zcausey – MACS/WIHS Combined Cohort Study

UAB MWCCS Principal Investigator and MWCCS Neurocognitive Co-Chair Elevated to University Professorships

Last week, our very own MWCCS Principal Investigator, Dr. Mirjam-Colette Kempf, and the MWCCS Neurocognitive Working Group Co-Chair, Dr. David Vance, were among three faculty members from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Nursing who received the rank of University Professorships. This honor is awarded to those whose groundbreaking work transcends multiple disciplines, enabling them to conduct research across various UAB schools. Both Dr. Kempf and Dr. Vance have made significant scientific contributions that have garnered academic distinction across disciplinary lines. Their achievements not only reflect their individual excellence but also enhance the reputation of our institution. Congratulations to you both!!!!!

Dr. David Vance
MWCCS Neurocognitive Working Group Co-Chair

Please click HERE to get more information.

New Publication Utilizing WIHS Data Highlighted

Exploring the role of motherhood in healthcare engagement for women living with HIV in the USA
Whitney S. Rice, Celeste K. Ellison, Beverly Bruno, Sophia A. Hussen, Max
Chavez, Tessa M. Nápoles, Melonie Walcott, Abigail W. Batchelder, Bulent
Turan, Mirjam-Colette Kempf, Gina M. Wingood, Deborah J. Konkle-Parker,
Tracey E. Wilson, Mallory O. Johnson, Sheri D. Weiser, Carmen H. Logie, Janet
M. Turan & Kendra Piper. 23 July 2024. Culture, Health & Sexuality

Dr. Whitney Smith Rice, an Assistant Professor of Behavioral, Social, and Health EducationSciences at the Emory University has leverage data from the Women’s Interagency HIV Study (WIHS) to produce the publication: Exploring the Role of Motherhood in Healthcare Engagement for Women living with HIV in the USA. This publication can be viewed in the July 2024 issue of the international journal: Culture, Health, and Sexuality. This study used data from 4 Women’s Interagency HIV Study (WIHS) research sites within the US. The study’s qualitative interviews were conducted between June and December 2015 with 52 mothers living with HIV. Researchers seeked to examine the role of motherhood and related social/structural factors on engagement with HIV care, treatment-seeking behaviour, and overall HIV management among mothers living with HIV in the USA. This research showed the importance of considering the demands and roles of motherhood when creating, developing and implementing effective strategies to support mothers in managing HIV and promoting the overall health and well-being of their families.

Click here to review the complete publication.

Spotlight on a Recent Publication by UAB-UMMC Site Investigators

Understanding the Psychological Context of Employment and Occupational Productivity among Women Living with HIV: A Mixed-Methods Study
Jeni M. Wise, Deborah Konkle-Parker, James L. Raper, Karen Heaton, David E. Vance, Andres Azuero, Gina Wingood, Adaora Adimora, Elizabeth T. Golub, Mirjam-Colette Kempf Work: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment, & Rehabilitation (2024)

Dr. Jenni WIse Assistant Professor

Congratulations to a number of our UAB-UMMC MWCCS Investigators who recently published a paper in Work: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment & Rehabilitation entitled “Understanding the Psychosocial Context of Employment and Occupational Productivity among Women Living with HIV: A Mixed-Methods Study”. This pioneering research headed by Dr. Jenni Wise was a continuation of her dissertation research. Dr. Wise evaluated the employment rates and occupational productivity of women living with HIV (WLWH). Researchers analyzed qualitative interviews and quantitative data obtained from women in the Women’s Interagency HIV Study (WIHS) study participants. Implications of this research show a relationship between employment status and occupational productivity. This relationship also affects other areas such as mental and physical health, social support and empowerment.

Look out for this exciting work in an upcoming edition of the Work:A Journal of Prevention, Assessment & Rehabilitation

Welcome Dr. Emily Levitan as Co-Site Principal Investigator

Dr. Emily Levitan, PhD Associate Professor, Epidemiology

We are pleased to announce that Dr. Emily Levitan, a Professor at the UAB School of Public Health, has been appointed as a Co-Principal Investigator for the UAB Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study/Women’s Interagency HIV Study (MWCCS). Dr. Levitan joins Dr. Mirjam-Colette Kempf in this leadership role, bringing a wealth of expertise and dedication to our research initiative.

Dr. Levitan received her Doctoral training at Harvard’s School of Public Health. She became a part of the UAB family in 2009. Her contributions to epidemiology and public health have been widely recognized, making her an invaluable addition to our team. Her primary commitment is to improve public health through population research using traditional epidemiologic studies and administrative data with an emphasis on cardiovascular disease and the long-term effects of HIV and COVID-19. Dr. Levitan’s research projects also focus on the primary and secondary prevention of heart failure and other cardiovascular diseases. She is co-PI of numerous cohort including REGARDS-MI, which is a longitudinal study evaluating cardiovascular disease incidence and outcomes in this diverse nationwide cohort, and the Deep South SARS-CoV-2 Recovery Cohort, one of the cohorts of adults contributing to the NIH RECOVER Initiative which examine the effects of long COVID.

Together with Dr. Kempf, Dr. Levitan will play a pivotal role in advancing the objectives of the UAB MWCCS, focusing on the study’s scientific initiatives. Their collaborative efforts promise to enhance our understanding of the focus of HIV/AIDS and its impact on public health outcomes.

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Emily Levitan to her new role as Co-Principal Investigator of the UAB MWCCS. We look forward to her leadership and contributions to achieving our research goals.

Long-acting, injectable antiretroviral therapy clinical trial findings offer promising new treatment for persons living with HIV lead by Dr. Aadia Rana

Aadia Rana, MD

Our very own Dr. Aadia Rana, M.D., who is the Principal Investigator for the UAB Study of Treatment And Reproductive Outcomes (STAR) has made national news. Dr. Rana is the Senior Investigator for the National Institutes of Health-funded Long-Acting Therapy to Improve Treatment SUccess in Daily LifE, or LATITUDE, study. This study is for those patients who are struggling to maintain their daily oral regimens. An independent safety monitoring board conducted last month, the monthly cabotegravir and rilpivirine injections were found to be more effective in suppressing HIV compared to daily pills. “This study is critically important because it shows that long-acting injectable HIV medications can provide substantial benefit to a broader population than those covered by the current regulatory approvals,” Rana said. More details about this study and Dr. Rana can be found by clicking HERE

Dr. Pariya Wheeler Receives Five-Year $3.3M R01 Grant

Dr. Pariya Fazeli Wheeler, PhD (Associate Professor, Nursing Family, Community, and Health Systems)

Congratulations to Dr. Pariya Wheeler in the UAB School of Nursing Associates. Dr. Wheeler along with Dr. Andrea Norcini Pala of Columbia University was awarded a five-year, $3.3 million dollar R01 grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). The grant will study the effects of immune activation on neurocognitive impairment and the role of psychosocial factors among women living with HIV. Drs. Wheeler and Pala will utilize existing data and biospecimen available for the women in the MACS/WIHS Combined Cohort Study (MWCCS) to examine the interplay of neurobiological and psychosocial mechanisms underpinning cognitive impairment profiles over time among women living with HIV.

Click HERE to find out more about this exciting research!

1917 Clinic Director James Raper retired after four decades of service in HIV care and advocacy

After over four decades, Professor James Raper, Ph.D., CRNP, J.D., FAAN, FAANP, FIDSA, who has directed the UAB 1917 Clinic since 2007, is retiring December 1, 2022. Dr. Raper has utilize has background in nursing, patient care and law to become a fierce advocate for those living with HIV. With his nursing career spanning over 40 years, Dr. raper has seen the culture of HIV shift from receiving a death sentence to one of living abundantly with HIV and hopes of finding a cure.

Dr. James Raper CRNP, DSN, JD (Professor, Infectious Diseases)

During his leadership, Dr. James Raper has taken the small clinic once located at 1917 fifth Ave. South to a 50,664 square foot facility located east of campus. This nearly tripled the space of the previous location and allowed for the integration of one of 1917’s community partners-Birmingham AIDS Outreach’s Magic City Wellness Center. Also under Dr. Raper’s tenue, the clinic met one of it’s greatest challenges-the matriculation of over 800 patients at one time from the closing of the Cooper Green St.George’s Clinic. This resulted in nearly 97% of former St. George Clinic patients finding a health care home at the UAB 1917 clinic.

He is now stepping into start a new chapter in his life filled with spending time with family and friends, cooking and traveling.

Happy Retirement Dr. James Raper. Thank you for your leadership, love and commitment!!

You can read more about Dr. James Raper’s Retirement by clicking here!!

Introducing Dr. Mirjam-Colette Kempf as our new MWCCS Executive Committee Co-Chair

Recently members of the MWCCS Executive Committee (EC) named our own Principal Investigator Dr. Mirjam-Colette Kempf as the new EC co-chair. This new leadership role within MWCCS involves directing the activities of over 20 scientific research study sites. Dr. Kempf’s goals will be to highlight emerging and cutting-edge HIV-related research utilizing MWCCS resources, share scientific knowledge about technologies and methods that enhance and facilitate strong HIV-related research, and foster cross-disciplinary scientific discussions between colleagues at various institutions. Dr. Kempf will assume this new leadership role on January 1, 2023. Congratulations Dr. Mirjam-Colette Kempf!!!!

Spotlight on a Recent Publication by UAB-UMMC MWCCS site investigators

Patient Health Literacy and Communication with Providers Among Women Living with HIV: A Mixed Methods Study
Henna Budhwani, C. Ann Gakumo, Ibrahim Yigit, Whitney S. Rice, Faith E. Fletcher, Samantha Whitfield, Shericia Ross, Deborah J. Konkle-Parker, Mardge H. Cohen, Gina M. Wingood, Lisa R. Metsch, Adaora A. Adimora, Tonya N. Taylor, Tracey E. Wilson, Sheri D. Weiser, Oluwakemi Sosanya, Lakshmi Goparaju, Stephen Gange, Mirjam-Colette Kempf, Bulent Turan & Janet M. Turan
AIDS and Behavior (2021)

Congratulations to a number of our UAB-UMMC MWCCS Investigators who recently published a paper in the journal of AIDS and Behavior entitled “Patient Health Literacy and Communication with Providers among Women living with HIV: A Mixed Methods Study. This groundbreaking research headed by Dr. Henna Budhwani explores the relationship between healthcare provider’s communication and patient health literacy on the HIV spectrum of care outcomes among women living with HIV within the United States. Researchers evaluated nearly 100 qualitative interviews with Women’s Interagency HIV Study (WIHS) study participants and over 1,400 quantitative survey data entries. The data suggested that a high level of health literacy is directly associated with higher perceived patient-provider interaction quality, which is strongly associated with higher levels of trust in ones HIV provider, better HIV medication adherence, and a reduction in missed clinical visits. Thus increasing provider’s communication and patient’s health literacy levels could have a positive impact on the HIV continuum of care for a women living with HIV in the United States.

Click here to read more.

Spotlight on one of our UAB MWCCS Early Career Investigators – Dr. Kaylee Crockett, Ph.D.

Congratulations to Dr. Kaylee Crockett, Ph.D., clinical psychologist and assistant professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine, for being awarded a Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development (K23) grant from the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI). Dr. Crockett was also one of the recipients of the 2021-2022 UAB-UMMC MWCCS Developmental Pilot award. Her project entitled “Impact of Intersectional Stigma in Healthcare Settings on Cardiovascular and Neurocognitive Health Outcomes” plans to look at women’s responses to surveys about feeling disrespected while receiving healthcare. She will also look at how those responses relate to tests of their heart health and their brain health. Dr. Crockett believes that better understanding of intersectional stigma’s impact on health outcomes in people with HIV can direct stigma-reduction interventions to the structural level (the healthcare setting)–in addition to individual level behavioral health interventions–to reduce the impact of stigma on pertinent comorbidities of HIV among women.

This is not Dr. Kaylee Crockett’s first involvement with MWCCS. As an MWCCS early career investigator, Crockett has published numerous journal articles utilizing the MWCCS database. This includes a highly critically acclaimed article entitled “Neighborhood Racial Diversity, Socioeconomic Status, and Perceptions of HIV-Related Discrimination and Internalized HIV Stigma Among Women Living with HIV in the United States.” This article suggest the need for an increase in neighborhood diversity to lessen HIV stigma.

CLICK HERE to find more information about Dr. Crockett’s K23 award.

Again CONGRATULATIONS Dr. Crockett!!!!