Mentoring in patient-oriented research on HIV prevention in the US and South Africa

Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston MA

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

The purpose of this K24 mid-career investigator renewal award is to support Dr. Bassett’s mentoring activities and patient-oriented research to improve engagement in HIV prevention and related conditions. Dr. Bassett is a practicing Infectious Disease physician and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School with over 20 years of experience leading clinical research related to HIV and TB screening and treatment, for which she received the HIV Medicine Association Research Award in 2015. She has served as a mentor to 31 young investigators, nine of whom went on to K awards. During the initial K24 award period, Dr. Bassett’s mentees were first- or last-author on 65 publications. Dr. Bassett is deeply committed to continuing and further expanding her mentorship. She has assembled an experienced, multi-disciplinary team of advisors who can support her and her trainees’ career development. Dr. Bassett is Co-Director of the Harvard Center for AIDS Research and leads a K award writing workshop for the Harvard community. She won the Harvard Medical School Young Mentor Award in 2013 in recognition of her mentoring activities. Dr. Bassett proposes an inter-related set of training, mentoring, and research objectives that expand the scope of her research into new areas (HIV prevention and integration of syndemic conditions for men). This K24 would provide Dr. Bassett with: 1) protected time to mentor a cadre of early career scientists and mentors in patient-oriented HIV prevention research, 2) a platform for professional development in advanced observational and community-based participatory research methods, and 3) an opportunity for data collection in new areas to inform her mentees’ and her own future research programs. Dr. Bassett will leverage her collaborations and partnerships with community-based organizations in Boston that serve those at greatest risk for HIV acquisition. The overall goal of the proposed research is to develop innovative, community-based research that addresses fundamental questions about how to improve uptake of HIV prevention among men, as well as how to integrate other critical health needs, such as sexually transmitted infection screening and prevention, into HIV programs. The proposed research program advances key NIH HIV research priorities and will support the protected time required for Dr. Bassett to mentor young investigators in patient-oriented research.