The purpose of this SWG is to facilitate innovative and fruitful collaborations focused on substance use and HIV across the HU CFAR. While the role of substance use in the perpetuation of the HIV epidemic is well established in the literature, collaborations focused on substance use in the context of HIV treatment and prevention is underdeveloped at the HU CFAR. Over 20 million people in the US alone are living with substance use disorders.
Among people living with HIV, those who use substances typically achieve lower levels of antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence and worse HIV outcomes. People with substance use disorders additionally have fewer opportunities to accept and utilize HIV prevention strategies including condom use and access to chemoprophylaxis in the form of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Further, substance use has been identified as one of the most common predictors of poor ART and PrEP adherence. It therefore presents a significant barrier in the effort to curb the HIV epidemic in the United States.
The scope of research topics involving substance use and HIV is broad including treatment and prevention in relation to HIV and a range of substances (e.g., opioids, stimulants, marijuana, and tobacco), specific populations who use substances (e.g., people who inject drugs (PWID) and men who have sex with men who use stimulants), and common combordibities (e.g., HCV).
The scope also includes understanding and intervening on relationships between substance use and sub-optimal engagement in HIV treatment and HIV risk behavior in the context of psychological and structural challenges such as mental illness and stigma. Recent advances in treatment and prevention strategies including injectable pharmacotherapy for HIV prevention (cabotegravir), broadening access to medication assisted treatment for opioid use disorder, harm reduction through universal naloxone access, all have significant implications in people who use substances.
Across these longstanding and more recent topics involving substance use and HIV there are opportunities to develop innovative collaborations across the HU CFAR.
Here is a list of HU CFAR Substance Use & HIV Scientific Working Group contributing members:
- Allen, Michele M.; MMALLEN@PARTNERS.ORG; Member
- Ard, Kevin L; KARD@MGH.HARVARD.EDU; Member
- Batchelder, Abigail (Abby) W.; ABATCHELDER@mgh.harvard.edu
- Bearnot, Benjamin I.; bbearnot@mgh.harvard.edu; Member
- Boyer, Edward W.; EBOYER@BWH.HARVARD.EDU; Member
- Brody, Jennifer; jbrody@bhchp.org; Member
- Burchett, Sandra K.; SBURCHETT@PARTNERS.ORG; Member
- Chai, Peter R.; pchai@bwh.harvard.edu; Co-Director
- Chiosi, John J.; jchiosi@partners.org, Member
- Du Four-Anderson, Harold; hdufouranderson@voamass.org; Member
- Eisenberg, Mark Philip; meisenberg@partners.org; Member
- Evins, Anne Eden; AEEVINS@MGH.HARVARD.EDU; Member
- Fleming, Julia G.; JFleming@fenwayhealth.org; Member
- Foley, Jacklyn (Jackie) D.; jdfoley@mgh.harvard.edu; Member
- Francis, Joel; joelmfrancis@wits.ac.za; Member
- Fukuda, Dawn; dawn.fukuda@state.ma.us; Member
- Ganapathi, Lakshmi; lakshmi.ganapathi@childrens.harvard.edu; Co-Director
- Gilman, Jodi; JGILMAN1@mgh.harvard.edu; Member
- Glynn, Tiffany R.; trglynn@MGH.HARVARD.EDU; Member
- Hoeppner, Bettina; BHOEPPNER@mgh.harvard.edu; Member
- Lee, Jasper; JLEE333@mgh.harvard.edu; Member
- Mayer, Kenneth (Ken) M.; mayer@fenwayhealth.org; Member
- Meehan, Thera; thera.meehan@state.ma.us; Member
- Minukas, Theresa V.; TMINUKAS@mgh.harvard.edu; Member
- Mukerji, Shibani S.; SMUKERJI@PARTNERS.ORG; Member
- O’Cleirigh, Conall M.; COCLEIRIGH@mgh.harvard.edu; Member
- Ottoboni, Alberto; alberto_ottoboni@harvard.edu; Administration, HU CFAR
- Platt, Laura R.; lrplatt@mgh.harvard.edu; Member
- Randall, Liisa; liisa.randall@state.ma.us; Member
- Robbins, Gregory K.; GROBBINS@mgh.harvard.edu; Member
- Rosenberg, Jacob (Jake) M.; JROSENBERG2@MGH.HARVARD.EDU; Member
- Scholastic, Ashaba; sashaba@must.ac.ug; Member
- Schuster, Randi M.; RSCHUSTER@mgh.harvard.edu; Member
- Shachar, Carmel; cshachar@law.harvard.edu; Member
- Shalek, Alex; shalek@mit.edu; Member
- Sullivan, Matthew C.; MSULLIVAN112@mgh.harvard.edu; Member
- Suzuki, Joji; jsuzuki2@bwh.harvard.edu; Member
- Tsibris, Athe M. N.; ATSIBRIS@BWH.HARVARD.EDU, Member
- Wakeman, Sarah Elizabeth; swakeman@partners.org; Member
- Westphal, Laura; LWestphal@fenwayhealth.org, Administration, Fenway Health
- Yu-Shin Kim, Arthur; AKIM1@mgh.harvard.edu, Member
If you are interested in joining or learning about the Substance Use and HIV Scientific Working Group, please complete the brief survey.