Sustained Training in Aging and HIV Research (STAHR)

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 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This application aims to develop, implement, and evaluate an innovative research training program designed to expand the number of NIMH-funded new investigators conducting mental health research at the intersection of HIV and aging. Over half of HIV-infected adults in the US are over age 50, and this number is expected to rise. The coexistence of HIV and aging in the context of mental health encompasses a complex relationship with issues of physical and psychiatric comorbidity, polypharmacy, cognitive impairment, and psychosocial stressors on one hand, and positive aspects such as successful aging, resilience, and neuroplasticity on the other. Yet, there is much to be known about pathophysiology, biomarkers, and interventions for enhancing mental health as well as for treating and preventing mental illnesses, including neurocognitive disorders, in older adults with HIV. Fostering the development of researchers with knowledge and expertise in both aging and HIV will be critical for the promotion of urgently needed research in this field. The proposed Sustained Training in Aging and HIV Research (STAHR) program builds on the infrastructure and expertise available at two major research programs at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD): the Sam and Rose Stein Institute for Research on Aging and the HIV Neurobehavioral Research Program. It seeks to address several strategic objectives of the NIMH Division of AIDS Research and the Office of AIDS Research. It will involve faculty from different departments in the UCSD School of Medicine as well as the Schools of Pharmacy and Engineering, along with mentors from other institutions. The program will target clinical and translational post- doctoral fellows and junior faculty from across the country, with previous training in either aging or HIV research, but interested in gaining expertise in the intersection o these two factors. Four new scholars will be selected every year; each will have a primary mentor at her/his home institution and a co-mentor at UCSD. These scholars will attend a 4-week summer institute during their first year and an annual 3-day workshop at UCSD for 3 years. A secondary aim of STAHR is to establish a network of mentors with interest in HIV and aging research to serve as a standing resource for the trainees. Training will aim to increase knowledge and skills on HIV/Aging research, and will also include training in research process and career development. There will be an Individual Development Plan for each scholar, which will outline mentoring activities and research experiences. Innovative distance learning opportunities will be offered in topics such as team science, funding mechanisms, mentorship training, and cultural competence. Other features include active involvement of community stakeholders, group projects, sessions on mentoring, and wide dissemination of STAHR results. There will be rigorous short and long-term evaluation of the scholars' career progress. STAHR will aim to develop high quality independently-funded investigators, who will make lasting contributions to mental health research in HIV/Aging, and sow the seeds for developing a new sub-field of Geriatric HIV Neuropsychiatry.