Current Research Projects

In addition to serving as a national resource for HIV-related research, CNTN is affiliated with a number of ongoing research programs at each of the participatingsites. The following is a list of current research studies. To view a list of selected publications from our studies, click here. 
HIV Neuropathogenesis in a Cohort of Long-Term Surviving Young Adults in Romania Cristian Achim, M.D., Ph.D.
Agency: NIMH/FIH
Agency Award Number: 5R21MH77487-02
Project Period: 1/1/2007-12/31/2008		This project will demonstrate feasibility and will help develop an infrastructure to perform neurobehavioral and virological studies in Romania, which may provide a unique insight in the future of HIV-associated NP impairment in long term-survivors on HAART.
 
Immunophilins in the Neuroglial Response to HIV Cristian Achim, M.D., Ph.D.
Agency: NIH/NIMH
Agency Award Number: 1R21MH76681-01A2
Project Period: 9/27/2007-8/31/2009		To study the association between immunophilins (IP) and markers of neurodegeneration in HIV infected patients.
 
Biomarker correlations of neurocognitive impairment during malaria and HIV co-infection among individuals in southern India Ajay Bharti, M.D.
Agency: HNRC
Agency Award Number: HNRC809
Project Period: 3/1/2008-2/28/2009		This study investigates the effect of asymptomatic malaria co-infection on HIV-related neurocognitive impairment (NCI) in our south Indian cohort. In this proposed study, we will determine the effect of our subclinical malaria on immune activation and NCI.
 
Functional & Cognitive Impact of HIV in Spanish Speakers Mariana Cherner, Ph.D.
Agency: NIH/NIMH
Agency Award Number: 5R01MH64907-05
Project Period: 1/1/2004-12/31/2008		The primary objective of this project is to establish the utility of the functional battery for measuring HIV-related functional impairments in Spanish speakers.
 
Interdisciplinary Research Fellowship in NeuroAIDS Ian Everall, M.D., Ph.D.
Agency: NIH/NIMH
Agency Award Number: 1R25MH071482-01
Project Period: 8/15/2007-7/31/2012		To establish a two-year Interdisciplinary Research Fellowship in NeuroAIDS to train tomorrow`s generation of NeuroAIDS clinician-researchers. The Fellowship will emphasize interdisciplinary and translational neuroAIDS research by mentoring fellows with leading edge basic and clinical neuroscientists attached to the HNRC, UCSD, The Scripps Research Institute, and the Burnham Medical Research Institute.
 
Somatostatin & Stress-Related Genes in HIV & Comorbid Major Depressive Disorder Ian Everall, M.D., Ph.D.
Agency: NIH/NIMH
Agency Award Number: 5R01MH079881-02
Project Period: 9/27/2006-7/31/2011		To quantify our candidate somatostatin and stress-related gene expression (FGF2, GADD45A/B and SGK1) in human brain derived from persons who died with HIV, MDD and combined risks, as well as those who had neither risk. To establish whether commonalities exist between HIV and MDD at the gene expression level.
 
California NeuroAIDS Tissue Network (CNTN) Igor Grant, M.D.
Agency: NIH/NINDS
Agency Award Number: 1U01MH083506
Project Period: 6/5/2008-4/30/2013		A tissue bank comprised of CNS autopsy material from HIV infected individuals who are well characterized neuropsychologically and neuromedically.
 
CNS HIV Anti-Retroviral Therapy Effects Research (CHARTER) Igor Grant, M.D.
Agency: NIH/NIMH
Agency Award Number: N01MH22005
Project Period: 9/10/2002-8/31/2010		To assess the long-term effects of potent anti-retroviral therapy on HIV-induced disease of the nervous system.
 
NeuroAIDS: Effects of Methamphetamine and HCV Igor Grant, M.D.
Agency: NIH/NIDA
Agency Award Number: 5P01DA12065-08
Project Period: 5/15/2005-4/30/2010		The aim of this Program Project is to clarify the mechanisms of methamphetamine potentiation of HIV neural injury. The Program will examine the separate and combined effects of HIV, METH, and HCV.
 
HIV Neurobehavioral Research Center (HNRC/CSPAR) Igor Grant, M.D.
Agency: NIMH/CSPAR
Agency Award Number: 5P30MH62512-01
Project Period: 4/15/2006-3/31/2011		A center that integrates and supports research into etiology, pathogenesis, phenomenology, treatment and prevention of neuroAIDS.
 
Neurobehavioral Effects of HIV & Host Genetics in China Robert Heaton, Ph.D.
Agency: NIH/NIMH
Agency Award Number: 5R01MH73433-04
Project Period: 5/13/2005-4/30/2010		To develop assessment instruments and norms to measure neurocognitive status in the Chinese population infected with HIV.
 
Inhibitory Deficits in Methamphetamine Dependence and HIV Infection Brook Henry, Ph.D.
Agency: HNRC
Agency Award Number: HNRC819
Project Period: 12/1/2007-11/30/2008		This project will improve our understanding of the pathology of HIV and comorbid drug use and will develop a novel translational paradigm with considerable potential to test treatments for this disease and identify the neural substrates underlying these disorders.
 
Role of Evolving White Matter Damage in Neurocognitive Effects of HIV and HCV Terry Jernigan, Ph.D.
Agency: NIH/NIMH
Agency Award Number: 5R01MH79752-02
Project Period: 12/1/2006-11/30/2011		This project proposes to use multimodal imaging techniques to examine the effects of HIV and HCV in the white matter of a well characterized cohort being studied longitudinally at the CHARTER San Diego site.
 
The association of Insulin resistance (IR) and metabolic syndrome (MS) with neurocognitive impairment in HIV/AIDS patients in China Hua Jin, Ph.D.
Agency: HNRC
Agency Award Number: HNRC829
Project Period: 7/1/2008-6/30/2009		This study measures IR and MS and compares the neurocognitive functions between individuals with and without increased MRS. The generated data will help us understand the role of IR or MS to neurocognitive impairment in HIV/AIDS patients, especially in the Asian population that often has higher risk of diabetes and the largest HIV epidemic in the world.
 
The association of Insulin resistance (IR) and metabolic syndrome (MS) with neurocognitive impairment in HIV/AIDS patients in China Hua Jin, Ph.D.
Agency: HNRC
Agency Award Number: HNRC829
Project Period: 7/1/2008-6/30/2009		This study measures IR and MS and compares the neurocognitive functions between individuals with and without increased MRS. The generated data will help us understand the role of IR or MS to neurocognitive impairment in HIV/AIDS patients, especially in the Asian population that often has higher risk of diabetes and the largest HIV epidemic in the world.
 
Medication Adherence Among Bipolar Disorder Patients David Moore, Ph.D.
Agency: NIH/NIMH
Agency Award Number: 1R03MH78785-02
Project Period: 12/6/2006-11/30/2008		The aim of this project is to determine the predictors (e.g., cognitive, substance use, psychiatric) of objective medication adherence (e.g., MEMS caps) among individuals with both bipolar disorder and HIV infection.
 
HIV/Bipolar Disorder: Implications for Medication Adherence David Moore, Ph.D.
Agency: UARP
Agency Award Number: ID06-SD-201
Project Period: 10/1/2006-9/30/2008		Application designed to assess self-reported medication adherence and qualitative interviews with persons with HIV/Bipolar Disorder.
 
Behavioral Intervention for Female Workers in Mexico Thomas Patterson, Ph.D.
Agency: NIH/NIMH
Agency Award Number: 5R01MH65849-05
Project Period: 12/1/2006-11/30/2008		This study tests the efficacy of a counseling and educational program in increasing condom use among female sex workers in four cities on the Mexican side of the U.S.-Mexico border: Tijuana, Ciudad Juárez, Matamoros, and Nuevo Laredo. High rates of HIV and other sexually transmitted disease among this population make risk reduction a public health priority. Women are recruited from clinics, through personal referrals, and through direct outreach.
 
Longitudinal Proton MRS Study of HIV-related Brain Injury Michael Taylor, Ph.D.
Agency: NIH/N.E. Medical Center
Agency Award Number: 999
Project Period: 2/1/2004-1/31/2009		This national multi-site study is designed to evaluate the impact of HIV on the central nervous system using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Dr. Brad Navia from Tufts/New England Medical Center is the PI and Dr. Michael Taylor is the UCSD site PI.
 
In Vivo Proton MRS Studies: Cerebral Injury in HIV Infection Michael Taylor, Ph.D.
Agency: NIH/Tufts University
Agency Award Number: 5R01NS36524-08
Project Period: 5/23/2005-4/30/2010		To examine the relationship of metabolic patterns as measured by MRS in ADC subjects to levels of HIV RNA, immune activation, including chemokines, the CSF and peripheral compartments in response to potent antiretroviral therapy. Correlate changes in regional metabolites and surrogate markers of disease to neurocognitive performance.
 
Mixed Effects Models for Analysis of Longitudinal CHARTER Neurocognitive Data Florin Vaida, Ph.D.
Agency: HNRC
Agency Award Number: HNRC839
Project Period: 7/1/2008-6/30/2009		This study searches to develop a new statistical method for model selection in generalized mixed effects models, and to apply those developed methods to the analysis of existing data from the CHARTER study with particular focus on longitudinal neuropsychological impairment as measured by the global deficit score.