UTHealth Houston Researchers awarded nearly $2M to expand the “Texas Implementation Science Research Consultation Hub to End HIV”
UTHealth Houston School of Public Health and the UTHealth Houston Institute of Implementation Science have been awarded a nearly $2 million federal grant to expand the Texas Implementation Science Research Consultation Hub to End HIV (TX IS Hub). The TX IS Hub will support cross-institutional research, build HIV practice capacity, and engage communities across Texas in a coordinated effort to accelerate progress toward ending the HIV epidemic.
A significant research-to-practice gap exists in Texas for HIV prevention and care. Despite availability of evidence-based treatments and interventions such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and rapid initiation of antiretroviral therapy to prevent the spread of HIV, many Texans still face barriers to access care. Texas has the highest number of new HIV infections and the third-largest population of people living with HIV in the U.S. However, only 28% of eligible Texans currently receive PrEP. Complex, multi-level barriers such as knowledge gaps, stigma, limited access to healthcare, and lack of insurance contribute to the problem which requires multisectoral solutions.
“Our team includes HIV and implementation science experts with established academic, clinical, and community partnerships across Texas,” said Serena Rodriguez, PhD, MA, MPH, assistant professor in the Department of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences and Core Faculty of the UTHealth Houston Institute for Implementation Science, who serves as one of the principal investigators. In partnership with Christine Markham, PhD, chair of the Department of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences and Allan King Professor of Public Health and Bijal Balasubramanian, MBBS, PhD, professor of Epidemiology, regional campus dean, and Rockwell Distinguished Chair in Society and Health at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health (MPIs), the Hub will work closely with community partners and those on the frontlines to disseminate and implement evidence-based HIV prevention, treatment, and management programs and protocols to end the HIV epidemic.
The TX IS Hub has four overarching aims:
- Synthesize and disseminate knowledge – Provide accessible training and resources to researchers and practitioners through courses, workshops, and multi-learning opportunities.
- Provide coaching and technical assistance – Equip HIV researchers across Texas and nationwide with tools to integrate implementation science into their work.
- Build capacity in communities – Partner with clinical and community organizations to strengthen implementation of evidence-based practices in areas most affected by HIV.
- Collaborate nationally – Work with the national Coordination, Consultation, and Data Management Center to harmonize data, share findings, and advance collective strategies to end HIV.
“The aims and activities in this grant build upon three years of successful collaboration between our team and the Texas Developmental Center for AIDS Research (D-CFAR) at Baylor College of Medicine,” said Markham. “We look forward to continuing that partnership as we expand the TX IS Hub across Texas over the next five years.” The TX IS Hub was previously funded through a supplement to the D-CFAR.
The Hub will serve as the primary resource for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers both regionally and nationally. By advancing implementation science and fostering strong collaborations, the initiative will accelerate the use of evidence-based HIV prevention and treatment interventions, with the ultimate goal of ending the HIV epidemic.
The TX IS Hub multidisciplinary team also includes investigators from UTHealth Houston (Maria E. Fernandez, PhD; Samiran Ghosh, PhD; Kayo Fujimoto, PhD; Derek W. Craig, PhD; and Eunyoung Kang, PhD), Baylor College of Medicine (Shital M. Patel, MD; Bich N. Dang, MD), the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (Mandy Hill, DrPH), and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (Geoffrey Curran, PhD). Additionally, the hub partners with a host of clinical and community organizations including the Houston AIDS Education and Training Center (AETC).