Clinical Research Directory

Southern Sichuan HIV Cohort Study Protocol

Multi-source data-integrated HIV cohort in four cities of southern Sichuan, China: a mixed retrospective-prospective study protocol.

IDEAS for Hope to Reduce Suicide Risk and Improve HIV Care Engagement in Tanzania

In this project, the investigators will conduct a clinical trial to test the effectiveness and implementation of IDEAS for Hope, a 3-session telehealth counseling intervention delivered by nurses, to reduce suicidality and improve HIV care engagement among PLWH in Tanzania. The investigators will also examine mechanisms of change and implementation outcomes of the intervention, including cost-effectiveness, to disseminate a feasible, scalable, and sustainable intervention and implementation package to address a critical mental health comorbidity in HIV care.

MAGIA H3S Point of Care Test Performance for HIV, HBV, HCV, and Syphilis Screening in Pregnant Women in DR Congo

Performance study to evaluate the clinical performance of the In-Vitro Diagnostic Medical Device MagIA H3S (a Multiplex Point-of-Care test for the combined detection of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Hepatitis B and C and Syphilis) from pregnant women attending antenatal care (ANC) services in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This study aligns with the WHO 2022-2030 strategy for the integrated elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, HBV, HCV, and syphilis.

Promoting Aging and Thriving With HIV

The pilot is an intervention of a geriatric assessment and management tool (PATH) in outpatient HIV clinics.

Integrating Project YES! With WHO-Endorsed Mental Health Approaches Among Youth Living With HIV

The proposed study will address the intersecting stigmas of HIV, violence and depression among adolescents and young adults (15-24) living with HIV (AYALHIV) in Zambia. The study will integrate a WHO-endorsed mental health approach into an existing HIV-stigma-reducing intervention, and refine measures of internalized and intersecting stigmas, to create and test the feasibility of Project YES+- a combined youth peer mentoring and lay mental health intervention. This research aims to shift HIV care and treatment for AYALHIV by addressing the multiple internalized and intersecting stigmas that impeded antiretroviral adherence and HIV viral suppression.

HIV Prevention With PrEP Among People on Opioid Replacement Therapy

The purpose of this study is to assess the feasibility and acceptability of providing oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and opioid agonist therapy (OAT) simultaneously in existing pharmacy-based programs operating in Alberta and Saskatchewan, to collect preference, adherence, and persistence data on oral PrEP, and to assess interest / acceptability of long-lasting injectable options for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention.

DOR/TDF/3TC COmpared With BIC/FTC/TAF in ART-Naïve People Living With HIV and Overweight or Obesity

Background:Historically, HIV infection was associated with significant weight loss. However, weight gain is now commonly observed after initiating antiretroviral therapy (ART), particularly in individuals underweight at baseline. It remains unclear whether this weight gain reflects a "return to health" or results from drug-related or metabolic effects, and whether it persists beyond immune restoration. Recent evidence indicates that ART regimens containing second-generation integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs), such as bictegravir combined with tenofovir alafenamide, are associated with greater weight gain compared to other antiretroviral combinations, raising concerns about potential long-term metabolic consequences.Objective:To evaluate the effectiveness, safety, and tolerability of Doravirine/Lamivudine/Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate (DOR/3TC/TDF) compared with Bictegravir/Emtricitabine/Tenofovir Alafenamide (BIC/FTC/TAF) in ART-naïve people living with HIV (PWH) who are overweight or obese.Materials and Methods:This open-label, randomized clinical trial, approved by the Ethics and Scientific Research Committee (No. 3502), will be conducted at the Infectious Diseases Hospital of the National Medical Center "La Raza" from May 2025 to May 2027. ART-naïve PWH, recently diagnosed, with no prior use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) or post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), who do not require hospitalization, and have a body mass index (BMI) ≥25 kg/m² and body fat \>20%, will be invited to participate. Participants will provide written informed consent and be randomized 1:1 to receive either DOR/3TC/TDF or BIC/FTC/TAF.

Intervention to Reduce HIV Related Stigma Among Pregnant and Postpartum Women

Purpose of this Study: The main purpose of this study is to adapt an existing evidence-based intervention, Project Accept Post-Test Support Services (PTSS) Module 3, specifically for pregnant and postpartum women living with HIV (WLWH) in Ghana. The adapted intervention aims to reduce HIV-related stigma and improve adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) and mental health symptoms, such as depression and anxiety, among this vulnerable population. Why was this study done? (Background): HIV-related stigma is a major obstacle for women living with HIV, particularly pregnant women in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), hindering their engagement in HIV care and adherence to ART. This contributes to poor health outcomes, including inadequate viral suppression, depression, and an ongoing risk of HIV transmission to their children and sexual partners. While effective HIV stigma-reduction interventions exist for the general adult population living with HIV, there is a critical lack of tailored interventions for pregnant and postpartum WLWH in SSA. This study addresses this gap by adapting a proven intervention (Project Accept PTSS Module 3), which has shown success in reducing stigma and improving outcomes in other populations, for this specific group in Ghana, where HIV-related stigma remains disproportionately high. Who participated in this study? (Target Population): This study will involve several groups: Pregnant and postpartum women living with HIV: 30 women will participate in in-depth interviews to share their experiences with stigma and HIV care. HIV care providers: 20 providers will participate in in-depth interviews to offer their perspectives on stigma and care provision. Stakeholders: This group will include HIV care providers, program administrators/directors, and pregnant and postpartum women. They will collaborate in the iterative process of adapting the intervention. Pregnant women living with HIV (for feasibility testing): 90 pregnant women will be randomized, with half receiving the adapted intervention and half receiving standard care, to assess the intervention's feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary impact. What happened in this study? (Intervention/Methods): This 3-year study has three main aims: Understanding Stigma Experiences: Researchers will describe the experiences of stigma and HIV care from the perspectives of pregnant and postpartum WLWH and compare them with providers' experiences. This will involve longitudinal data collection and in-depth interviews to understand how stigma affects women's health, clinical care (e.g., provider discrimination, ART adherence), and mental health over time. Intervention Adaptation: Project Accept PTSS Module 3 will be adapted specifically for pregnant and postpartum WLWH using the ADAPT-ITT framework. This involves an iterative process with stakeholders to ensure the intervention is culturally and gender-appropriate, enhancing its acceptability for the target population. Feasibility and Preliminary Impact Assessment: The study will assess the feasibility and acceptability of the adapted intervention. Ninety pregnant women will be randomly assigned to either receive the intervention or continue with standard care. Researchers will then estimate the intervention's potential impact on anticipated and internalized HIV-related stigma (primary outcomes), as well as ART adherence and symptoms of anxiety and depression (secondary outcomes). What were the results of this study? (Outcomes): As a preliminary and adaptation study, this research aims to: Provide essential data to inform and justify a larger, fully-powered randomized clinical trial to rigorously evaluate the adapted intervention's effectiveness. Identify potential indicators associated with mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Develop a model that can be applied to other Sub-Saharan African countries facing similar challenges. Foster new collaborations focused on HIV-related stigma among women in Ghana. Build research capacity among researchers in sub-Saharan Africa. What are the side effects of the treatments in this study? (Safety): This study focuses on a behavioral intervention (a support and counseling module) rather than a drug or medical treatment. Therefore, typical physical side effects associated with medications are not expected. The intervention aims to improve well-being and health outcomes by addressing psychosocial factors. Any adverse events or discomfort experienced by participants will be carefully monitored and addressed in accordance with ethical guidelines. What are the conclusions of this study? (Implications/Future Plans): The findings from this study are expected to demonstrate the feasibility and potential impact of a culturally and gender-tailored HIV stigma-reduction intervention for pregnant and postpartum WLWH in Ghana. This research will be foundational for launching a larger-scale clinical trial to definitively test the intervention's efficacy.