSOR (DETELS@UCLA.EDU)

 

Organization

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES

 

PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Myanmar has experienced one of the most serious HIV/AIDS epidemics in Southeast Asia. Because the country has been isolated from the rest of the world for 50+ years, there are very few researchers and public health specialists trained in advanced research methodologies who can do research to guide HIV/AIDS policy and staff the Myanmar University of Public Health. This program will address that need by providing degree and postdoctoral training in advanced research methodology.

 

 

Project Start Date: 27-May-2014

Project End Date: 31-March-2022

Budget Start Date: 01-April-2018

Budget End Date:31-March-2022

 

NIH Categorical Spending

Funding IC:  FOGARTY INTERNATIONAL CENTER + NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE/ FY Total Cost by IC: $295,072

Clinical Trial Comparing the Effectiveness of Cefixime Versus Penicillin G for Treatment of Early Syphilis

Abstract: The proposed project is designed to evaluate the effectiveness of cefixime (400mg, twice a day, for 10 days) compared to benzathine penicillin G (2.4 million units, intramuscularly) in patients with and without HIV infection. Syphilis rates have been increasing both in the US and internationally. Incidence is higher among men-who-have-sex-with-men and more importantly in individuals with HIV infection. Currently, penicillin is used to treat syphilis in patients with and without HIV infection. Doxycycline, tetracycline and ceftriaxone are alternative treatments for non-pregnant patients who are allergic to penicillin. Existing treatment alternatives are based on clinical experience, a limited number of small clinical trials, and case series, but each poses clinical challenges. New, safe and efficacious antibiotic treatment options are needed. In this proposal, we will build upon our successful pilot study to conduct a randomized, multisite, open-label, non- inferiority clinical trial to evaluate the effectiveness of cefixime (400mg, twice a day, for 10 days) compared to benzathine penicillin G (2.4 million units, intramuscularly) in patients with and without HIV infection. We will enroll 400 participants with early syphilis infection from 9 clinical sites in the U.S. and Peru. We will follow the participants to monitor clinical progress and serological response (RPR titer) every 3 months for 9 months. Our hypothesis is that cefixime will be non-inferior to penicillin in treating syphilis, shown as a 4-fold decrease in RPR titer from enrollment to 6-months after treatment administration. These are the two specific aims of our proposal. AIM 1: Evaluate the effectiveness of cefixime in the treatment of early syphilis when compared to benzathine penicillin G. AIM 2: Determine the predictors of treatment failure among participants. The 5 year project has 4 phases. Phase I will last 9 months and will involve the development of study instruments, staff training on recruitment, enrollment, and data collection. Phase II will last 36 months and will involve recruitment and enrollment of patients. Phase III which will last 45 months, but will start simultaneously as stage II, and will include the patient follow-up period. Phase IV will last 6 months and in that time, the data will be analyzed and disseminated.

Project Number: 7R01AI155217-02

https://reporter.nih.gov/search/YayN4XwnBUe4QIvlEb1gsg/project-details/10392825

 

Contact PI/ Project Leader

KLAUSNER, JEFFREY DAVID, CLINICAL PROFESSOR (jdklausner@med.usc.edu)

 

Organization

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

 

PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: In the proposed study, we will examine the effectiveness of oral cefixime 400 mg twice-daily for 10 days (compared to injectable single dose benzathine penicillin G) in treating syphilis among people with and without HIV infection. The results of this clinical trial might identify cefixime as a novel alternative treatment for syphilis that is useful for people living with HIV infection, in patients with penicillin allergy or in settings of penicillin shortage. We will also describe predictors of syphilis treatment failure among people with and without HIV.

 

 

Project Start Date: 13-July-2020

Project End Date: 30-June-2025

Budget Start Date: 01-July-2021

Budget End Date: 30-June-2022

 

NIH Categorical Spending

Funding IC:  NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES/ FY Total Cost by IC: $665,080

Facilitating the Decentralization of Methadone Maintenance Therapy Services into Communities in Vietnam

Abstract: Vietnam is currently decentralizing its methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) dispensing network to its local commune health centers (CHC), which provides a window of opportunity to study decentralization of harm reduction and HIV-related healthcare services into community-based healthcare settings. Commune health workers (CHW) in Vietnam have widespread misconceptions about harm reduction and perceived significant challenges associated with treating people who use drugs. Intervention effort is needed to address these issues to ensure a smooth implementation of the decentralized service model. The proposed two-year study plans to design and pilot test an intervention to facilitate the delivery of decentralized MMT/HIV services via three phases in Phu Tho Province, Vietnam. In Phase 1, we will conduct task analysis with MMT clients and cross-functional analysis with service providers to identify the steps/tasks that are associated with most procedural delays, errors, redundancies, and/or unnecessary reworks. We will also evaluate each CHC’s capacity and readiness to deliver the MMT services. In Phase 2, under the framework of intervention mapping, a multidisciplinary working group will go through the six steps to design the intervention and develop its implementation and evaluation plan. The intervention, with a primary focus on process optimization, will be executed through a combination of in-person training and mobile phone application utilization. In Phase 3, we will pilot the intervention in six CHC-based MMT distribution sites. The six CHC will be randomized to either an intervention condition or a control condition. The intervention outcomes on CHW and MMT clients will be evaluated at baseline, 3-, and 6-months. The intervention will be revised and finalized based on acceptability/feasibility evaluation data, process evaluation data, and feedbacks from intervention facilitators and participants.

Project Number: 5R34DA043783-02

https://reporter.nih.gov/search/DzuiYtIG0UOuFPYSlFdgxQ/project-details/9768996

 

Contact PI/ Project Leader

LIN, CHUNQING (lincq@ucla.edu)

 

Organization

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES

 

PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE:  Decentralizing specialized health services into community-level healthcare settings has the potential to improve access to care; yet the complex process and how the potential benefits could be realized warrant more empirical research. The study will use structured implementation science methodologies to guide the development of an intervention model focusing on process optimization of the methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) service decentralization in Vietnam. The research methodologies and findings will be a source of important information for the global policymakers, programmers, and research communities to advance the understanding and strategies in decentralization of healthcare services.

 

 

Project Start Date: 01-September-2018

Project End Date: 31-August-2022

Budget Start Date: 01-September-2019

Budget End Date:  31-August-2022

 

NIH Categorical Spending

Funding IC:  NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE/ FY Total Cost by IC:$307,743

An integrated incentive-based treatment to optimize HIV treatment engagement among persons who use methamphetamine

Abstract: The objective of this K23 Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award is to assist the candidate in acquiring expertise and methodological skills to become an independent implementation science investigator focused on integrated substance use disorder and HIV care practices. The objective of the candidate’s research is two-fold: to reduce the detrimental impact of methamphetamine use while simultaneously supporting engagement in HIV care. People with HIV who use methamphetamine are susceptible to experiencing gaps at each stage of the HIV care continuum. Contingency management is an effective behavioral therapy for methamphetamine use disorder that is based on operant conditioning principles. Contingency management decreases the reinforcing effects of methamphetamine use by providing immediate, positive reinforcement following abstinence from substance use. Incentive-based interventions based on operant conditioning principles also demonstrate positive effects for improving antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence. It remains unclear whether a contingency management program that integrates incentives for ART adherence (CM+ART, i.e., dually targeting methamphetamine use and ART adherence) is more acceptable and appropriate to people with HIV than a contingency management program targeting methamphetamine use only. The specific aims of the research plan for the five-year K23 award period are: 1) to identify resources required to implement contingency management programs in settings serving people with HIV, 2) to adapt contingency management to integrate incentives for adherence to ART (CM+ART), and 3) to evaluate whether CM+ART is acceptable and appropriate to people with HIV who use methamphetamine compared to a contingency management program targeting only reductions in methamphetamine use. Dr. Montoya’s mentored training plan, including formal didactics and other activities, aligns with the research aims and career development plans and has four key areas: 1) to deepen knowledge of evidence-based practices implemented at local and national levels to support patient engagement in HIV and substance use disorder care, 2) to apply an implementation science approach to guide adaptation of contingency management to integrate incentives for ART adherence, 3) to acquire advanced methodological skills to design and evaluate mixed-method studies and clinical trials, and 4) to engage in professional development activities geared toward development of a competitive NIDA R01 application and an independent research career. This proposal strongly aligns with NIDA Strategic Plan Objectives 3.1 (“Develop and test novel treatments based on the science of addiction”) and 3.4 (“Develop and test strategies for effectively and sustainably implementing evidence-based treatments”); the NIH Office of AIDS Research priority to address HIV- associated comorbidities such as substance use disorders; and the “Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America” initiative. The comprehensive training activities and research plan will effectively position the candidate for an independent research career focused on the integration of HIV and substance use disorder care.

Project Number: 1K23DA051324-01A1

https://reporter.nih.gov/search/go5OXMt_20GPUJMlOviWPw/project-details/10161337

 

Contact PI/ Project Leader

SHOPTAW, STEVEN J, PROFESSOR (sshoptaw@mednet.ucla.edu)

 

Organization

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO

 

PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Substantial resources have been invested to combat the HIV epidemic; however, methamphetamine use is a persistent and growing concern in the U.S. that contributes to worse patient outcomes and HIV transmission. An integrated treatment that addresses methamphetamine use and adherence to HIV treatment may help advance efforts to end the HIV epidemic. Building from a large body of evidence showing the effectiveness of a behavioral treatment (called contingency management) for treating methamphetamine use disorder, we plan to identify resources required to implement contingency management programs in settings serving people with HIV, as well as to adapt and evaluate a contingency management program that dually targets reductions in methamphetamine use and increased adherence to HIV treatment.

 

 

Project Start Date: 01-May-2021

Project End Date: 30-April-2026

Budget Start Date: 01-May-2021

Budget End Date: 30-April-2022

 

NIH Categorical Spending

Funding IC:  NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE/ FY Total Cost by IC:$205,740

Using data science to measure the impact of opioid agonist therapy in patients admitted with Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections

Abstract: This career development award will provide early career support for investigation of the management of infec- tious diseases in the setting of addiction in hospitals. The award will provide support for the candidate to develop expertise in the following areas: 1) addiction science research; 2) natural language processing; 3) machine learn- ing; 4) professional development; and 5) responsible conduct of research. For this, Dr. Goodman-Meza will be mentored by a multidisciplinary, cross-institutional team with expertise in addiction, infectious diseases, and data science. His primary mentor, Dr. Steve Shoptaw, has an extensive track record in addiction-related research and training of future independent investigators. His co-mentors include Dr. Alex Bui and Dr. Matthew B. Goetz. Dr. Bui is an expert in biomedical data science and heads NIH training programs in this field. Dr. Goetz has broad experience of productive infectious diseases clinical research within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). The current opioid epidemic in the United States has been associated with an increase in infections, in particular hepatitis C and bacterial infections. Bacterial infections are the leading infectious diagnosis leading to hospitali- zation in individuals with an opioid use disorder (OUD), and incur significant healthcare expenditures. Despite the availability of opioid agonist therapy (OAT) in the form of methadone or buprenorphine, less than 20% of people with OUD actually receive OAT. Hospitalization for a bacterial infection may be an ideal time to initiate OAT, but the benefits of this practice are unknown. In this proposal, the candidate will assess the impact of initiating OAT in people who inject opioids admitted to the VHA due to a Staphylococcus aureus blood stream infection (bacteremia) – the most common bacterial pathogen among people who inject opioids. Using data already collected for 36,868 cases of S. aureus bacteremia (SAB) from the VHA electronic data repository, the candidate will address three research questions: 1) is a natural language processing algorithm (NLP) more ac- curate than a standard International Classification of Diseases (ICD) code-based approach at screening records to correctly identify individuals who inject opioids in a cohort of patients admitted with SAB; 2) what are the temporal and geographic trends of SAB in people who inject opioids and those who receive OAT at the facility- level; and 3) using a machine learning framework, what are the estimated impacts of OAT on patient centered outcomes – death, readmissions, leaving against medical advice, and subsequent outpatient engagement in OAT. These formative data will help the candidate to establish a productive early career as a physician-scientist and advise development of an OAT-delivery strategy to mitigate infectious complications of injection opioid use. Through this award, Dr. Goodman-Meza will establish himself as an expert physician-scientist at the intersection of infectious disease and addiction, poised to make significant contributions to this important area of medicine.

Project Number: 1K08DA048163-01

https://reporter.nih.gov/search/l7oGElned0OBY3RvfOgPgQ/project-details/9721752

 

Contact PI/ Project Leader

GOODMAN, DAVID, Doctor (dgoodman@mednet.ucla.edu)

 

Organization

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES

 

PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Serious, life-threatening bacterial infections in people who inject drugs are increasing with the current national opioid epidemic. Hospitalization of people who use opioids for treatment of infectious complications may be an ideal time to initiate opioid agonist therapy (OAT), an evidence-based practice that has been historically underuti- lized. This project will use innovative data science methods to estimate the impact of initiating OAT in the hospital for patients with a history of opioid injection admitted for treatment of blood stream infections caused by Staph- ylococcus aureus in the Veterans Health Administration.

 

 

Project Start Date: 15-June-2019

Project End Date: 31-May-2024

Budget Start Date: 15-June-2019

Budget End Date: 31-May-2020

 

NIH Categorical Spending

Funding IC:  NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE/ FY Total Cost by IC: $203,040

Collaborating Consortium of Cohorts Producing NIDA Opportunities (C3PNO)

Abstract: In response to the Notice of Special Interest (NOSI) regarding the Availability of Administrative Supplements and Urgent Competitive Revisions for Research on the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (Notice Number NOT-DA-20-047 and linked Program Announcement PA-18-591) funding opportunity, the Collaborating Consortium of Cohorts Producing NIDA Opportunities (C3PNO; U24DA044554) proposes to assess the impact of COVID-19 on the participating cohorts – including people who use drugs (PWUD), people living with HIV (PLWH), and those at high-risk for HIV infection. We propose to expand the C3PNO COVID-19 module developed under a previous supplement (4U24DA044554-03:S2) to include vaccination attitudes, uptake, and adherence as well as post- COVID-19 symptoms and syndrome. The new module will allow further longitudinal assessment of the practice of protective behaviors, testing, substance use, and mental health in the C3PNO cohorts for at least two more rounds six months apart resulting in two years of data related to COVID-19 pandemic experiences. This approach will allow us to longitudinally assess vaccination hesitancy/acceptability and structural factors’ association with uptake and adherence to COVID-19 vaccination. Additionally, we will use our current infrastructure and C3PNO validated harmonization strategies to compile new and existing data across the cohorts in order to: assess changes in social and individual determinants of health during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, to estimate differences in substance-using behaviors of those who were confirmed/probable cases of COVID-19 (based on self-report or medical record) and those who were not a confirmed/probable case, and to assess how PLWH and people who are at high risk for HIV in C3PNO have different experiences in and responses to the COVID-19 epidemic. The C3PNO Coordinating Center at The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and Frontier Science will facilitate the design and implementation of a survey to collect data from a subset of participants from each of C3PNO cohorts (ACCESS, ALIVE, the Heart Study, HYM, JHHCC, MASH, mSTUDY, RADAR, and V- DUS). Cohorts will issue the survey to participants and transfer the resulting data to the coordinating center. If funded, this administrative supplement would allow a rapid and coordinated collection of linked COVID-19, HIV, and substance use data related to an ongoing public health emergency affecting the highly vulnerable substance- using populations followed by the cohorts. COVID-19 data harmonization with other HIV cohorts will further aide our collective effort to understand the impact of COVID-19 on these at risk communities. Finally, C3PNO’s effort to assess changes in social and individual determinants of health, vaccine attitudes, differences in substance- using behavior, and the impact HIV-affected individuals during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic is both novel and critical in this time of unprecedented social upheaval and instability.

 

Project Number: 3U24DA044554-05S1

https://reporter.nih.gov/search/Tu5THEKZpUOo0dRo02n0Zg/project-details/10352063

 

 

Contact PI/ Project Leader

GORBACH, PAMINA MAE, PROFESSOR (PGORBACH@UCLA.EDU)

 

 

Organization

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES

 

 

PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Our Collaborating Consortium of Cohorts Producing NIDA Opportunities (C3NPO) administrative supplement proposes to directly addresses priority areas specified in the Notice of Special Interest (NOSI) regarding the Availability of Administrative Supplements and Urgent Competitive Revisions for Research on the 2019 Novel Coronavirus. The proposed supplement examines COVID-19 vaccination attitudes, uptake, and adherence, post-COVID-19 symptoms and syndrome, and the practice of protective behaviors, testing, substance use and mental health among people who use drugs (PWUD), people living with HIV (PLWH), and those at high-risk for HIV infection in the C3PNO cohorts in Baltimore, Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Vancouver BC. We will leverage the existing consortium infrastructure to access cohort participants (focusing on PWUD and PLWH) and assess how vaccination hesitancy/acceptability and structural factors are associated with uptake and adherence to COVID-19 vaccination as well as the association of substance use patterns with COVID-19 acquisition and consequential duration and severity of symptoms.

 

FOA: PA-20-272 Study Section: ZDA1(07)-R

 

 

Project Start Date: 01-May-2017

Project End Date:31-March-2023

Budget Start Date:01-April-2021

Budget End Date:31-March-2023

 

 

NIH Categorical Spending

Funding IC: NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE / FY Total Cost by IC:$400,898