Consortium for Modeling and Analysis of Treatments and Interventions

My research is principally focused on epidemiological studies of HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections in high-risk populations. I lead multidisciplinary translational studies with an aim toward prevention of these infections and impacting public health. To this end, my work includes prospective observational, implementation and intervention research. I take great pride in the trans-disciplinary nature of the work I lead, which includes a diverse and brilliant group of collaborators including clinicians, social scientists, mathematical modelers, public health specialists, as well as basic scientists in the fields of immunology and virology. My research is focused in high risk groups that experience social stigma, and associated vulnerability, including people who inject drugs, sex workers, incarcerated populations, low income men and women, and men who have sex with men. Community support is essential to the success
of my research and I like to work closely with health departments and community based organizations to ensure the public health relevance of my research. I lead and conduct research in New Mexico, the U.S. and internationally.

I lead some of the most significant and successful research on HCV infection in the U.S. and internationally. The prospective observational study known as the UFO Study has produced data on acute HCV as well as other blood borne infections and health outcomes including: incidence and risk factors for HCV seroconversion, HIV, mortality, drug-related overdose, gender-related risk, and trends in drug use including the now recognized increase in opiate pill use. My work with injectors and HCV were significant in my becoming a co-PI on the only HCV vaccine trial ever conducted and still in progress. I opened the San Francisco clinical trial site for this trial, and a new site in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I am also leading new studies of HCV and HIV in New Mexico in response to emerging epidemics in rural and suburban areas being seen nationwide. I have assembled a large consortium of researchers leading other studies of incident HIV and HCV to form a collaborative with merged data from multiple geographic locations, globally, leading to the largest database on HCV and HIV in injectors globally. The primary site for my HIV research is based in Cambodia, where I am implementing an HIV and drug prevention “implementation science” project in 10 provinces throughout the country. This trial is schedule to complete data collection in November, 2016.