Epigenomic and Gene Expression Signatures of Racial Differences in Chronic Low Back Pain

NIH/NIAMS R079178

6/15/2021 - 3/31/2025

The purpose of this study is to compare DNAm patterns in 100 people with cLBP. We will also determine whether differential DNAm correlates with differential gene expression in our study participants.

https://reporter.nih.gov/search/oDvPKvPCy02S6wm-DOq9qw/project-details/10427349

Epigenomic Differences in Stress-Related Genes in Transgender Minorities

NIAMS/AR079178

6/15/2021 - 3/31/2025

This project will foster a better understanding of the relative influences chronic stress, psychological, social, and epigenomic factors have on CLBP and will also provide insight into the mechanism that drives pain disparities in gender minorities.

https://reporter.nih.gov/search/wQI57I5sgkuOnya4XF6Tww/project-details/10553916

NIH/NIAMS R36AG077084

With her mentor, Dr. Aroke, Pam Jackson will use the one-year, $50,000 R36 grant to look at the epigenetic age acceleration—an analysis of epigenetic changes that may impact an individual’s biological age—and its relationship to racial disparities and chronic low back pain.

https://www.uab.edu/nursing/news/home/sustainable-scholarship/item/2654-phd-student-receives-nih-r36-grant

An Exercise Intervention to Improve Overall Brain Health

MGM McCance Center-UAB Mcknight Foundation

3/31/2023 – 4/3/2025

The purpose of this project is to obtain preliminary data to demonstrate that exercise represents not only a direct impact on brain fitness but also results in a broader effect across other risk factors, thus improving overall brain health. Our primary outcome will be the McCance Brain Care Score (BCS), a composite index of 12 risk factors and behaviors known to affect brain integrity.

https://www.massgeneral.org/neurology/mccance-center

Feasibility of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Intervention for Black Women Living with HIV

NIH/ National Center for Complementary & Integrative Health/5K23AT01056

8/15/2019 - 7/31/2023

African American women (AA), living with HIV are at higher risk for experiencing stressful life events which can lead to deleterious health outcomes. Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction offers a complementary and integrative approach for reducing stress as a mechanism for improving HIV treatment adherence behaviors, HIV viral load suppression and survival. The objective of this study is to culturally adapt an existing MBSR intervention to meet the needs of AA WLWH and assess the feasibility and acceptability of the adapted intervention among the target population.

https://reporter.nih.gov/search/AiPpWPtI-EexrWIuhYpWUw/project-details/10454380

Enhance social support for Black women with HIV Using Technology

Betty Irene Moore Foundation Fellowship

7/1/2023 – 6/30/2026

https://health.ucdavis.edu/nursing/NurseLeaderFellows/2023-fellows.html

Exploring Psychological Safety in the Classroom among Bachelor of Science in Nursing Students

UAB Internal Social Science and Justice Research Pilot Grant

6/15/2023 – 6/14/2024

An Optimization trial of a stakeholder-enhanced intervention to improve the decisional partnership of Chronic Kidney Disease dyads using the multiphase optimization strategy: Project ImPart.

NIH/NIDDK134756

The pilot will enroll 64 chronic kidney disease patients with stage IV disease and their family caregivers to assess the feasibility, acceptability and potential benefits of each component of the decision support intervention, including finding ways to optimally support and engage patients in active disease management and future planning.

https://reporter.nih.gov/search/KfGaO7G6F0Km0P1TVDN9fQ/project-details/10739401

Fewer Drugs & Bugs: Decreasing Antipsychotic Drug Use and Preventable Infections in Nursing Home Residents by Leveraging the Head-to-Toe Infection Prevention Program with Care-Resistant Behavior Dementia Training

Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services/C210620054

7/1/2022 - 6/30/2026

The primary objective of the proposed project is to reduce antipsychotic usage for persons with dementia residing in long term care facilities; the secondary objective of the proposed project is to reduce pneumonia, cellulitis, and urinary tract infections.

https://www.cms.gov/About-CMS/Contracting-With-CMS/ContractingGeneralInformation/Grant-Information/CurrentGrantsFundingOpportunities

Coaching Dementia Caregivers to Master Care-Resistant Behavior: CuRB-IT

NIH/NIA/R01AG074255

9/1/2021 - 6/30/2026

This project addresses a critical gap in knowledge by evaluating an evidence-based, tele-coaching intervention, Care-Resistant Behavior Internet Training (CuRB-IT), to enhance coping skills of family caregivers and reduce EAN

https://reporter.nih.gov/search/5l-EmW410Ee-_e1BKfytxw/project-details/10478199

Day-to-Day Pulsatility Index Change in Pediatric Brain Injury: A Proof-of-Concept Study

Dean’s Scholar Award

11/11/2022 - 11/10/2023

The purpose of this study to provide proof-of-concept of a novel biomarker of brain injury using a transcranial doppler ultrasound in children. The results of this study will help clinicians utilize a non-invasive neuromonitor to help in the diagnosis, management, and prognostication in pediatric neurologic injury.

https://www.uab.edu/nursing/home/research/ors/fsmd

A Harm Reduction Approach to Addressing the HIV, STIs, and Substance Use Syndemic Among People Engaging in Sex Work in Alabama

NIH/UAB Centers for AIDS Research/P30AI02776

9/1/2023 – 5/30/2024

There are currently no CDC-recognized evidence-based interventions focused on sex workers despite their dramatic vulnerability to HIV and other STIs. We intend to directly address the needs of this severely underserved population by leveraging the expertise of BAO, which has a compelling track record of reaching and providing services to individuals engaging in sex work. In response to EHE Priority 1a of this NOSI, we will use syndemic theory as our framework to develop a PrEP intervention for sex workers that responds to and addresses salient barriers as well as co-occurring health concerns.

https://reporter.nih.gov/search/FJXfcLBxK0OmsIasveEGkw/project-details/10814069

Using Geospatial Mapping and Epidemiologic Methods to Identify and Support Persons Who Inject Drugs (PWID) at Risk for HIV in Alabama

NIH/UAB Centers for AIDS Research/P30AI027767

9/1/2023 – 5/30/2024

The objective of this application is to 1) leverage hospital and community-level data to identify AL counties at greatest risk for an HIV outbreak among PWID and 2) engage community partners to identify needs and opportunities to build community capacity. The overall goal of this proposal is to inform implementation strategies to integrate person-centered HIV, harm reduction, and addiction services for PWID in AL.

https://reporter.nih.gov/search/fhtoMe2pCUmOsaAwnYcdCQ/project-details/10814067

Drive to Zero: Developing a digital cohort to understand the drivers of non-sustained viral suppression in the Deep South

NIH/NIAID/1UG3AI176566-01

8/1/2023 – 3/31/2027

Leveraging our previous HIV surveillance work with health departments, the goal of this study is to refine an mHealth app based on community feedback, WiseApp, to recruit, screen, enroll, and retain a large digital cohort of people with HIV (PWH) aged ≥ 18 years old (n=1000) who are either virally unsuppressed or who have no evidence of HIV labs within the past 12 months. The study will be conducted in the Deep South, the area of the country with the highest rates of morbidity and mortality, including the states of Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. The findings from this study will inform efforts to recruit large, digital cohorts of PWH, will be among the first to demonstrate effective methods of retaining digital cohorts for HIV as well as other health conditions, and help identify multilevel factors that contribute to non-sustained viral suppression in the Deep South, thereby elucidating areas for intervention in future research.

https://reporter.nih.gov/search/1E897P_Q-ECypyPgeyNWLA/project-details/10675270

Education on Gender and Sex (GenderS)

NIH/ORWH/1 R25 LM014336-01

7/1/2023 – 5/30/2027

Sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals face dramatic health inequities in general, and especially among racially/ethnically diverse SGM living in the Deep South (i.e., Alabama, South Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi, and Louisiana), home to the country’s largest SGM population. Despite dramatic shifts in the political and social acceptability of SGM people across the United States, progress remains tenuous in the Deep South, especially in Alabama, due to pervasive SGM-related stigma and discrimination. Further, there are few health research training programs that view sex and gender through a wider, multifaceted lens, inclusive of sexual orientation and gender identity, and none are located in the Deep South. Our overarching goal is to train graduate students enrolled in health-related degree programs (e.g., public health, social work, psychology) with an interest in a career in health research to have exceptional knowledge and advocacy skills addressing SGM health.

https://reporter.nih.gov/search/duzaiwVL4EGFZ3tH7BL3xg/project-details/10730736

Impact of harm reduction care in HIV clinical settings on stigma and health outcomes for PLWH who use drugs

NIH/NIDA/R01DA054832

9/1/2021 – 6/30/2026

People living with HIV (PLWH) who use drugs experience significant health disparities including lower rates of retention in HIV care and higher rates of unsuppressed viral load, resulting in secondary infections and increased mortality. The proposed study will used mixed methods to explore (a) providers’ attitudes towards working with PLWH who use drugs as well as their preparedness for delivering harm reduction care; (b) patients’ experiences of stigma in healthcare settings, viewed from an intersectionality framework; and (c) the extent to which structural and relational harm reduction care buffer the effects of stigma in HIV primary care settings, contributing to improved clinical outcomes. The study will also use these findings to inform the development of an intervention to operationalize harm reduction in healthcare settings, using stakeholder-engaged and human-centered design approaches, presenting a novel path to reducing HIV health inequities for PLWH who use drugs.

https://reporter.nih.gov/search/TpT35Qrd9kKmx4bWciJDbQ/project-details/10654836

mChoice: Improving PrEP Uptake and Adherence among Minority MSM through Tailored Provider Training and Adherence Assistance in Two High Priority Settings

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/ (U01 PS 005229-01)

9/1/2021 – 8/30/2026

Young men who have sex with men (MSM), especially young Black and Latino MSM, have the highest rates of HIV diagnoses in the United States (US). The goal of thisType II Hybrid Study is to improve PrEP screening, counseling, initiation, adherence and persistence in Black and Latino MSM in two high-priority settings.

https://reporter.nih.gov/search/xOU8GAKIgkGYqisD8x-P6A/project-details/10663097

The Mental Health Experiences of Sexual and Gender Minorities Living with Cancer and their Intimate partners

UAB Center for Palliative and Support Care (PREP)

3/1/2022 - 2/28/2024

The Cancer Support and Well-Being Study: The purpose of this study is to learn about the experiences of LGBTQ+ cancer survivors and their intimate partners. LGBTQ+ cancer survivors and their partners often experience stress that can impact their mood and well-being. We are interested in learning about these experiences, resources to overcome challenges, and things that improve how one feels over time

https://www.uab.edu/medicine/palliativecare/research/prep-awards

Nuestros dias (Our Days) - The Mental Health Experiences of Hispanic and Latinx ADRD Caregivers.

NIH/NIA/R01AG072569

5/15/2022 - 4/30/2027

The Day-to-Day Experiences of Latino Dementia Caregivers: The purpose of this study is to learn about the daily experiences of Hispanic and Latino dementia caregivers. We are specifically interested in examining contextual, individual-level, and cultural factors that promote resilience and mitigate the adverse effects of caregiving-related stress on one's mental health.

https://reporter.nih.gov/search/u-esLBNK2EGCyOwnkf96Dg/project-details/10447873

Duloxetine to Prevent Oxaliplatin-Induced Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Phase II to Phase III Study

NIH/NCI/R01CA235726

1/10/2019 - 12/31/2024

This randomized controlled trial will test a well- tolerated, widely available, non-opioid, preventive treatment for a debilitating chemotherapy side effect (OIPN) experienced by millions of cancer survivors, for which there is no good treatment.

https://reporter.nih.gov/search/cwrPTe5WtkuM5979AQch3w/project-details/10322762

Executive Function Training to Reduce Cognitive Intra-Individual Variability in Adults with HIV

NIH/NIA/R21AG077957

3/2/23 - 2/28/24

Compare adults who receive Executive Functioning Training to those who do not to determine whether they improve in global cognitive ability (i.e., clinical ratings & HAND diagnoses) and overall cognitive IIV

https://reporter.nih.gov/search/nAsw8iaV1kGJE6KeItFe4A/project-details/10476003

A Motion Exergaming Approach to Promote Self-Managing Fatigue and Pain after Head and Neck Cancer Treatment

NIH/NCIR01CA244947

12/13/2019 - 11/30/2025

Fatigue and pain are two high incident symptoms threatening survivals among head and neck cancer patients after their treatment. For 6 weeks, the intervention group will receive a home-based Physical Activity intervention with fitness graded Motion Exergames (PAfitME), and the attention control group will receive NCI- based survivorship education and exergame equipment. We will test whether or not PAfitME is effective to improve fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, functional status, and QOL during the critical transition period from the treatment endpoint to self-management at home.

https://reporter.nih.gov/search/wtDaDSJRSkC-3FNH-U1ubw/project-details/10311089

Reducing Health Disparity of Physical Functioning Among Young Adult Cancer Patients of Color

Oncology Nursing Foundation

12/15/2021 - 12/31/2024

There is a lack of knowledge addressing health disparity in cardiorespiratory fitness and muscle strength among young adult (YA, 20-39y/o) cancer patients of color (POC). PAfitME, a Physical Activity intervention with fitness graded Motion Exergames, is a personalized, low-cost, telehealth, home-based program. Exergame Grading Scheme (EGS) is an instrument that PAfitME uses to measure training intensity. This training intensity will be matched to each individual’s fitness capacity, so a personalized exergame prescription can be developed in the individual training plan. The study aims to pilot test of PAfitME effectiveness among YA cancer POC on cardiorespiratory fitness and muscle strength.

https://www.onfgivesback.org/news/press-releases/oncology-nursing-foundation-commits-600000-support-oncology-nursing-research

The Role of Vision Function Over the Course of Head and Neck Cancer Treatment

UAB Vision Science Research Center

9/1/2023-8/30/2024

Vision toxicity from radiation has been addressed in the HNC Survivorship Care Guidelines by the American Cancer Society and the American Society of Clinical Oncology. We propose a longitudinal study to preliminarily examine vision function in HNC patients (N=50) before, during, and a month after cancer treatment (radiation or chemoradiation) completion.

https://www.uab.edu/vsrc/vsrc-pilot-grants

Optimizing an Early Palliative Care Intervention for Advanced HF Patients

NIH/R00NR01984

4/7/2021- 3/31/2026

The overall R00 goals are to gain advanced research training in developing behavioral interventions, conducting randomized controlled trials using the Multiphase Optimization Strategy (MOST), and advanced research ethics to refine and pilot test components of a lay navigator-led early palliative care intervention for underserved persons with advanced HF in the Southern U.S. The goal of the UPHOLDS intervention (Utilizing Palliative Care for Heart Failure Optimized using Lay Navigators to Decrease Suffering), will be to improve quality of life (QOL) by activating advanced HF patients through trained lay navigators coaching.

https://reporter.nih.gov/search/LjZMM5t5i0eKlddp96Rd_A/project-details/10386866

Testing the Efficacy and Mechanisms of an Adapted Resilience Building Intervention in People Aging with HIV

NIH/NIA/R21AG076377

8/15/2022 - 5/31/2023

The proposed study will use an ecologically-valid approach to examine the efficacy and mechanisms of an optimized resilience intervention among older people living with HIV, which will ultimately provide implications for development of potent and scalable interventions for building resilience in people aging with HIV.

https://reporter.nih.gov/search/2Ny9GI6_UECNb2NkYhcKMA/project-details/10478381

Evaluation of Neurobiological Mechanisms Mediating the Effect of Immune Activation on Neurocognitive Impairment and the Role of Psychosocial Factors Among Women Living with HIV

NIH/ NIMH/R01MH131177

9/13/2022 - 6/30/2027

Using existing data and bio specimen from the MACS WIHS Combined Cohort Study (MWCCS) this study will examine putative biological pathways involving immune activation and neurobiological pathways (i.e., depletion of neurotransmitters, increased neurotoxic metabolites, and neuronal damage) to identify the markers that can be tightly linked to the clinical course of cognitive impairment phenotypes in women living with HIV (WLWH). This project examines also the role of psychosocial factors in impairing cognitive functions by exacerbating immune activation and neurobiological pathways directly and indirectly through ART levels adherence among WLWH.

https://reporter.nih.gov/search/cCvv4T0GSka6jJa-d0xjGg/project-details/10534423

Neurocognitive Trajectories in Older Adults with COVID-19 in the Deep South

Alzheimer’s Association

6/1/2022 - 4/30/2023

This study will examine whether cognitive and functional trajectories differ by COVID-19 diagnosis (vs. controls) and acute COVID-19 severity, and also examine sociodemographic and clinical risk factors, and biological mechanisms among a diverse sample of older adults.

https://www.uab.edu/news/people/item/12786-100-000-grant-awarded-to-uab-to-study-cognitive-effects-of-covid-19-in-older-adults

Examining the Effect of High-Intensity Exercise to Attenuate Cognitive Function Limitations and Train Exercise Habits in Older People Living with HIV (HEALTH-Cog)

NIH/NIA/R01AG077987

5/15/2023 – 4/30/2028

People aging with HIV are at higher risk for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, and although physical activity is a promising target to mitigate such risk, this population engages in low levels of physical activity. Few studies have tested cognitive effects of exercise interventions or examined mechanisms of adherence to long-term exercise among diverse samples of midlife and older people with HIV. The current study will leverage an existing R01 to address these gaps and provide implications for development of personalized approaches for the treatment and prevention of cognitive impairment and dementia in older people with HIV.

https://reporter.nih.gov/search/hDvg_Qdm00-STVmPH3xMlQ/project-details/10695384

Identification of Knowledge & Needs to Reduce Anxiety and Pain and Improve Dilator Usage

Dean’s Scholar Award

11/11/2022 - 11/10/2023

The purpose of this study is to identify the content to include in an educational video as part of a multi-component educational intervention to improve dilator usage in patients with cervical cancer. A content analysis of the semi-structured interview transcripts will be conducted using a deductive analytic approach to identify the most common topics to address within the video.

Assessment and Revision Of Usual measure for SExual Dysfunction (AROUSED) Study

Norma Livingston Ovarian Cancer Foundation

The purpose of this study is to identify a superior sexual function outcome measure that will aid in the future discovery of effective sexual health treatments. In phase 1, we will use cognitive interviewing methodology (n = 25) to assess the content validity of the developed sexual health questions. In phase 2, 230 patients will be recruited (200 treated for gynecologic cancer [60 of these will have completed radiation for the first time] and 30 healthy controls) to further evaluate the refined sexual function measure emerging from phase 1 testing.

https://cureovariancancer.org/research/