Child/Adolescent/Young Adult HIV Research Training

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ABSTRACT In the next decade, well trained researchers are needed to address the challenge of HIV/AIDS especially among children, adolescents, and young adults. Effective intervention programs are needed for both the prevention and treatment of HIV. This research training program will prepare Ph.D. and M.D. fellows to carry out independent research. Our faculty in the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry have expertise in HIV prevention and treatment, adolescent risk behaviors, normative development, psychopathology, and the psychology of physically ill youth. Additional faculty at Brown (through the Center for AIDS Research, Division of Infectious Disease, and School of Public Health) have expertise in the medical care of HIV infected youth and adults, HIV testing, treatment as prevention, Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, sexually transmitted infections, substance abuse, and international health. The strong faculty record of NIH funded research ensures that trainees are exposed to thriving areas of programmatic research. Training involves interdisciplinary and translational elements to prepare trainees for the integration of the medical, psychiatric, and developmental issues and as they inform biobehavioral HIV/AIDS research. The program has a total of six postdoctoral trainees and one summer trainee each year. Two or three new psychology trainees are enrolled every year for a two-year fellowship (with an optional third year) and one new M.D. is enrolled in alternate training years. Consistent with each trainee’s individual needs, a graduated program for progressive independent research is designed. A formal training curriculum targets specific learning objectives to develop the skills needed for the next generation of HIV research. Core areas of learning include models of behavior and its change; the influence of heath disparities on HIV risk, infection, and treatment; the adaptation of evidence-based interventions and implementation science; the biology of HIV, its prevention and its treatment; and advanced statistical techniques such as comparative effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and transmission network analyses. Curriculum needs are satisfied by HIV-specific seminars, general research design seminars, and tutorials in addition to formal courses at Brown or nearby universities. The postdoctoral graduates from our three cycles have been very successful - 19 of the 32 postdoctoral graduates (60%) have become PIs on NIH K or R series grants and the rate is similar in the current cycle (56%) and prior (61%). In addition, they have authored 260 relevant peer-reviewed publications related to their training, 102 of which were authored by graduates of this cycle. These outcomes suggest that our training program is meeting its goal of preparing trainees to conduct high quality, relevant, HIV research.