Past Research

  • Long-acting injectable antiretroviral therapy study addresses the need to identify LAI-ART implementation strategies across patient, provider, and clinic/systems contexts using a mixed-methods, multi-level study structured by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) with the goal of creating a care delivery model that optimizes real world use.

    For more information please contact Moira McNulty at moira.mcnulty@bsd.uchicago.edu


  • The goal of this project is to examine features of younger Black MSM’s social networks that are most amenable to bio-behavioral intervention. The purpose of the study is to learn how social and sexual networks affect men’s beliefs, attitudes, behaviors, and physical and mental health related to risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV/AIDS. Social network analysis will be longitudinal over a two year follow-up assessment to determine dynamic features of the network. This work is supported by the National Institutes of Health. For more information contact Britt Livak at brittsl@uchicago.edu.

  • The Phylodynamics-targeted Partner service Models (P2M) project aims to guide and transform the rapidly evolving public health implementation of molecular HIV surveillance (MHS) based prevention interventions as a critical step towards HIV elimination. P2M will expand an established partnership between a trans-disciplinary academic team and local health departments to evaluate next generation public health approaches that will more effectively target combination prevention to limit endemic spread of HIV and prevent future outbreaks.

     

    For more information please contact Rey Flores at reyflores@medicine.bsd.uchicago.edu


  • Work2Prevent aimed to advance the science by adapting, tailoring, and pilot-testing a novel social and structural-level HIV intervention for YMSM and YTW of color ages 16-24 aimed at increasing economic stability (i.e.,employment) through youth empowerment and asset development, and decreasing HIV risk behaviors(i.e.,sexwork) associated with social and economic marginalization. The COVID supplement will assess the impact of COVID on employment after 1 year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Study outcomes include: (1) job seeking self-efficacy and readiness; (2) employment; and (3) COVID-related attitudes and beliefs.

     

    For more information please contact MicKayla Jones at mxjones@medicine.bsd.uchicago.edu .


  • This study uses a modeling approach to estimate the effectiveness of HIV prevention interventions for criminal justice involved black men who have sex with men (BMSM).  Because of frequently transient life circumstances, disruption of social and sexual networks, and HIV transmission overlap with other risk groups, criminal justice involved (CJI) BMSM represent an important intervention target. Research to determine intervention impact at these larger social units does not readily lend itself to study via the randomized control trial approach. Utilizing local and national data sources, we will parameterize an Agent Based Model to assess the interplay between social and behavioral factors and viral and host factors adaptive to temporal, network and setting-specific changes on HIV transmission dynamics. The study also involves collecting new data on network shocks and HIV service utilization during critical transition periods of BMSM from the community, to jail, and back to the community/supervision, which will be used to inform model parameters. For more information, please contact Jeannette Webb at jwebb9@medicine.bsd.uchicago.edu

  • The goals of ‘Ending transmission of HIV, HCV, and STDs and overdose in rural

    communities of people who inject drugs’ (ETHIC) are to:

     

    1. Determine the geographic areas in the rural Illinois Delta Region at greatest risk for opioid misuse and infectious diseases in the IDR based on disease surveillance, healthcare utilization, prescription drug monitoring, arrest and drug seizure, and resource scarcity using epidemiological analysis and GIS hot-spot mapping.

    2. Understand how sociocultural factors impact risk and health-seeking behaviors, social networks, and disease transmission of people who inject drugs in the IDR.

    3. Integrate and apply the epidemiological, geospatial, qualitative and network data to inform expanded harm-reduction services and targeted telehealth capacity building for related clinical care.

    4. Expand harm reduction services (HRS) including syringe services, naloxone overdose prevention, substance use treatment referral, HIV, HCV, and STD testing and referral and linkage to care through capacity building of existing programs.

    For more information please contact Christian Johnson at cjohnson5@medicine.bsd.uchicago.edu .


  • This study aims to qualitatively identify common factors in cisgender women newly diagnosed with HIV and missed opportunities prior to diagnosis in those same women for PrEP linkage.

    Aim 1: Identify commonalities among women with recent HIV diagnoses.

    Aim 1a: Qualitatively assess common factors among women recently diagnosed with HIV (n=30) about potential intervention points and missed opportunities for PrEP linkage.

    Aim 1b: Evaluate existing quantitative data sources (EMR, open source) for common factors among women with recent HIV diagnoses.

    Aim 2: Develop an implementation plan for utilization of the refined automated identification of HIV-negative, PrEP-eligible women in the ED.

     

    For more information, please contact Sam Devlin at sdevlin1@bsd.uchicago.edu


  • Work2Prevent aimed to advance the science by adapting, tailoring, and pilot-testing a novel social and structural-level HIV intervention for YMSM and YTW of color ages 16-24 aimed at increasing economic stability (i.e.,employment) through youth empowerment and asset development, and decreasing HIV risk behaviors(i.e.,sexwork) associated with social and economic marginalization. The COVID supplement will assess the impact of COVID on employment after 1 year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Study outcomes include: (1) job seeking self-efficacy and readiness; (2) employment; and (3) COVID-related attitudes and beliefs.

     

    For more information please contact MicKayla Jones at mxjones@medicine.bsd.uchicago.edu .


  • Project WERK (Wellness, Encouragement, Respect, and Kinship) in a randomized control trial that seeks to determine the feasibility and initial efficacy of a social support network intervention on retention in Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) care for young Black men who have sex with men (YBMSM). We consented 209 YBMSM into Project WERK, participants were then randomized to either the experimental arm or the control arm. In the control arm, participants receive prep care as usual, which follows the current CDC guidelines for PrEP clinical care, including scheduling visits for clients every 3 months, and is practiced within our network of PrEP providing clinics. In the experimental arm, participants are asked to identify and engage a close friend or family member (support confidant or SC) who can support them their PrEP Care. The Index and SC participants complete an intervention session together to develop a Care and Support Plan, and they receive four booster calls/texts over the course of 12 months. All Indexes and SCs complete a baseline, 3-, and 12-month survey. Project WERK is no longer recruiting, the project is currently completing 3- and 12-month surveys. We anticipate data collection will be completed in June 2020.. For more information, please contact Olivia Blocker at oblocker@medicine.bsd.uchicago.edu


  • In response to the recent HIV epidemic among people who inject drugs (PWID) that began in Athens following austerity measures in 2010, this intervention attempts to model a targeted, network-based, public health Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) intervention. Building upon recent phylogenetic and surveillance analysis identifying network members who “bridge” PWID and MSM communities, this study will map these bridging networks, measure early PrEP outcomes (ie. PrEP linkage-to-care), and model the effects of a targeted public health PrEP intervention on HIV transmission in Athens. Given the limited resources for public health interventions, it is our hope that model-based analyses such as these can identify and test intervention strategies in order to maximize the impact on emerging and reemerging HIV epidemics globally. For more information, please contact Dr. John Schneider at jschnei1@medicine.bsd.uchicago.edu.


  • The ETHIC UH3 study focuses on the relationship between HIV, HCV, and STD transmission and overdose in people who inject drugs (PWID) in rural communities of Illinois. This project will utilize both social network data and blood sampling data to estimate incidence rates in conjunction with estimating the network itself with a goal of exploring the network role in HCV transmission, including an examination of independent risk factors for transmission. Goal of this study is to: 1) Determine the geographic areas in the rural Illinois Delta Region (IDR) at greatest risk for opioid misuse and infectious diseases; 2) Understand how sociocultural factors impact risk and health-seeking behaviors, social networks, and disease transmission of PWID in the IDR; and 3) Integrate data to inform expanded harm-reduction services and targeted telehealth capacity building for related clinical care. For more information, please contact Jerel Ezell at jerel@uchicago.edu

  • The Secunderabadi Men’s Study (SMS) uses a hybridized cell phone and survey generated communication network to identify key places in the risk network where information can be passed and transmission interrupted. This study takes place in Hyderabad, India within an emerging HIV epidemic among MSM and transwomen and is in partnership with the Public Health Foundation of India. This study is supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. For more information contact Dr. John Schneider at jschnei1@medicine.bsd.uchicago.edu.

  • The purpose of this study is to understand barriers and facilitators to implement STI/HIV prevention among Black sexual minority men (BSMM) and transgender people who have been involved in the criminal justice system, their health care providers and researchers studying these populations. 

    To improve our understanding of how to best reach and engage BSMM/TGW during re-entry in STI/HIV prevention, this study is a three site (NYC, Chicago, Central NC) qualitative pilot study to identify the community organizations where BSMM/TGW with criminal justice involvement (CJI) can best be reached, the most feasible and acceptable methods of assessing a history of CJI in community care and service organizations to reach the population with STI/HIV prevention, and the most acceptable methods of engaging BSMM/TGW with CJI in care and research. We aim to identify shared and site-specific differences in intervention settings and approaches. 

  • Anal cancer is a common cancer among gay, bisexual and other men having sex with men (MSM). Its annual incidence is approximately 50-fold and 5-fold higher among HIV-positive MSM and HIV-negative MSM, respectively, compared to the rest of the general population. 

    The long-term goal of the Prevent Anal Cancer (PAC) Palpation Study is to decrease morbidity and mortality from anal cancer by increasing detection of anal canal tumors through self- or partner-palpation of the anal canal. 

  • The “Social network diffusion of COVID-19 prevention for diverse Criminal Legal Involved Communities”, will implement a situation appropriate COVID-19 testing and vaccination social network diffusion intervention – C3 Phase II. C3 Phase II builds upon C3 Phase I, by using a network diffusion approach facilitated through motivational interviewing purposefully geared to mobilize one’s own organic social network to increase situation appropriate testing and vaccine uptake. 

  • Lead Investigators:

    Russell Brewer, DrPH, MPH (University of Chicago)

    Maria R Khan, PhD, MPH (New York University)

    Sponsor: NIH/NIDA

    Introduction:

    The purpose of this study is to understand barriers and facilitators to implement STI/HIV prevention among Black sexual minority men (BSMM) and transgender people who have been involved in the criminal justice system, their health care providers and researchers studying these populations.

    To improve our understanding of how to best reach and engage BSMM/TGW during re-entry in STI/HIV prevention, this study is a three site (NYC, Chicago, Central NC) qualitative pilot study to identify the community organizations where BSMM/TGW with criminal justice involvement (CJI) can best be reached, the most feasible and acceptable methods of assessing a history of CJI in community care and service organizations to reach the population with STI/HIV prevention, and the most acceptable methods of engaging BSMM/TGW with CJI in care and research. We aim to identify shared and site-specific differences in intervention settings and approaches.

  • Lead Investigators:

    Moira McNulty, MD, MS (University of Chicago)

    John Schneider, MD, MPH (University of Chicago)

    Katerina Christopoulos, MD, MPH (UCSF)

    Sponsor: NIH/NIMH

    Introduction:

    Long-acting injectable antiretroviral therapy (LAI-ART) represents the next innovation in HIV therapy. To realize the potential of LAI-ART, the scientific community must anticipate, understand, and address barriers and bottlenecks to implementation. The goal of the LAI-ART study is to identify LAI-ART implementation strategies across patient, provider, and clinic/systems contexts using a mixed-methods, multi-level study structured by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) with the goal of creating a care delivery model that optimizes real world use.

  • Lead Investigator:

    John Schneider, MD, MPH

  • Lead Investigator:

    Jessica Ridgway, MD, MPH

  • Lead Investigator: Moira McNulty, MD, MS

  • Lead Investigators:

    • John Schneider, MD, MPH (University of Chicago)

    • Duncan Dustin, ScD, ScM (Columbia University)

    • Justin Knox, PhD, MPH, MSc (Columbia University)

    Sponsor: Columbia University

    “PrEP Uptake and Adherence Among Young Black MSM: Neighborhood and Network Determinants” (N2) is a behavioral study. This study aims to determine the relationship between neighborhood-level factors and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) uptake and adherence; characterize the relationship between social and sexual network characteristics and PrEP uptake and adherence; and identify interactive effects of neighborhoods and social and sexual networks on PrEP uptake and adherence.

    The N2 Cannabis PrEP Study uses innovative methods to rigorously investigate relationships between cannabis use (including polysubstance use), HIV prevention behaviors (e.g., PrEP use/adherence) and biological vulnerability to HIV infection among an existing cohort of Black men who have sex with men (MSM).

    The N2 Stimulant Study characterizes stimulant use in the N2 cohort, including use of other drugs (i.e. polysubstance use), and patterns of use over time (e.g., incidence, persistence); identifies network-level and neighborhood-level determinants of stimulant use; and determines how stimulant use impacts HIV transmission through prevention (e.g. PrEP adherence, condom use), treatment (e.g. ART adherence) and amplified biological vulnerability (i.e. rectal inflammation).