SWG 11: Substance Use

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Project Summary/Abstract The Substance Use Scientific Working Group (SU SWG) is proposed to stimulate interdisciplinary scientific collaboration to investigate the intersection of substance use and HIV, an area that is critical to address to end the national and global HIV epidemics. There is renewed interest and urgency to enhance research on substance use and HIV, in part due to the opioid crisis being associated with HIV outbreaks in parts of the US, including Seattle, and increasing rates of methamphetamine use, being associated with high-risk sex. Furthermore, substance use still strongly drives disruptions and disparities in the HIV care continuum, including continuation in HIV care and adherence to ART which are needed for “treatment as prevention”. The SU SWG will bring together CFAR investigators from varied backgrounds with a shared interest in tackling the unique issues facing persons with substance use disorders living with, or at risk for, HIV, particularly people who inject drugs (PWID) who are a key vulnerable population. The SU SWG addresses a key NIH HIV priority area furthering “research that examines health and social issues, such as other infectious or non-infectious conditions and substance use or mental health disorders”. We will support research to understand current patterns of substance and polysubstance use, including opioids, stimulants, sedatives, cannabis, alcohol, and nicotine, among persons living with HIV and those at risk of acquiring HIV, and to elucidate how they impact HIV disease transmission and outbreaks. We will also foster research to develop and test patient-centered interventions, both biomedical and behavioral, that will prevent and/or treat HIV among persons with substance use disorders and research that will integrate care for addictions and HIV. Our overarching goal is to bring together a multi-disciplinary community of researchers dedicated to advancing the research agenda for substance use and HIV prevention, treatment, and cure. Our Specific Aims are to: 1) create and support a multi-disciplinary network of UW researchers with diverse backgrounds and expertise to develop substance use research and receive critical feedback on projects and grants. 2) cultivate new skills and knowledge related to substance use and HIV research among early stage investigators and those new to HIV or substance use research, particularly those from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds. We will leverage and create multidisciplinary collaborations between diverse researchers on substance use at our CFAR, support monthly work-in-progress meetings, and host an annual workshop for skills development specific to the intersection between substance use and HIV. Our efforts will include a focused effort to support early stage investigators. This work will be done in collaboration with the CFAR Office of Community Engagement to ensure that community priorities are addressed. With this new SWG, we will leverage the substantial momentum building around research on HIV prevention and improved HIV care for persons with substance use and use disorders to position our CFAR to be a leader in the field of substance use and HIV.