Midwest D-CFAR announces first round of pilot funding awardees
The Midwest D-CFAR is proud to announce the investigators selected to receive the first round of research pilot awards. These awards aim to support emerging and established researchers as they expand their focus to HIV-related studies. Designed to generate preliminary data for competitive funding applications, these awards support new investigators, those transitioning to HIV research, and those pursuing their first R or K awards.
We received a broad pool of applications featuring research projects across public health, implementation science, basic science, and clinical research from researchers in a range of disciplines, including medicine, social work, and public health. This highlights an increasing focus on interdisciplinary research and a commitment to translating findings into real-world impact that we are happy to support.
Below is a brief description of the groundbreaking projects funded through this initiative in 2025.
Investigator Pilot Awardees
Javan Kisaka, PhD
Project: Potential role for inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor heavy chain 4 (ITIH4) as a marker of latently infected cells and a measure of reservoir size
Principal investigator: Javan Kisaka, WashU
Key personnel and collaborators: George Kyei, WashU; Evelyn Bonney, University of Ghana
Summary: ITIH4 is a secreted protein that is significantly up-regulated in latently infected cells but down-regulated in actively infected cells. The goal of this project is to test the hypothesis that cells latently infected with HIV produce an abundance of ITIH4 that could identify these cells and serve as a quantifiable surrogate measure of the reservoir size.
Julia López, PhD, MPH, LCSW
Project: Evaluating InfaNt FeedinG PrActice GuidElines for Individuals with HIV (ENGAGE-HIV)
Principal investigator: Julia Lopez, WashU
Key personnel and collaborators: Amanda Zofkie, WashU; Sydney Thayer, WashU
Summary: This study aims to improve HIV chest/breastfeeding guidelines in clinical settings. We will engage with healthcare providers and birthing persons living with HIV (BPLWH) to understand their experiences and challenges. A survey will then assess how well these guidelines are followed. Findings will be integrated into a practical guide to help providers and BPLWH make informed decisions about chest/breastfeeding and enhancing overall health.
Octavio Mesner, PhD
Project: Investigating stress-related factors and social stigma that may contribute to HIV transmission risk among certain urban populations
Principal investigator: Octavio Mesner, WashU
Key personnel and collaborators: Aditi Ramakrishnan, WashU; Kneeshe Parkinson, WashU; Joshua Rusow, WashU; Jeremy Goldbach, WashU
Summary: Prioritizing intersectional stigma is critical for ending the epidemic. Links have been established to factors associated with HIV acquisition, but questions remain on effectively measuring stigma in the context of HIV prevention among Black and Hispanic LGBTQ communities. This project evaluates several measures of self-reported stigma, stress, and discrimination for predicting HIV seroconversion to provide new insights for HIV prevention.
Chen Shen, PhD
Project: Structural and biochemical study of the interaction Bbtween CARD8 and HIV-1 RNA
Principal investigator: Chen Shen, WashU
Key personnel and collaborators: Sebla Kutluay, WashU; Liang Shan, WashU
Summary: This project studies how HIV-1 RNAs are sensed by innate immune receptor CARD8. We plan to perform: 1) the biochemical and biophysical elucidation of CARD8 and HIV-1 RNA interaction; 2) the structural determination of the CARD8 and HIV-1 RNA complex; 3) the functional validation of CARD8 and HIV-1 RNA complex using structure-based mutagenesis. The goal is to understand the atomically detailed mechanisms of CARD8-HIV-1 RNA interaction.
Partner Pilot Awardees
Partner Pilot Awards support investigator pairs, with one person from an academic institution and the other from a community-based organization or public health agency.
Aditi Ramakrishnan, MD, MSc
Project: PrEPForward: Uncovering Barriers and Solutions to PrEP Services in Rural and Urban Missouri
Principal investigator: Aditi Ramakrishnan, WashU
Key personnel and collaborators: Dima Dandachi, University of Missouri; Stephen Adams, APO Community Health Center
Summary: In partnership with public health and community-based organizations, this study aims to identify barriers and facilitators to HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) services in rural and urban Missouri. The team will interview patients and providers across clinics state-wide, using these findings to design more effective PrEP services in rural and urban Missouri and thus improve HIV prevention health equity.
Special thanks to all who supported these awards, including: the NIH and NIAID, the WashU Office of the Provost, the WashU Center for Dissemination and Implementation, the WashU Medicine Light Institute for Global Health and Transformation, and Saint Louis University.
Written by April Houston.