D-CFAR investigator receives NIH grant to study insomnia treatment for people with HIV

OCTOBER 6, 2025

Burel R. Goodin, PhD

Congratulations to Burel R. Goodin, PhD, professor of anesthesiology at WashU and Midwest D-CFAR investigator, for receiving a new R01 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This award will fund Dr. Goodin's innovative Healthy Behaviors for Insomnia Prevention in People with HIV and Ongoing Pain (HIP HOP) study. Beau Ances, MD, PhD, and Rachel Presti, MD, PhD, director and co-director of the D-CFAR’s Clinical Science Core, will serve as co-investigators on the study.

Dr. Goodin, an expert in clinical health psychology with a focus on pain-related behavioral medicine, seeks to explore the impact of improving sleep on mitigating chronic pain among people with HIV (PWH). The HIP HOP study will implement a four-week course of telephone-based insomnia treatment program, with the goal of determining whether such interventions can significantly enhance sleep quality, reduce pain sensitivity, improve overall quality of life, and slow the pace of biological aging in PWH.

"The biggest reason I applied to conduct the HIP HOP study was to determine whether improving sleep can also help improve chronic pain in people living with HIV, insomnia, and a chronic pain condition,” Dr. Goodin explained.

Recognizing the potential to make important discoveries, Dr. Goodin further emphasized the significance of the study's design, which also considers social factors that may influence responses to the treatment. “Neighborhood social environments and sleep environments might play a crucial role in how people with HIV respond to [insomnia treatment],” he noted. “Our aim is to develop an intervention that is not only effective but also accessible, thereby helping PWH in Missouri and beyond achieve a better quality of life.”

Dr. Goodin's previous research has significantly contributed to understanding the intersection of pain, sleep disturbances, and biological aging in PWH. His work has been a collaborative effort with leading institutions, and the HIP HOP study represents the next step in translating these insights into practical, scalable interventions.

"My hope is that this study will highlight the value of brief, behavioral interventions that are safe and can help people with HIV manage their sleep and pain better.”

Written by April Houston. Featured photo by Megan te Boekhorst on Unsplash.