Robert Cook, Ph.D., Professor, and Dr. Yan Wang, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, in Epidemiology, were recently awarded a new $3.13 million new R01 grant from NIH’s National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) for their study entitled “Technology-based assessments and intervention to reduce alcohol consumption and improve HIV viral suppression in the Florida Cohort.” The overarching goals of the study are to advance understanding of the mechanisms influencing adherence to contemporary HIV therapeutic regimens and to incorporate alcohol-related interventions through the incorporation of a smartphone app and wearable alcohol biosensors into the emerging clinic- and community-based strategies to achieve and maintain HIV viral suppression across diverse populations.
The project involves collaborations with researchers at the University of South Florida, the University of Central Florida, and the University of Virginia. The data collected from this study will prepare the team for the next phase of the research, which will include more formal implementation of interventions to integrate HIV care with treatment/support for persons with mental health issues or substance abuse.