BLISS: A fast, ongoing HIV data system for people who inject drugs in the San Francisco Bay Area
Official title: Brief Longitudinal Incident Sentinel Surveillance (BLISS) to End the HIV Epidemic among Persons Who Inject Drugs (PWID)
Funded at San Francisco Department of Public Health · NIH-11400019 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A community-based project will create a quick, ongoing HIV data system to help prevent HIV and overdose in people who inject drugs by tracking infections and health events through phones and occasional in-person visits.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | San Francisco Department of Public Health NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project start | August 15, 2022 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $208,096 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI169635-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11400019 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal for adults who inject drugs and reside in Alameda or San Francisco counties who are willing to participate in monthly digital updates and periodic HIV testing.
✕Less likely to help
People who do not inject drugs or do not participate in digital data collection may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project will enroll about 600 people who inject drugs in Alameda and San Francisco counties and follow them over time using monthly updates collected via smartphones and online tools, with in-person options. Participants will undergo HIV testing, complete a baseline survey, and then provide brief monthly updates on health and substance-use events. The data system, called BLISS, aims to rapidly capture key events to guide faster, targeted public health actions to reduce HIV transmission and overdose deaths in PWID.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the system could enable faster outbreak detection and more timely interventions to prevent HIV infections and reduce overdose risk among PWID.
How similar studies have gone: Similar sentinel surveillance approaches have informed public health responses in other settings, but this project applies a novel, rapid-data approach to PWID in the Bay Area.
Where this research is happening
-
San Francisco Department of Public Health
San Francisco, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mcfarland, William — San Francisco Department of Public Health
- Study coordinator: Mcfarland, William
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.