While our research spans many areas of health related to HIV and alcohol, the central focus is on improving health outcomes, reducing transmission rates, and increasing awareness and access to care.
Whether we are challenging people to stop drinking for 30 days or educating the community about stigma, our research informs the impact HIV and alcohol have on health.
Explore our research to learn more about the different approaches we are taking to impact health outcomes related to HIV and alcohol.
Current Research
FLORIDA COHORT
The goal of the Florida Cohort is to assess how individual, clinic, and community level factors influence healthcare accessibility and utilization and HIV clinical outcomes across the state of Florida. We seek to be representative of all people living with HIV in Florida and will also include some people who do not have HIV.
LESS IS MORE
Less is More is a study using biosensors and gamification of alcohol intake reduction to reduce participant alcohol intake. The study seeks to develop new forms of interventions for community clinics and generate accessible alcohol reduction programs for high-risk drinkers.
THE PATH STUDY
The Path Study uses a probiotic supplement along with a non-invasive nerve stimulator leveraging the connection between the gut and brain. The study hopes to determine the impact and potential utility as an intervention of these methods in improving ccognition.
Past Research
MAPLE
MAPLE is an acronym for “Marijuana and Potential Long-term Effects.” This was a R01 research study funded by NIH under the project title, “Health Outcomes and Cognitive Effects of Marijuana Use Among Persons Living with HIV/AIDS.”
ROGUE
Rogue sought to understand factors that influence the gut microbiome as people age. The study also evaluated the relationship of the gut microbiome to other health factors such as liver function, systemic inflammation, cognitive function, and brain inflammation.
THE 30 DAY CHALLENGE
The 30 Day Challenge built on past findings to determine the extent to which marked reductions in alcohol consumption over 12 weeks via contingency management (CM) improves cognitive performance, brain functions and pathophysiology, and HIV-associated health outcomes.
AWARE
This NIAAA funded project was the first study to validate the BACtrack Skyn wrist sensor in HIV+ and HIV- drinkers and evaluate its utility for research/clinical application.
STIGMA
SHARC Stigma was a coordinated effort between SHARC and the Florida DOH to utilize data to identify how HIV-stigma is a barrier to care and ultimately how we can aid in overcoming this barrier and contribute to ending the HIV-epidemic.
FLEX
FLEX investigated important hypotheses regarding the relationship between regional cerebral γ- aminobutyric acid (GABA) concentrations and cognitive flexibility in HIV+ heavy drinkers. The proposed research investigated: (A) the relationship between GABA concentrations and heavy alcohol use in individuals with HIV, and (B) the relationship between GABA and cognitive flexibility in individuals with HIV.
WHAT IF
Nicknamed WHAT-IF? for the question, “Will having alcohol treatment improve functioning?”, the study determined whether a specific drug, naltrexone, will help reduce drinking levels in HIV-infected women, thus improving their HIV-related outcomes such as adherence to medication, CD4 count and viral load.
Need more information?
If you're looking for an even closer look at our research and data, we have that too! We provide resources to researchers, trainees, and the community to learn more through SHARC publications, presentations, and our Concepts system.