Bio-Behavioral and Community Engagement Core

项目摘要/摘要（生物行为与社区参与核心）

Project Summary/Abstract (Bio-Behavioral and Community Engagement Core) The HIV epidemic in the South, in Florida in general, and Miami is of critical concern. This epidemic is fueled by relatively low prevention, treatment, and other biomedical and public health resources. The Bio-Behavioral and Community Engagement Core (Core E) will continue to identify and seek to alleviate structural and systemic barriers that have long impacted the HIV treatment and prevention continua in our region. The overall aim of this core is to advance the HIV treatment and prevention continua of care and the ending the HIV epidemic initiatives in South Florida. We propose to do this by fostering the development, implementation, and evaluation of innovative, inter-disciplinary bio-behavioral, social sciences and community-engaged research and initiatives that are heuristically guided by a Social Ecological Model Framework; thus, recognizing the need to implement multi-level HIV prevention and treatment strategies. Core E has established strong HIV-related community collaborations that will continue to expand the implementation of evidence-based approaches to HIV prevention and care such as the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center (UM/JMMC) Rapid Response Test and Treat (TTRR); The University of Miami Research and Prevention of Infectious Diseases Program (RAPID); The Infectious Diseases Elimination Act (IDEA Exchange); the Severe injection-related infection (SIRI) Team; and the Transgender interest group. Core E has built extensive networks for effective community outreach and engagement in the South Florida region. Core E will continue to provide scientific leadership and an infrastructure that fosters integration and translation of behavioral, clinical, and basic research as well as expanding community engagement in South Florida. These goals will be achieved through the following specific Aims: Aim 1. Provide the necessary infrastructure to enable CFAR researchers to strategically advance the highest priority areas of bio-behavioral investigation and inter-disciplinary collaboration among clinical, behavioral, social, implementation and basic scientists. Aim 2. Promote active and meaningful bi-directional community engagement by facilitating new and ongoing collaborations with Community Based Organizations (CBOs), Local Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and the Florida Department of Health (FDOH) to ensure their participation and input in the development, implementation, monitoring, analysis, interpretation, completion and translation of behavioral and social science research. Aim 3. Facilitate recruitment and retention of study participants for research addressing populations in the greatest need of behavioral approaches addressing the HIV treatment and prevention continua of care and ending the HIV epidemic initiatives.