Projects

The Neighborhoods and Networks (N2) Cohort Study

As a population, Black gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (MSM) face high risks for HIV. HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an exciting new biomedical prevention strategy, but its implementation among and uptake by Black MSM has been inconsistent.

N2 is a longitudinal cohort study that aims to better understand the environmental (i.e., neighborhood) and social (i.e., network) factors that effect PrEP uptake and adherence among HIV negative Black MSM. With sites in Chicago, IL, New Orleans, LA, Jackson, MS, and Baton Rouge, LA, N2 has recruited hundreds of men, who are providing details information on their neighborhood-level exposures and environments (including through GPS technology) and their social and sexual networks.

N2 is also being used to better understand how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected communities of Black MSM, including in terms of HIV risk. To learn more about this study, check out the protocol published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

Trying to Understand Relationships, Networks and Neighborhoods among Trans women of color

Transgender (‘trans’) women of color experience unique needs and challenges in the context of their health and well-being. We need innovative research to better understand and respond to these needs.

TURNNT is a longitudinal cohort study funded by the National Institutes of Health, which will collected data from 300 trans women of Black, African American, Latina/Latix, and Asian and Pacific Islander background in New York City.

Detailed movement data will be collected via Global Positioning System (GPS) technology, which will assess exposure to different kinds of urban environments. Further, data on participants’ social and sexual networks will be gathered to explore how relationships and networks influence health and well-being in the context of HIV and more broadly.

Enrollment in TURNNT is open! Please visit www.turnnt.com to take part. Also, check out the TURNNT protocol published in the journal BMC Open.