Rapid social-network approach to fast HIV transmission response
Official title: Rapid Response to Incident HIV Infection through Social Network Strategies and Molecular Epidemiology to Inform Partner Services
Funded at Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill · NIH-11401407 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new method uses people’s social networks and molecular clues to speed up linking recently diagnosed HIV patients to prevention and care.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2022 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $680,565 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI169602-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11401407 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People recently diagnosed with HIV and their social networks who are in the Southern United States.
✕Less likely to help
People not recently diagnosed or not in the related networks may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
If you or someone you know has recently been diagnosed with HIV, this project aims to reach you through your close social circle and trusted contacts to improve access to prevention and treatment. Researchers will combine partner services with social-network recruitment and HIV genetic cluster analysis to identify transmission patterns and faster ways to connect people to care. The study takes place in the Southern United States and involves collaboration with public health partners and community groups to make outreach culturally appropriate and effective. The goal is to create an enhanced social network strategy that can be used across jurisdictions, including rural areas, to shorten the time from diagnosis to care and prevention.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the approach could lead to faster linkage to care, better engagement in prevention, and reduced onward transmission.
How similar studies have gone: Previous strategies using network information have shown promise, but this project tests a broader social-network focus with genetic clustering in a real-world setting.
Where this research is happening
-
Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dennis, Ann — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Dennis, Ann
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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.