The UCLA-CDU CFAR TRSU SWG will link investigators across disciplines on both our campuses along with Community Faculty to develop novel assessment tools that take into consideration barriers to social determinants of health, as well as interpersonal, cultural, and societal influences linked with substance use and misuse among people living with HIV (PWH) or are at risk. We will evaluate ongoing needs of potential users and capacity for meeting these needs as this research agenda evolves at UCLA and CDU and offer access to an assessment of highly characterized specimens collectively agreed upon through a scientific consensus process to selected pilot studies.
The Aims of the SWG include:
- Build capacity for research at the intersection of substance use and misuse and HIV cure, care, and prevention.
- Identify assessment tools and expertise for studying stimulants, opioids, and cannabinoids for integration into HIV reservoir and immune reconstitution investigations, and behavioral assessment.
- Identify and facilitate access to existing resources in specimen and data repositories where integrated laboratory and behavioral measures of exposure assessment can be applied to more precisely characterize different patterns of substance use.