Mentorship in research on opioid use disorder treatment and HIV prevention

People who inject drugs (PWID) are at high risk for overdose and HIV infection, yet they sub-optimally receive evidence-based opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment and HIV prevention measures. Encouraging PWID to enter treatment requires innovative approaches. Aaron D. Fox, MD MS is an Addiction Medicine physician and Professor of Medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine-Montefiore Medical Center. He is an experienced research mentor and has led several clinical trials of innovative buprenorphine treatment interventions (see below). Einstein-Montefiore’s Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, Einstein-Rockefeller-CUNY Center for AIDS Research, and the Einstein-Montefiore Division of General Internal Medicine provide an outstanding environment for supporting early-stage investigators and trainees. As part of the NIH HEAL initiative, Einstein-Montefiore was recently awarded one of four IMPOWR grants to develop a research center on chronic pain and OUD. In this K24 mid-career mentorship award, Dr. Fox proposes to capitalize upon these resources in mentoring six talented early-career faculty members in research on OUD treatment and HIV prevention. Dr. Fox would also gain skills in mentoring, new research methods, and health policy leadership with the following career development objectives: 1) To provide outstanding mentorship to early-stage investigators who will develop independent research careers in OUD treatment and HIV prevention; 2) To gain skills in internet-mediated HIV prevention research; and 3) To translate evidence into clinical guidelines and policy regarding access to addiction treatment and HIV prevention services. To meet these objectives, Dr. Fox will convene an advisory team with expertise in mentoring, internet-mediated research, and drug policy leadership, while participating in training specific to research mentoring and leadership. Dr. Fox’s current studies provide a unique environment where early-stage investigators can participate in patient-oriented research in primary care, hospitals, syringe services programs, and a post-incarceration “transitions clinic”. Dr. Fox leads two large randomized controlled trials: buprenorphine microdose inductions for hospitalized patients with chronic pain (RM1DA055437), and the effectiveness, safety, and cost-effectiveness of buprenorphine treatment initiation at syringe services programs (R01DA044878). This application also proposes new internet-mediated HIV prevention research in collaboration with NEXT Distro, the first formal internet-based mail delivery syringe services program in the United States. These studies will aid trainees in developing careers in patient-oriented research that is highly relevant for drug policy and clinical guidelines. Completion of the proposed K24 award would advance research in OUD treatment and HIV prevention, while also expanding and developing the research workforce dedicated to improving the health of PWID.