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Screening strategies for sexually transmitted infections among young adults

Award Number: K23AI174917
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY & INFECTIOUS DISEASES
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: TRAINING/TRAINEESHIP
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 09/01/2023
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 08/31/2028

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Screening strategies for sexually transmitted infections among young adults - Over the past decade, rates of curable sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have risen dramatically in the United States and globally. Untreated STIs, such as gonorrhea, chlamydia, and trichomoniasis, increase HIV acquisition and transmission risk and can cause substantial morbidity for young women, including pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility, and pregnancy complications. Rising STI rates among adolescents and young adults (AYA), despite the availability of accurate diagnostics and effective treatment, underscore the need for scalable screening strategies that effectively reach young people at highest risk. This study will develop and evaluate a novel, youth-informed, community-based STI screening approach for AYA. The research will use qualitative and quantitative formative data to design an acceptable and effective strategy that can ultimately be adapted for diverse populations in the United States. The study will be conducted in rural South Africa, where STI and HIV incidence among AYA are among the highest in the world, making evaluation of screening approaches feasible and efficient. This collaboration leverages an established community-based research platform in an area with a unified public healthcare system, enabling rigorous evaluation of screening preferences, uptake, and implementation outcomes. In the United States, where healthcare delivery is fragmented across multiple systems, population-level evaluation of screening interventions is much more difficult and costly. I am an Infectious Disease physician with a background in clinical epidemiology and an interest in reducing the burden of STIs and their contribution to HIV transmission. The NIH K23 Mentored Research Career Development Award will provide the training necessary for me to become an independent clinician-investigator. I will pursue training in (1) qualitative research methods, (2) discrete choice analysis and clinical trial design, and (3) implementation science methods and frameworks. My primary mentor is Dr. Ingrid Bassett, an expert in implementation research and HIV cohort studies. My mentorship team includes experts in community-based sexual health and HIV prevention (Dr. Maryam Shahmanesh), qualitative research (Dr. Christina Psaros), and biostatistics (Dr. Robert Parker). With their guidance, I will: (Aim 1) evaluate motivations and preferences for STI screening among AYA using qualitative methods; (Aim 2) conduct a Discrete Choice Experiment to quantify screening preferences; and (Aim 3) evaluate implementation of a community-based STI screening strategy designed through this formative work. The proposed research will inform development of youth-centered, decentralized STI screening approaches and generate evidence relevant to improving STI prevention strategies for high-risk and underserved young people in the U.S. This work will provide a strong foundation for my career as an independent clinician-investigator focused on STI and HIV prevention.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2026 ( Subtotal = $188,244 )
2026	2026	THE MIRIAM HOSPITAL	164 SUMMIT AVE	PROVIDENCE	RI	02906	PROVIDENCE	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	003	4	9/17/2026	SUPPLEMENT FOR EXPANSION	$39,520
2026	2026	THE MIRIAM HOSPITAL	164 SUMMIT AVE	PROVIDENCE	RI	02906	PROVIDENCE	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	002	4	9/10/2026	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$148,724
2026	2024	THE GENERAL HOSPITAL CORPORATION	55 FRUIT ST	BOSTON	MA	02114	SUFFOLK	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	001	2	8/20/2026	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
2026	2024	THE GENERAL HOSPITAL CORPORATION	55 FRUIT ST	BOSTON	MA	02114	SUFFOLK	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	000	2	3/12/2026	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $188,244

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = $188,628 )
2025	2025	THE MIRIAM HOSPITAL	164 SUMMIT AVE	PROVIDENCE	RI	02906	PROVIDENCE	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	002	3	9/16/2025	SUPPLEMENT FOR EXPANSION	$35,703
2025	2025	THE MIRIAM HOSPITAL	164 SUMMIT AVE	PROVIDENCE	RI	02906	PROVIDENCE	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	001	3	9/3/2025	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$152,925
2025	2024	THE GENERAL HOSPITAL CORPORATION	55 FRUIT ST	BOSTON	MA	02114	SUFFOLK	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	000	2	9/2/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
2025	2024	THE GENERAL HOSPITAL CORPORATION	55 FRUIT ST	BOSTON	MA	02114	SUFFOLK	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	003	2	9/17/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $188,628

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $195,569 )
2024	2024	THE GENERAL HOSPITAL CORPORATION	55 FRUIT ST	BOSTON	MA	02114	SUFFOLK	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	000	2	7/31/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$195,569
														Subtotal = $195,569

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $197,640 )
2023	2023	THE GENERAL HOSPITAL CORPORATION	55 FRUIT ST	BOSTON	MA	02114	SUFFOLK	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	000	1	8/28/2023	NEW	$197,640
														Subtotal = $197,640

Grand Total All Awards = $770,081

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Screening strategies for sexually transmitted infections among young adults

Award Number: K23AI174917

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY & INFECTIOUS DISEASES

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: TRAINING/TRAINEESHIP

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 09/01/2023

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 08/31/2028

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