Federal Grant Award Summary

Award Overview

Michigan State University (through its partnership with Henry Ford Health) received a $295,896 Project Grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) under the Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs (CFDA 93.279) effective March 15, 2026, with a completion date of February 29, 2028. This two-year research initiative aims to develop and validate an epigenetic risk scoring tool for polysubstance use (PSU) and associated comorbidities in people with HIV (PWH).

Research Deliverables and Approach

The project will develop objective, biologically-grounded assessment tools utilizing DNA methylation (DNAM) profiling—an epigenetic biomarker—to quantify polysubstance use risk, stratify patient populations, and assess contribution to comorbidity burden in HIV-positive individuals. The research addresses a critical gap in current clinical practice, as existing screening methods rely on self-reported data and short-term biomarkers vulnerable to recall bias and underreporting. By leveraging DNAM's demonstrated capacity to capture cumulative biological impacts and differentiate substance use histories, the research team will create the first comprehensive epigenetic-based tool designed specifically for polysubstance use assessment in PWH populations, thereby advancing precision approaches to identifying and managing individuals at elevated risk for HIV progression and comorbid conditions such as alcohol-related liver disease and smoking-related cardiovascular disease.