The CHOIR of the Infectious Diseases division approaches HIV research through a status-neutral lens to improve outcomes for all persons affected by HIV.
Research Focus
Our CHOIR emphasizes a community-centered approach to understanding and improving the lives of all persons affected by HIV. Our research focuses on how HIV prevention and care can be delivered equitably, efficiently, and effectively through a series of rigorous quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods, and participatory approaches. Our work and our partners are based in the Deep South of the US, where the HIV epidemic remains an ongoing threat.
The CHOIR’s ongoing projects partner with community partners and public health agencies across the Deep South. These partnerships leverage a combined academic spirit with the practical, in-action approach from public health institutions and community partners to create innovative approaches to access HIV care and prevention. We focus on HIV through a status-neutral approach for care and prevention and target outcomes at the testing and uptake stages through viral suppression and persistence. We also operate at the intersection of sexually transmitted infections (STI) and HIV, recognizing that HIV and STIs have been siloed and ineffective. Lastly, the CHOIR understands that HIV and PrEP remaining in specialty care spaces restricts access for communities most in need. Our group’s work examines how to best de-centralize access care to improve HIV testing and PrEP integration into novel clinical spaces.
Community
We center the community in all aspects of our science. None of our work matters without reciprocal connection between science and community. As such, we prioritize building and sustaining relationships with our community partners. We collaborate with organizations across Alabama and the Deep South region, emphasizing how our work can be helpful to their practices, and aim to bring solutions to help advance our mission of ending HIV in our communities.
