Tracking HIV risk and safety for people who inject drugs in San Francisco and Alameda
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-11141869 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project follows people who inject drugs with monthly check-ins to track HIV risk, PrEP use, and overdoses so local services can respond faster.
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 | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $235,470 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI169635-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11141869 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults who currently inject drugs and live in or frequently access services in San Francisco or Alameda County who can complete an enrollment visit and monthly check-ins.
✕Less likely to help
People who do not inject drugs, who live outside the two counties, or who cannot do monthly reporting are unlikely to be eligible or to benefit directly from participation.
What this research studies
You would join a group of 600 people who inject drugs across San Francisco and Alameda County and get an initial HIV test and short questionnaire. After enrollment, you would send brief monthly updates by smartphone or online, with in-person options if needed, about prevention actions, drug use, and any overdoses. The team uses a peer-referral and venue-based method called Starfish Sampling to reach participants and will do deeper follow-ups when selected events happen. The goal is to create rapid, local data that helps public health teams act more quickly.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lead to faster detection of new infections and overdoses so prevention and services can be targeted where they are most needed.
How similar studies have gone: Mobile and sentinel surveillance approaches have been used successfully for infectious disease and overdose monitoring, though this specific monthly brief-check and Starfish Sampling approach is a newer application for people who inject drugs.
Where this research is happening
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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.