The Clinical and Behavioral Sciences Core (CBSC) supports innovative medical and behavioral research to improve the HIV care continuum and HIV prevention among vulnerable populations. Both medical and behavioral sciences are critical to the success of any intervention to improve HIV treatment or prevent infection and the CBSC provides a full range of services to support investigators conducting integrated medical/behavioral research as well as research along the full biobehavioral spectrum. We facilitate access to study populations and data for people living with, or at-risk for, HIV; provide services to support participant engagement; offer expertise and services related to regulatory compliance and ethical conduct of research; support study design, implementation, and evaluation; and deliver specialized services for conducting implementation science research. The CBSC provides these services and expertise in NIH priority areas, with special interest and expertise in justice-involved populations, women, youth, and hyperepidemic resource-limited settings such as the Southern US and internationally. Our clinical centers, academic institutions, research sites, and collaboration with state agencies, community-based organizations, and international partners provide the foundation and context for service delivery.
Providence/Boston Center for AIDS Research (CFAR)
Clinical and Behavioral Sciences Core
Core Directors
Core Manager
- Aurielle Ross, MSc
Key Core Faculty
Access to Populations and Data (Domestic):
Support for Participant Engagement:
Intervention Design, Implementation, Evaluation:
Access to Populations and Data (International):
Human Subjects/Ethical Conduct of Research:
Implementation Sciences and Economic analysis:
- Mentoring: We provide mentorship to junior investigators in developing behavioral protocols; assessments (e.g., sex risks, mental health, and substance use); behavioral interventions (e.g., mHealth/eHealth and face-to-face); grant applications; preparation and submission of manuscripts, selection of appropriate journal, and mentorship to investigators at any stage of their career who are developing HIV as a focus in their research.
- Investigator Support: We support investigators with a focus on SBS for improving the full continuum of HIV healthcare to advance the HIV care cascade and Prevention Services in vulnerable populations and to reduce co-morbidities. We provide administrative assistance in coordinating meetings of SBS research collaborators; facilitate development of staff and investigators to perform qualitative or quantitative research; assistance in examining the behavioral aspects of novel HIV prevention interventions such as vaccines, PrEP, addiction treatment, and mHealth/eHealth through educational programs, such as workshops, journal clubs and conferences; assistance with IRB protocol development; assistance with grant submissions; and assisting with abstract and manuscript development (e.g., literature searches, reference databases, online submission).
- Promoting Engagement: We foster SBS HIV prevention and intervention efforts focused on vulnerable populations. The efforts promote collaboration among CFAR investigators and the community by hosting annual meetings; assisting with community education projects and community HIV prevention activities impacting MSM, those with unhealthy substance use, and patients with STDs; supporting translational research and projects that promote structural changes at the community and state-wide level through pilot projects; and participation in the Social and Behavioral Sciences Research Network’s annual meeting and mentoring day, and the New England HIV Implementation Science Network with Yale’s Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS.
- PrEP Related Services and Information