Dr. D. Scott Batey, Assistant Professor of Social Work, and his colleagues have won the UAB College of Arts and Sciences interdisciplinary team award. Supported by the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR), this award supports the interdisciplinary research that is crucial to solving the world's most complex problems.
The project is entitled "Circumnavigating HIV Care: An Exploration of Spatial and Qualitative Factors." Drs. D. Scott Batey, James Willig (Associate Professor of Medicine), and James Raper (Professor of Medicine and Nursing) will provide oversight of the entire study, including development and implementation of all policies, procedures, and processes. They will be jointly responsible for the implementation of the scientific agenda and the leadership plan, as well as the specific aims. They will ensure that systems are in place to guarantee institutional compliance with U.S. laws, policies including protection of human participants, data security, and facilities
To learn more about the project, download and read the project summary for more information about the project. or contact Dr. Batey at dsbatey@uab.edu.
Faculty Bios
D. Scott Batey, Ph.D., MSW (Principal Investigator)
Batey is an Assistant Professor of Social Work in the UAB College of Arts & Sciences (CAS). Dr. Batey is a social work researcher with extensive experience in community engagement and efforts to enhance the HIV Continuum of Care (CoC) in the US South. The proposed study extends his previous research, which has investigated community-level influences on linkage to and retention in HIV primary medical care. Since his transition to faculty in 2015, Dr. Batey has built a research agenda situated at the community-clinic intersection where optimal HIV health outcomes are facilitated or abated. Dr. Batey is currently the Principal Investigator (PI) of a Community Health Scholars Pilot award that qualitatively explores the role of community-level influences on HIV health outcomes, and he was recently awarded Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) Administrative Supplement support for a study that aims to determine the adaptability of a clinic-based intervention to reduce HIV-related stigma among healthcare workers. He will be the study's contact PI and will assume fiscal and administrative management including maintaining communication among PIs and key personnel through monthly meetings. He will be responsible for communication with NIH and submission of annual reports.
James L. Raper, Ph.D., CRNP, JD (MPI)
Raper is a Professor of Medicine and Nursing in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the UAB School of Medicine and UAB School of Nursing, respectively. He is the Director of the 1917 HIV Outpatient, Dental, and Research Clinic. A national Nurse Practitioner (NP) leader, he has devoted his career to improving access to care for HIV-infected populations. An attorney and NP, Dr. Raper has impacted HIV care, evidenced through his sustained scholarly program of research, practice, policy advocacy, and collaborative leadership. His first-hand knowledge of and experience with legislation and regulation contribute to his ability to advance health policy reform with inter-professional colleagues and policy makers. He is a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing, the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, and the Infectious Disease Society of America. Dr. Raper will meet regularly with Dr. Batey and the study team.
James Willig, M.D., MSPH, (MPI)
Willig is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the UAB School of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases. He is the Medical Informatics Director of the 1917 Clinic, Co-Director of the UAB HIV Research and Informatics Service Center (RISC), and Director of Clinical Informatics for the UAB Health System Information Services (HSIS). He also serves as the lead physician for the Clinical Data Warehouse Research Working Group. His own research involves the development and use of informatics tools and methods to support patient care, especially for patients living with HIV. Dr. Willig has a long history of mentoring postdoctoral fellows and junior faculty. Dr. Willig's primary research interest centers on the use of information technology to improve health outcomes, and he is currently the PI of two projects studying the use of various technologies as interventions for improved medical education and for home monitoring of post-surgery wound care. In his capacity on this study, he will meet regularly with Dr. Batey through face-to-face meetings, telephone conversations, or Skype conferences, to guide all aspects of the project.
