Using Wastewater to Track HIV and Help End the Epidemic
Wastewater Sampling: A New Tool to Accelerate Ending the HIV Epidemic
This project looks at wastewater to find communities with high levels of HIV, helping connect more people to care and treatment.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Baylor College of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11144508 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project aims to identify communities where HIV is still actively circulating, including people who don't know they have it or aren't currently receiving treatment. By testing wastewater, researchers hope to pinpoint these areas in real-time, similar to how this method was successfully used for COVID-19. This approach offers an unbiased and comprehensive way to understand HIV activity in a community, helping public health efforts reach those who need support. The ultimate goal is to improve health outcomes and reduce new infections by linking more individuals to life-saving antiretroviral treatment.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This project focuses on community-level data rather than individual patients, so there are no direct patient participants.
Not a fit: Patients who are already diagnosed and receiving effective HIV treatment would not directly benefit from this community-level surveillance method.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could help public health officials quickly identify communities needing more HIV testing and treatment resources, ultimately reducing new infections and improving patient health.
How similar studies have performed: Similar wastewater surveillance methods have successfully been used to monitor and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Where this research is happening
Houston, United States
- Baylor College of Medicine — Houston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Giordano, Thomas P — Baylor College of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Giordano, Thomas P
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 below.