Innovations in Care Models and Trial Design: Two Decades of Research Improving HIV and Hepatitis C Outcomes in Key Populations in India
Join us on Wednesday, September 30th for the Department of Epidemiology seminar series featuring Dr. Shruti Mehta.
Abstract: People who inject drugs (PWID) carry a disproportionate burden of HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) globally and in India, yet standard models of prevention and treatment have not adequately reached this population. This seminar will highlight two large trials from our research program that used rigorous and innovative designs to improve HIV and HCV outcomes among PWID in India. The first, the Integrated Care Center (ICC) trial, evaluated a person-centered, low-threshold model that delivered HIV, HCV, other infectious disease services, substance use care, and general medical care through a single population-focused center. Conducted across 22 Indian cities, the cluster-randomized trial used stratified restricted randomization and respondent-driven sampling to recruit approximately 1,000 participants per city for baseline and follow-up serosurveys. The second, the STOP C trial, evaluated adherence-support strategies for HCV treatment using a precision randomization approach among 3,000 PWID across seven Indian cities. Participants were stratified by predicted risk of treatment failure and then randomized via an unbalanced allocation approach with those at elevated risk more likely to receive higher-intensity support and those at minimal risk more likely to receive lower-intensity support. Together, these studies show how rigorous trial design can advance scalable, person-centered approaches to HIV and HCV prevention and care among PWID.
Bio: Shruti H. Mehta, PhD, MPH is the Charles Armstrong Chair of the Department of Epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She is the co-director of the Johns Hopkins Center for AIDS Research and the Director of the Johns Hopkins HIV Epidemiology and Prevention Sciences Training Program. Her research focuses on improving access and uptake of HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) interventions among key populations with a particular focus on people who inject drugs with research programs in Baltimore and India.
Speaker Information
Organizers
Related Events
ⓘ Harvard Chan School hosts a diverse array of speakers, invited to share both scholarly research and personal perspectives. They do not speak for the School, and hosting them does not imply endorsement of their views, organizations, or employers.