Research

The ARCH support three primary research projects that leverage our unique strengths in (a) training professionals in alcohol use interventions, (b) utilizing videoconferencing and telehealth as a scalable means of reaching populations and providing continuing care, and (c) utilizing behavioral intervention technologies to provide alcohol interventions and ongoing support for change. Research Component 1 (MPI: Wray and Monti) extends our work on the role of alcohol use in HIV transmission among men who have sex with men (MSM) by testing the effectiveness of an app that addresses both alcohol use and sex risk in MSM completing home-testing for HIV. Research Component 2 (PI: Kahler) extends our work on behavioral telehealth interventions to reduce alcohol misuse in HIV-infected MSM by testing our previously developed videocounseling and text messaging interventions in a diverse sample of people in HIV care at four large, urban federally-qualified health centers. Research Components 1 and 2 share a Hybrid Type 1 effectiveness-implementation trial design, providing data on real-world effectiveness while gathering data related to implementation to inform future studies. Research Component 3 (MPI: Becker and Kuo) complements these projects by conducting an implementation trial that comprehensively evaluates a cascading training model to promote alcohol screening and brief intervention across HIV care settings in South Africa. Together, these projects—supported by an Administrative Core, Research Methods Core, and Program Advisory Committee and complemented by an outstanding training program in alcohol-HIV research and robust pilot funding opportunities—translate basic and applied knowledge on alcohol and HIV into scalable approaches to reducing the impact of alcohol misuse on HIV prevention and care.