Dr. Jowanna Malone (she/her/hers; left) and Dr. Rodrigo Aguayo-Romero (they/them/elle; right) have been awarded a 2023 NIH CFAR supplement to conduct an HIV research needs assessment in Wards 7 & 8 in Southeast DC.
This research will help define topics and strategies that are responsive to local community needs and address HIV inequities in four populations who experience the greatest inequities in both HIV prevention and care: (1) transgender people of color, (2) cisgender heterosexual Black women, (3) people who use drugs, and (4) adolescents and young adults (13-24).
This initiative is synergistic with the opening of the new WW Max Robinson Center in Ward 8 which will include a translational HIV research space to increase the capacity to provide access to cutting-edge research opportunities to local communities. The specific aims of this project are as follows: In Aim 1, they will develop a Needs Assessment to identify areas of highest urgency for research and explore the best practices for using peer support, community health worker, and other community- integrated models of intervention as a means of centering community needs and members within HIV treatment and prevention research. Subsequently, they will conduct 4 focus groups with each community of interest to review and identify gaps in the preliminary Needs Assessment. A final version of the Needs Assessment will be completed by 400 community members and 25 providers.
In Aim 2, they will hold community listening sessions to gain feedback on the Needs Assessment and iteratively co-develop a research agenda to guide the development of work within the new NIH-funded facility that is reflective of local priorities and needs. They will invite community members from the four priority populations to attend a half-day hybrid meeting with listening sessions dedicated to each population.