U.S. Based Projects
Addressing legal barriers to gender affirmation
In collaboration with Fair Michigan, Corktown, and Trans Sistas of Color Project, this project explores how to disrupt interlocking systems of oppression that lead to health and economic inequities by addressing the legal barriers to name change that transgender women of color experience through a community-based medical-legal partnership. This project is funded by the Provost's Anti-Racism Initiative alongside the NCID's Anti-Racism Collaborative.
Photo credit: Disabled and Here
B6
The Brothers Building Brothers By Breaking Barriers (B6) study is led by Emory University Empower Research Team and supported by the U-M School of Public Health that focuses on understanding and supporting social capital among young Black men who have sex with men (YBMSM) in order to help improve engagement in HIV care. The team developed the B6 intervention and is now evaluating feasibility and acceptability through a pilot RCT, which will include longitudinal assessment of impact on social capital and engagement in care. B6 is funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (R34 MH129187).
It Takes Two
It Takes Two is a randomized controlled trial to test the efficacy of a couples-based HIV prevention intervention for transgender women and their partners. This intervention demonstrated acceptability, feasibility, and preliminary efficacy in a pilot study and is the first intervention for transgender communities in the CDC’s Compendium of Evidence-Based Intervention and Best Practices for HIV Prevention. This study is being conducted in San Francisco, California in partnership with the University of California, San Francisco and Brown University. This study is funded by National Institute of Mental Health (R01 MH115765).
iTech ATN Dissemination Group
The UNC/Emory Center for Innovative Technology (iTech) aims to lower the burden of HIV infection by developing and evaluating innovative, interdisciplinary research on technology-based interventions across the HIV prevention and care continuum for at-risk or infected youth aged 15-24 years in the United States. iTech is a research network composed of researchers and staff from research institutions across the nation.
Photo credit: iStock.com
Kickin’ it with the Gurlz
Kickin’ it with the Gurlz is a Love Her Collective program developed with and for transgender women of color. The intervention combines tailored sessions from Seeking Safety with 1-on-1 peer navigation to empower trans women of color to heal from trauma and take care of their health and well-being. This program is funded by National Institute of Mental Health (R21 MH121974-01 and R21 MH123218-02).
Let’s Be
Let’s Be is a HIV status-neutral, randomized controlled trial of a group- and individual-level intervention designed to impact HIV prevention and continua outcomes with trans women of color. The peer-delivered group intervention component, Sheroes, and the peer navigation component, Healthy Divas, have demonstrated acceptability, feasibility, and preliminary efficacy in previous research with trans women. Let’s Be combines the strengths of both to address the multi-level nature of the HIV prevention and care continnum within this community. Let’s Be is conducted in Detroit, MI in collaboration with the Love Her Collective at our partner site Corktown Health Center and in NYC, NY at our partner site, Callen Lorde. This study is co-led by our research team here at the U-M School of Public Health and at New York State Psychiatric Institute/Columbia University Research Foundation for Mental Health. Let’s Be is funded by National Institute of Mental Health (R01 MH129285).
Our Plan
Our Plan is a qualitative study led by researchers at the Florida International University and supported by the U-M School of Public Health that seeks to explore best practices for future implementation of the Our Plan app and other mHealth, couples-based interventions. This study is funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (U54-MD012393).
Photo credit: Nicholas Swatz
SeCuRE
SeCuRE (Strengthening Community Responses to Economic Vulnerability among Trans Women) seeks to adapt and pilot a tailored microeconomic intervention among trans women of color living in Detroit, MI in order to improve economic well-being and HIV care and prevention outcomes. SeCuRE is a Love Her Collective collaboration that builds off and expands the existing Trans Sistas of Color Project’s emergency assistance cash grant program and Fair Michigan’s legal gender affirmation support services with a promising microeconomic program developed by Dr. Larissa Jennings Mayo-Wilson that includes an unconditional cash grant, professional development workshops, information on local job openings, and employment-focused mentorship. This study is co-led by our research team here at the U-M School of Public Health and at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. SeCuRE is funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (R34 MH130207).
SOAR
The Student Opportunities for AIDS/HIV Research (SOAR) Program is a two-year professional development program designed for undergraduate juniors and seniors at the U-M Ann Arbor campus to promote experience in HIV-related behavioral and social science research. SOAR is funded by the National Institute of Mental Health and the Office of Behavioral and Social Science Research (R25 MH126703-01) and implemented through the U-M Institute for Research on Women and Gender in partnership with the School of Public Health, School of Nursing, School of Social Work, and College of Literature Science and the Arts.
3T: Transcend, Triumph, + Thrive
The 3T study seeks to develop and pilot a culturally, developmentally, and gender-affirming intervention to increase uptake of and adherence to PrEP among transgender adolescents and emerging adults, while also conducting a pharmacokinetic study exploring the interactions of gender affirming hormone therapy for young transgender women and men on PrEP. This project is led by researchers at Cook County Health & Hospitals System and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). This study is funded by National Institute of Mental Health (R21 MH121974-01 and R21 MH123218-02).
Triggered
This exploratory study seeks to understand factors related to firearm violence among LGBTQ+ youth and young adults of color in the Detroit Metro Area. This study is funded by U-M Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention in partnership with The Prevention Research Center of Michigan (PRC-MI).