Experimental & Analytical Core

The LSUHSC Comprehensive Alcohol-HIV/AIDS Research Center (CARC) Experimental & Analytical Core uses a unified and integrated approach to support studies proposed by all research components (RCs), pilot projects, and other studies supported by CARC. The Core will facilitate bidirectional translational cross-sectional and longitudinal investigations using the established longitudinal cohort of more than 400 people with HIV (PWH) and HIV seronegative participants enrolled in the New Orleans Alcohol Use in HIV (NOAH) Study, complemented with the most relevant preclinical model of HIV infection - the simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)-infected nonhuman primate (NHP), and state-of-the-art analytical facilitites to address the impact of alcohol use on comorbidities among PWH. For this funding cycle, the Core will support conducting a pharmacological intervention in NHP and will facilitate the delivery of a cognitive behavioral intervention to PWH enrolled in NOAH. These interventions will explore their effectiveness in ameliorating alcohol associated comorbidities and provide insight into pathological mechanisms affected by alcohol use. Major strengths of this Core include established and quality controlled clinical and NHP experimental protocols, analytical tools, sophisticated instrumentation, and the potential to develop and implement novel assays to test hypotheses.