The Duke CFAR Social and Behavioral Sciences (SBS) Core Services

• Early Planning and Grant Preparation
• Peer Review
• Post-Award Consultation
• Training and Capacity Building
• Networking and Community Engagement
• Mentoring
• Dissemination of Study Findings and Manuscript Preparation

Click here to contact the SBS Core or to request a consult.

Early Planning and Grant Preparation

• Brainstorm on research ideas, funding opportunities, and framing specific aims to address NIH AIDS priorities
• Discuss implications of previous study findings to inform new grant applications
• Provide consultation on selecting study designs and methods, appropriate SBS measures, and data analysis approaches
• Provide administrative support, including proofreading, compiling supplemental materials, and providing letters of support from the SBS Core

Peer Review

Convene panel of Duke researchers to review and provide feedback on draft NIH grant applications prior to submission

Post-Award Consultation

Provide consultation and continuous support during study implementation, including efficient study startup and project management strategies

Training and Capacity Building

• Provide scientific guidance in designing and implementing quantitative and qualitative research, including reviewing survey questions and items, refining qualitative question guides, programming online survey platforms and data management systems (e.g., REDCap), training qualitative interviewers, planning for interview transcription, and identifying approaches to qualitative data analysis
• Partner with Duke’s QualCore to provide qualitative research guidance

Networking and Community Engagement

• Bring together investigators from across disciplines
• Build ties with community partners to share ideas and discuss opportunities to initiate new research meaningful to communities
• Support community outreach in Durham and other research sites, including in global settings, and assist researchers in the community engagement process

Mentorship of early stage investigators

• Provide mentorship to new CFAR members who are early stage investigators
• Connect junior investigators with senior faculty

Dissemination of Study Findings and Manuscript Preparation

• Provide suggestions on dissemination materials
• Offer advice on community feedback sessions
• Provide consultations on scientific journals for submission
• Offer assistance with manuscript review and formatting

Click here to contact the SBS Core or to request a consult.
Need help with qualitative research? Click here to contact the QualCore.

Title: Pathways to cardiovascular disease prevention and impact of specialty referral in under-represented racial/ethnic minorities with HIV
Principal Investigator: Gerald Bloomfield, MD, MPH
Funding: National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (R01 MD013493)
The proposed research is relevant to public health because cardiovascular disease comorbidity is a dire health concern for under-represented racial/ethnic minorities living with HIV. As a consequence of the work proposed, we expect to identify the underlying pathways leading to better cardiac health outcomes for under-represented racial/ethnic minorities with HIV. The project is relevant to the part of the NIH's and NIMHD's missions that pertain to scientific inquiry to improve minority health and reduce health disparities.

Title: A Mental Health Intervention to Improve HIV Outcomes in Tanzanian Youth
Principal Investigator: Dorothy Dow, MD, MSc
Funding: National Institute of Mental Health (R01 MH124476)
The proposed research employs a novel and innovative intervention that addresses mental health challenges and life skills to empower young people (10-24 years of age) to live a healthy and productive life despite living with HIV. An investment in developmentally tailored interventions to prevent or reduce mental health challenges in this important population will result in improved adherence to medication and viral suppression, leading to improved physical health and productivity in society. Relevant to the NIH HIV- related research priorities, this intervention addresses mental health as a comorbid condition and seeks to reduce HIV incidence through increased viral suppression that in turn reduces the risk of HIV transmission to others.

Title: Sexual and Gender Minority Mental Health in Low and Middle Income Countries (SMILE)
Multiple Principal Investigators: Sara Legrand, Ph.D. and Kathryn Whetten, Ph.D.
Funding: National Institute of Mental Health (R01 MH119101)
Sexual and Gender Minority (SGM) Mental Health In Low and Middle Income Countries (SMILE) SMILE will characterize the mental health symptomatology and needs of seven different SGM groups in three culturally and contextually distinct LMICs. Respondent Driven Sampling (RDS) as well as mass media recruitment will be used to enroll a longitudinal cohort; the cultural, contextual, interpersonal, and individual determinants of mental health outcomes over 24 months will be identified. Discrete Choice Experiments (DCEs) will be used to elicit SGM preferences for different characteristics of evidence-based mental health treatments (EBTs) that can be feasibly provided and sustained for this very vulnerable population.

Title: Modeling the effects of chronic marijuana use on neuroinflammation and HIV-related neuronal injury
Principal Investigator: Christina Meade, Ph.D.
Funding: National Institute on Drug Abuse (R01 DA052827)
Neurological complications of HIV disease remain a persistent clinical problem even in the age of combination antiretroviral therapy. Marijuana, which is the most commonly abused drug among persons with HIV, may have therapeutic benefit, but it may also be associated with neurobiological harms. This study applies a hypothesis-driven approach to examine the effects of chronic marijuana use on HIV-associated inflammation and its subsequent impacts on central nervous system function, with the goal of identifying the mechanisms through which cannabinoids modulate neurological disorders and other comorbidities in persons with HIV.

Title: Role of cannabis on HIV-related cognitive impairment: a brain connectomics study
Principal Investigator: Christina Meade, Ph.D.
Funding: National Institute on Drug Abuse (R01 DA047149)
Of the 1.1 million Americans living with HIV/AIDS, nearly half will experience HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders that impact daily functioning. Marijuana, the mostly commonly abused drug among HIV-infected persons, may accelerate the development and progression of neurocognitive impairments. This study applies a connectomics approach to examine how HIV and marijuana interact to disrupt neural networks that underlie cognitive functioning, with implications for the development of improved diagnostics and treatments.

Title: Positive Outcomes for Children Orphaned by AIDS (POFO)
Multiple Principal Investigators: Kathryn Whetten, Ph.D., Jan Ostermann
Funding: National Institute of Child Health and Development (R01 HD090984)
POFO is a 10+-year observational study of orphaned and abandoned children (OAC) and a small cohort of non-OAC in five low and middle-income countries (Cambodia, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, and Tanzania). The objective is to follow children (starting from ages 6 to 12) and their caregivers to examine the influence of orphan placement characteristics, caregiver characteristics, and culture, on: 1) behavioral and emotional adjustment; 2) educational achievement, labor for participation, and civic engagement; 3) relationship outcomes, including HIV risk behaviors and family formation; and 4) health outcomes.

Title: Start the conversation: A multi-level PrEP initiative for Black women in NOLA
Multiple Principal Investigators: Amy Corneli, Ph.D., MPH and Meredith Clement, MD
Funding: National Institute of Mental Health (R34 MH129211)
For Black cisgender women living in New Orleans, Louisiana, the rate of new HIV diagnosis is almost 7 times higher than that of White women; uptake of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has been limited. In our previous research, we found that Black cisgender women do not know of other Black cisgender women taking PrEP, and Black women are not offered PrEP during routine medical care. Therefore, we will develop and pilot implementation strategies at the patient- and provider-levels that are designed to increase PrEP uptake and retention in PrEP care among Black cisgender women.

Title: Acceptability of an Internalized Stigma Reduction Intervention among Women Living with HIV in Tanzania
Multiple Principal Investigators: Michael Relf, Ph.D., RN, Laura Nyblade
Funding: Fogarty International Center (R21 TW011247)
Many women living with HIV (WLWH) in Tanzania experience stigma. As a consequence, they may have problems coping as well as difficulty adhering to medications and engaging in care. This study will test acceptability of an internalized stigma reduction intervention with 260 WLWH from Tanzania.

Title: Efficacy Testing of a Culturally Relevant Stigma Intervention in WLWH in Tanzania
Multiple Principal Investigators: Michael Relf, Ph.D., RN, Mrema Noel Kilonzo, Laura Nyblade
Funding: Fogarty International Center (R21 TW012007)
Stigma is a significant problem for Tanzanian women living with HIV. It has a negative impact on disclosing their HIV status to family members, friends, and sexual partners; postponing or refusing care; seeking healthcare services sought outside one’s community for fear of confidentiality breaches; starting antiretroviral therapy (ART) later than recommended and having troubles taking ART as prescribed; and reducing quality of life. Despite the negative impact of stigma on HIV outcomes, culturally and contextually sensitive interventions to help reduce internalized stigma associated with HIV are limited. This study will test an intervention adapted to the lives and experiences of Tanzanian women living with HIV.

Title: Early-phase Studies of a Tailored Evidence-Based Smoking Cessation mHealth App for Persons Living with HIV
Principal Investigator: Roger Vilardaga, Ph.D.
Funding: National Cancer Institute (R21 CA243911)
Persons living with HIV (PLWH) are more likely to die of complications resulting from tobacco use than from HIV-related complications. Scalable and evidence-based smoking cessation interventions in line with current health consumer trends are highly needed in order to curb mortality rates among PLWH. This project will produce a tailored, cost-effective smoking cessation application with the potential to effectively reach a greater number of PLWH and facilitate smoking cessation.

Title: Telehealth to Reduce Suicidality and lmprove HIV Care Engagement in Tanzania
Principal Investigator: Brandon Knettel, Ph.D.
Funding: National Institute of Mental Health (K08 MH124459)
Suicidal ideation is strikingly common among people living with HIV worldwide, leading to higher burden of disease for both mental illness and HIV, poor HIV care engagement, increased transmission risk, and loss of life. In this K08 Career Development Award, Dr. Knettel proposes to develop and pilot test a 3-session, nurse-delivered telehealth counseling intervention to reduce suicidality and improve HIV care engagement among people living with HIV in Tanzania. By completing the proposed research and training plans, Dr. Knettel seeks to create a scalable intervention model to address a critical public health challenge.

Title: Social support to retain South African adolescents living with HIV in care and improve ART adherence.
Principal Investigator: Tiarney Ritchwood, Ph.D.
Funding: National Institute of Mental Health (K08 MH118965)
To end the HIV/AIDS pandemic, it is critical that we retain adolescents living with HIV (ALWH) in HIV care. This may be best achieved by intervening with people in their lives whom they view as supportive. The purpose of the current study is to develop a feasible, acceptable, and sustainable intervention that will not only benefit ALWH and the supportive people in their lives, but also benefit their communities and society at large.

Title: A Personalized mHealth Approach to Smoking Cessation for Veterans Living with HIV
Principal Investigator: Sarah Wilson, Ph.D.
Funding: Veterans Affairs (K2 HX002398)
Veterans living with HIV smoke at higher rates than Veterans without HIV, and quit rates among smokers with HIV are low. Despite smoking-related mortality and morbidity among HIV-positive Veterans, smoking cessation research in this population is lacking. Among Veteran smokers with HIV, behavioral/pharmacological smoking cessation treatments are underutilized and furthermore may have low efficacy. The proposed CDA-2 projects use technology to optimize the reach and efficacy of smoking cessation treatment. The intervention (MESH: Mobile Contingency Management plus Evidence-Based Smoking Cessation for HIV-Positive Veterans) uses mobile health and telehealth technology to deliver a) individually personalized smoking cessation counseling and pharmacotherapy, b) behavioral reinforcement for abstinence, and c) relapse-prevention messaging. Proposed projects focus on iterative intervention design and feasibility testing in preparation for a larger trial.

Title: A Clinic-Based Behavioral Intervention to Reduce Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Persons Living with HIV
Principal Investigator: Nwora Lance Okeke, MD, MPH
Funding: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (K23 HL137611)
Although effective antiretroviral therapy has transformed HIV infection from a disease with a dismal prognosis to a manageable chronic disease, persons with chronically suppressed HIV are at a 40% higher risk of myocardial infarction and stroke than uninfected persons. Though much effort has been focused on determining the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis in HIV- infected persons, innovative strategies are needed to adapt the HIV clinical care team to the evolving medical needs of the HIV population, including comprehensive atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk management. An essential part of employing effective initiatives to incorporate ASCVD primary prevention into HIV care is understanding what models of chronic disease care have worked in the past. The overall research objective is to determine optimal models of care for ASCVD primary prevention in HIV-infected persons and to investigate the role of clinical case managers in improving ASCVD preventative care in the HIV clinic setting. The proposed study will employ the innovative approach of telephone-based interventions for the augmentation of in-clinic care to address ASCVD risk reduction in HIV-infected persons, a high-risk group for ASCVD.

Title: Advancing PrEP Delivery: An Assessment of the Readiness of Key Stakeholders for the Delivery of PrEP in the Urgent Care Setting
Principal Investigator: Charles Burns, MD
Funding: Duke CFAR Microgrant
PrEP remains poorly utilized in the Southern United States. Urgent care centers located in areas with high prevalence of persons at-risk for HIV are well positioned as community-facing access points to PrEP, but the feasibility of integrating PrEP services into this setting is unclear. Using a survey of urgent care clinicians practicing in the South as well as in-depth interviews of PrEP users, this study will obtain foundational evidence of the feasibility and acceptability of providing PrEP in the urgent care setting.  These results will form the basis for the future development of an implementation model of PrEP in urgent care.

Title: Preparing for implementation of strategies to promote uptake of long-acting injectable PrEP among Black same gender loving men in HBCU communities
Principal Investigator: Amy Corneli, Ph.D., MPH
Funding: CFAR Ending the HIV Epidemic Administrative Supplement
We propose to develop a new partnership among faculty at two HBCUs in Baton Rouge and New Orleans, healthcare providers, and PrEP researchers, and collectively conduct qualitative research to identify determinants of long acting, injectable PrEP uptake among Black same gender loving men in HBCU communities, and identify implementation strategies to address the determinants.

Title: Implementation Strategies for Integrating Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder in HIV Care (CFAR Microgrant)
Principal Investigator: Brandon Knettel, Ph.D.
Funding: Duke CFAR Microgrant
The overall objective of the proposed research is to obtain stakeholder perspectives on the integration of treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) in HIV care in Mecklenburg County, NC. In North Carolina, opioids contributed to 1,783 overdose deaths in 2018, making it the leading cause of injury deaths in the state. Opioid misuse has far-reaching consequences for well-being, including risk for homelessness, unemployment, mental health challenges, and sexually transmitted infections including HIV. People living with HIV (PLWH) who use opioids experience increased attrition across the HIV care continuum, including delayed entry into care, suboptimal linkage to treatment, and lower adherence to antiretroviral therapy. We propose to assess the benefits of an integrated model of OUD and HIV treatment through qualitative interviews with a variety of implementing partners in Mecklenburg County.

Title: Engaging pharmacies in HIV prevention in South Carolina
Principal Investigator: Mehri McKellar, MD
Funding: Duke CFAR Special Project Award
Pharmacists within South Carolina are positioned to expand PrEP access to persons who may benefit from it given their community presence including rural settings. However, whether pharmacists in South Carolina are ready to prescribe PrEP is unknown. This study will obtain the feasibility and acceptability of pharmacist provided PrEP through in-depth interviews and a survey of pharmacists practicing in South Carolina. The results of the study will guide the development of a pharmacist-driven PrEP implementation model.

Title: Providing A Resource: Telehealth at Needle Exchanges to Reach Underserved People (PARTNER UP)
Principal Investigator: Mehri McKellar, MD
Funding: CFAR Administrative Supplement
People who inject drugs (PWID) are at high risk for a range of adverse health outcomes, including infection with HIV and hepatitis C (HCV) and overdose. HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD), and HCV treatment are thus effective medical interventions that are particularly relevant to the risk profile of PWID. Engaging PWID in these treatments can dramatically reduce the risk of severe health outcomes. Syringe services programs (SSPs, also called syringe exchange programs) reduce the transmission of blood-borne diseases like HIV and HCV through the provision of unused injection supply and increasingly serve a broader range of health and psychosocial needs, including linkage to medical care and social services. As trusted organizations in communities of PWID, SSPs may be ideal sites for on-site integrated service provision of medical care. Furthermore, telehealth technology could be used to improve the reach of medical care highly needed by PWID onsite in a location that is convenient to and trusted PWID: the SSP. Our overall objective is to conduct formative research to support PrEP initiation conducted through SSP, integrated with MOUD and HCV treatment. Telehealth will be used for follow-up treatment visits and medication monitoring.

Title: Addressing barriers to achieving treatment goals for cardiometabolic disorders for persons living with HIV in the Southeastern United States
Principal Investigator: Charles Muiruri, Ph.D.
Funding: CFAR Administrative Supplement
PLWH have a 1.5-2x higher risk of a myocardial infarction, are four times more likely to die of sudden cardiac death, and are less likely to meet treatment guidelines and receive optimal care for cardiometabolic disorders compared to the general population. Although HIV-specific factors have a role in comorbidity development, traditional risk factors associated with lifestyle behaviors account for the vast majority of population level risk. This project will identify social determinants of cardiometabolic health and determine facilitators and modifiable barriers in achieving treatment goals; assess knowledge, skills, and confidence for self-management of cardiometabolic disorders for PLWH; and tailor a self-management support and education intervention with stakeholder input to enhance facilitators and address barriers identified.

Title: Characterizing treatment regimen fatigue among older adults living with HIV
Principal Investigator: Tiarney Ritchwood, Ph.D.
Funding: Duke CFAR Pilot Funding
Approximately half of all people living with HIV (PLWH) are considered to be older adults, or those aged 50+ years. By 2030, older PLWH are expected to comprise 73% of all PLWH. Older PLWH are at elevated risk for early morbidity and mortality due to the cumulative effect of HIV disease and multimorbidity (i.e., the co-occurrence of two or more chronic conditions) on chronic disease management, with African Americans and Latinxs being disproportionately impacted. Treatment regimen fatigue (TRF) —a condition characterized by a diminished vigilance to adhering to one’s prescribed treatment regimen— is a key barrier to chronic disease management in this population. This association, however, has yet to be empirically tested, as we lack both a standardized definition of TRF and a comprehensive tool to measure it for any chronic condition, including HIV. This proposal seeks to refine a novel framework for identifying, preventing, and/or treating TRF among older PLWH, including those with multimorbidity. To do this, we will conduct in-depth interviews with older PLWH with multimorbidity who report TRF in North Carolina (NC). In addition to in-depth interviews, older PLWH participating in this study will also complete a survey aimed at describing associations among TRF and other conditions impacted by aging, including frailty and quality of life.

Thursday, June 9, 2022

Click the link below to view the SBS Core’s May 2022 Rocket Talk. Dr. Susan Laird from CDC presented Health Equity Guiding Principles – Getting Started and Making it Stick, in which she shared the reasons behind the formation of CDC's Health Equity Guiding Principles for Inclusive Communication and the importance of treating health equity as a public health crisis. Her presentation was followed by a conversation with two community members, Mr. TerL Gleason and Ms. Alicia Diggs, both of whom are living with HIV and working within their community to change the way people talk about HIV and those who are living with it.

Watch the Rocket Talk on YouTube!

Friday, April 29, 2022

This month, we are excited to highlight Assistant Professor in Population Health Science and Global Health, Dr. Charles Muiruri

Dr. Charles Muiruri is a dually appointed Assistant Professor in Population Health Sciences  and Global Health, as well as a visiting lecturer at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College (KCMC) in Moshi, Tanzania.  Dr. Muiruri has experience in startups, banking and retail services both in Kenya and the United States. He credits his diverse career background – which includes 15 years of project management as a global research coordinator – for making him a well-rounded researcher.

You can read the full article here.

Monday, February 14, 2022

This month, we are excited to highlight Assistant Professor of Nursing and Global Health, Marta Mulawa, PhD, MHS.

Dr. Mulawa first came to Duke in 2016 as a postdoctoral scholar with the Duke Global Health Institute. Today, she is an Assistant Professor of Nursing and Global Health in the Duke University School of Nursing and at the Duke Global Health Institute. As part of her recent K01 award, Dr. Mulawa has established a collaborative relationship with other researchers and colleagues at the University of Cape Town, South Africa (UCT). Her research focuses on improving the understanding of the impact of social networks on HIV-related behaviors, particularly those related to with treatment and prevention outcomes.

We recently spoke with Dr. Mulawa about her research trajectory, her latest K01 Mentored Research Scientist Development Award from the NIMH, and how she has benefited from the resources and support provided by the CFAR – you can read the full conversation here.

Thursday, January 27, 2022

Click the link below to view the SBS Core’s January 2022 Rocket Talk on NIH Stigma and Discrimination Research Toolkit and Priorities: A View from NIMH and NIDA. Drs. Brenda Curtis (NIDA Intramural Research Program) and Gregory Greenwood (NIMH Division of AIDS Research) presented NIH’s recently developed toolkit for stigma and discrimination research, as well as stigma research findings and priorities for NIDA and NIMH.

Watch the Rocket Talk on YouTube!

Access the Stigma and Discrimination Research Toolkit here.

Thursday, November 4, 2021

Click the link below to view the SBS Core’s November 2021 Rocket Talk on Integrating a Racial Justice Lens into HIV Prevention, Care, and Treatment Research. Christin Daniels and Jessie Byrd, members of the DUSON Center for Nursing Research’s Racial Justice Task Force, presented their checklist (DUSON-INFUSE) designed to help researchers embed an equity lens throughout the research lifecycle.

Throughout the discussion, presenters and attendees shared several resources they use in their current work. Links to those are below.

Watch the Rocket Talk on YouTube!

Resources from the November Rocket Talk –

• CDC Preferred Terms for Select Population Groups & Communities
• DOCR Engagement, Recruitment, and Retention Certificate Program
• Duke CTSI Recruitment Innovation Center
• We All Count – Foundations of Data Equity Workshop
• ETR Health Equity Framework
• NIA Health Disparities Research Framework
• Duke Compact for Open Access Publishing Equity (COPE) Fund

Thursday, October 28, 2021

Dr. Dorothy Dow first came to Duke as a Pediatric Infectious Disease fellow and graduate student in the Master of Science in Global Health program. As a fellow, she traveled to Moshi, Tanzania and worked on a project researching prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT). Despite the success of that work, Dr. Dow noticed a discrepancy between the success they had seen in graduating HIV uninfected infants from the project and seeing adolescents with HIV in her clinical practice.

Click here to read more of this interview with Dr. Dorothy Dow.

Tuesday, September 21, 2021

Click the link below to view the SBS Core's September 2021 Rocket Talk on an Introduction to INTERACT, QualCore, and the Quantitative Core.  Drs. Leah Zullig, Amy Corneli, and Cliburn Chan provided an overview of these cores and how CFAR SBS investigators can work with them on their research studies.

Watch the Rocket Talk on YouTube!

Wednesday, March 31, 2021

Click the link below to view the SBS Core’s March 2021 Rocket Talk on Tips for Effective Data Visualization. Dr. Eric Monson, with the Duke University Libraries Center for Data and Visualization Sciences, described basic guidelines for effective data visualization and common pitfalls to avoid when presenting quantitative data.

Watch the Rocket Talk on YouTube!

Thursday, December 10, 2020

Click the link below to view the SBS Core’s December Rocket Talk on mHealth. Drs. John Mitchell and Roger Vilardaga described their mHealth work, including development, implementation, logistical challenges, and experiences of using mHealth in social and behavioral sciences research.

Watch the Rocket Talk on YouTube!

Tuesday, October 20, 2020

Click the link below to view the SBS Core’s October Rocket Talk: Biomarkers in Social and Behavioral Sciences. This talk focused on biomarker collection in social and behavioral sciences research. Janet Huebner presented the Duke Biomarkers Shared Resource—which assists investigators with the design and implementation of molecular and protein assays to evaluate biochemical and inflammatory marker—paying special attention to markers most pertinent to HIV investigators; Rosa Gonzales-Guarda presented the SER Hispano Project and discussed the processes her team has developed for obtaining biomarker specimens in the community; and SBS Core Associate Directors Christina Meade and Sarah Wilson discussed collecting specimens in the community setting with special focuses on blood collection and adaptations being made in light of COVID-19.

Watch the Rocket Talk on YouTube!

Thursday, October 15, 2020

CFAR SBS Core Member Highlight: Joy Noel Baumgartner, PhD, MSSW
Dr. Joy Noel Baumgartner has 20 years of experience working in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) to strengthen the delivery of HIV, reproductive health, maternal and child health (MCH), and mental health services. As Associate Professor of Global Health and the Director of the Duke Global Health Institute’s Evidence Lab, she uses this experience to lead their mission to conduct research in LMICs with local partners to inform evidence-based programs and interventions. Her current research is the perfect example of this work in action.
Click here to read more!

Thursday, September 24, 2020

Click the link below to view the SBS Core’s first Rocket Talk (formerly known as Chalk Talks) on Implementation Science by Dr. Sarah Wilson. This talk focused on fundamentals of implementation science in HIV-related research. Implementation science is a relatively new field, and involves empirical investigation of methods for increasing the use and quality of healthcare innovations and evidence-based practice in healthcare settings. Dr. Wilson reviewed core concepts related to implementation frameworks, methodological considerations, and common misconceptions. Examples involved specific applications of implementation science to HIV treatment and prevention, including grant-writing and funding resources for implementation science research.
Watch the Rocket Talk on YouTube!

Tuesday, July 14, 2020

What is an SBS Core Think Tank Session?

Duke CFAR Social and Behavioral Sciences (SBS) Core Confidentiality and Integrity Statement

Tuesday, April 14, 2020
SBS Core Member Highlight: Lauren Pacek, PhD

Thursday, September 5, 2019
NIH Bolsters Funding for HIV Implementation Research in High-Burden U.S. Areas

PrEP-MECK: Identifying community-driven approaches for increasing PrEP uptake, adherence, and persistence among Black men who have sex with men in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. Duke CFAR investigators have assembled a strong multi-disciplinary team who will identify implementation science projects that address the HIV epidemic among Black men who have sex with men (BMSM) in Mecklenburg County, NC, by 1) creating a local coalition of community groups, BMSM, PrEP providers, and researchers committed to engaging BMSM in PrEP care; 2) engaging BMSM in formative research to describe multi-level factors that influence PrEP uptake, adherence, and persistence among BMSM, and to suggest methods for enhancing engagement among BMSM in PrEP care; and 3) using the formative research findings and the coalition’s expertise to identify community-driven implementation science projects focused on PrEP uptake, adherence, and persistence among BMSM. The team includes three CFAR Investigators: Amy Corneli, PI; Sara LeGrand, co-I; and Susan Reif, co-I. The community partners are Chelsea Gulden with RAIN, a non-profit organization providing PrEP-related services, and Wesley Thompson, a PrEP provider with the Amity Medical Group.  https://www.niaid.nih.gov/research/cfar-arc-ending-hiv-epidemic-supplement-awards
 
Getting to [NO]ne in New Orleans: Enhancing PrEP Uptake among Black Women to End the Epidemic. Duke CFAR is partnering with investigators at Louisiana State University (LSU) as well as community partners and representatives of local populations in New Orleans to 1) identify locally-conceived strategies for engaging Black women in New Orleans in PrEP services, informed by qualitative research, and 2) plan for implementation of the strategies. Duke CFAR will also help to build local research capacity and support the growth of investigators at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center. Investigators include Amy Corneli, Duke CFAR, PI, and Meredith Clement, former Duke CFAR member, co-I, and now a PrEP provider at the Louisiana State University Medical Center. The community partners are Rebecca Lillis, with the LSU-Crescent Care Sexual Health Center, and Veronica Magee, with Brotherhood, Inc., a community-based organization that focuses on HIV prevention among Black men and women in New Orleans.  https://www.niaid.nih.gov/research/cfar-arc-ending-hiv-epidemic-supplement-awards

Thursday, October 25, 2018
Interviews from CFAR Small Grant in South Africa lend insight into disclosure challenges for pregnant women with HIV

Friday, April 13, 2018
O’Neill Institute report examines federal investment in HIV prevention

Friday, March 2, 2018
SBS Core hosts Chalk Talk and Networking Opportunity: Biomarkers for Behavioral and Clinical Outcomes

Thursday, January 25, 2018
Intent to recruit and hire for the Associate Director for the AIDS Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse

News Archives

  

SBS Core group email: cfar-sbs-core-request@duke.edu

Amy Corneli, PhD, MPH, Core Director
amy.corneli@duke.edu
CFAR SBS focus area: Prevention

Dr. Amy Corneli is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Population Health Sciences and Medicine, and a faculty member of the Duke Clinical Research Institute. She has been engaged in the behavioral aspects of biomedical HIV prevention in sub-Saharan Africa since 2001, including contributing to several biomedical HIV prevention clinical trials and leading NIH-funded studies exploring sexual behaviors related to and adherence with pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Dr. Corneli’s U.S.-based HIV-related research portfolio includes investigating methods to increase PrEP uptake and adherence among Black men who have sex with men (BMSM), and she currently leads two CFAR Administrative “Ending the HIV Epidemic” supplements with BMSM and Black women in the U.S. South.

In addition to her role as Director, Dr. Corneli will collaborate directly with the Biomedical Prevention Scientific Working Group and provide technical support to Core users on HIV prevention, primarily on PrEP. She also advises Core users on engaging key stakeholders in qualitative and mixed-methods research to inform clinical research, socio-behavioral interventions, and material and questionnaire development, and serves as the liaison to QualCore, a group of PhD- and master-level social scientists at Duke that provides technical support in qualitative research to Core users.

Christina Meade, PhD, Associate Director
christina.meade@duke.edu
CFAR SBS focus area: HIV comorbidities

Dr. Meade is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at Duke University. Dr. Meade’s NIDA-funded research program investigates neurocognitive functioning and risk behavior among drug users living with or at high risk for HIV infection, including the evaluation of HIV prevention approaches for this population. As a licensed psychologist, Dr. Meade integrates neuroimaging, behavioral, and clinical methods, with the goal of translating results to novel treatments that improve neurobehavioral functioning. She currently leads a project funded through NIDA’s Avenir Award Program that utilizes mobile health technology to assess the relationship between decision-making processes and risky behaviors in natural settings. She also serves as PI on multiple R01 neuroimaging studies on the effects of cocaine, cannabis, and other drugs on HIV-associated neurocognitive impairment.

As an Associate Director, Dr. Meade provides technical support to Core users on HIV comorbidities, including HIV and substance use, mental health challenges, and other medical conditions. Her role also includes providing guidance for Core users on engaging hard-to-reach populations for HIV research; providing expertise on incorporating biomarkers into social and behavioral studies of HIV; conducting clinic-based recruitment; and abstracting clinical data from electronic medical records.

Michael Relf, PhD, RN, ANEF, FAAN, Associate Director
michael.relf@duke.edu
CFAR SBS focus area: Care engagement and retention

Dr. Relf is an Associate Professor of Nursing and Global Health and Associate Dean for Global and Community Affairs in Duke’s School of Nursing. Dr. Relf has worked at the forefront of nurse-led research on the psychosocial aspects of HIV/AIDS care since joining the Duke faculty in 2008, with specific emphasis on addressing intimate partner violence, HIV-related stigma, and interventions to promote engagement in HIV-oriented primary care. Dr. Relf is currently a PI on a Fogarty R21 aimed at reducing internalized stigma among women with HIV in Tanzania and was a previous recipient of a CFAR Pilot Grant in Rwanda extending a similar intervention, building upon a past National Institute of Nursing Research project in the U.S. South.

As an Associate Director, Dr. Relf provides technical support to Core users on HIV care engagement and retention. In addition, he leads the CFAR’s growing collaboration with the School of Nursing, and assists investigators in developing global partnerships and disseminating research findings to international collaborators.

Sarah Wilson, PhD, Associate Director
sarah.wilson@duke.edu
CFAR SBS focus area: Community collaboration and engagement, and implementation science

Dr. Wilson is an Assistant Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and a Clinical Psychologist with the Durham VA Health Care System. She is also an investigator at the VA Center of Innovation to Accelerate Discovery and Practice Transformation, and a 2018-2020 Fellow in the Implementation Research Institute at Washington University. Dr. Wilson’s research program focuses on testing and implementation of interventions for substance use, psychological symptoms, and health behavior change in at-risk populations, including an active research program in smoking cessation among Veterans Living with HIV. Dr. Wilson also has expertise in HIV community mobilization efforts, and has established valuable extensive networks with community organizations in the areas of health, policy, and human services.

As an Associate Director, Dr. Wilson provides technical support to Core users in the areas of community collaboration and engagement, and provides consultations on implementation science. She also advises on the development of training standards for community intervention study protocols, and assists with the development and dissemination of study findings to non-scientific communities.