This $184,613 Project Grant awarded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) under the Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs (CFDA 93.279) aims to support the career development of a Chicana epidemiologist in intervention science and phylogenetic analysis. The goal is to address the co-occurring epidemics of HIV, hepatitis C (HCV), and opioid use among Latino persons who inject drugs (PWID) living along the Texas-Mexico border.
The key products and services to be delivered through this award include: 1) optimizing four intervention protocols focused on peer navigation for HCV treatment, HIV testing/PrEP education, opioid agonist treatment, and syringe services; 2) developing a testable conceptual model; and 3) conducting a 2-to-3 factorial experiment to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a future larger trial. The grant recipient, the Regents of the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), will integrate these intervention components with phylogenetic testing to identify subgroups experiencing suboptimal HCV care outcomes and track transmission networks. This research is expected to pave the way for a larger R01-funded study and aligns with NIDA's strategic priorities around addressing co-occurring epidemics and accelerating evidence-based interventions in underserved communities.
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