How social and community disadvantages affect HIV risk and substance use for young Black men and transgender women
Official title: SILOS: Structural Inequities across Layers Of Social-Context as Drivers of HIV and Substance Use
Funded at Northwestern University · NIH-11458430 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers will survey 2,700 young men who have sex with men and transgender women across five U.S. cities to learn how social networks, neighborhoods, and access to resources relate to HIV risk and substance use.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Northwestern University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2024 |
| Project end | February 28, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $775,430 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DA061247-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11458430 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Young men who have sex with men and transgender women—particularly Black/African American individuals—living in the participating cities and willing to complete remote network surveys are the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not MSM or transgender women, who are outside the study cities, or who do not match the study's age or demographic targets likely would not benefit directly from participation.
What this research studies
This project invites people like me—young men who have sex with men and transgender women, especially Black participants—to complete remote surveys about our friendships, places we go, and experiences with stigma and services. The team will map social connections and neighborhood contexts to see how supportive or risky environments spread across networks. About 2,700 racially diverse participants from five U.S. cities will be included and data will be collected remotely to protect privacy. The researchers aim to show how layered social inequalities concentrate risk and limit access to resources so future programs can better help those most affected.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could guide new community- and network-based programs that reduce HIV transmission and substance use among marginalized groups.
How similar studies have gone: Previous social-network and neighborhood studies have identified risk patterns and helped target interventions, but this multi-city, layered focus on structural inequities is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Northwestern University
Chicago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Birkett, Michelle — Northwestern University
- Study coordinator: Birkett, Michelle
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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.