URBAN ARCH at CROI 2023
The 30th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) was held from February 19 to 22, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. Several URBAN ARCH investigators and trainees presented oral abstracts and posters at the conference.
Three presentations highlighted the work of URBAN ARCH investigators in Uganda. Dr. Gabriel Chamie presented an oral abstract entitled “RCT of Economic Incentives for Reduced Alcohol Use and INH Adherence Among PWH.” A recording of the presentation is available here and the abstract is available here. This abstract focused on results from the DIPT study in Uganda, which was completed last year and aimed to evaluate the impact of various financial incentives on alcohol use and isoniazid (INH) adherence among people with HIV. Dr. Judy Hahn presented a poster entitled “Isoniazid Toxicity Among PWH with Latent TB who Consume Alcohol: A Single Arm Trial,” which also highlighted data from the DIPT study. The poster is available for download here. Dr. Sarah Puryear, an early stage investigator mentored by Dr. Hahn, presented a poster utilizing data from the SEARCH study in Uganda and Kenya. The abstract is entitled “Randomized Trial of Brief Alcohol Intervention for Viral Suppression and Alcohol Use,” and the poster is available for download here.
Two additional presentations at CROI highlighted the work of URBAN ARCH investigators in Russia. Dr. Jeffrey Samet presented an oral abstract focused on the results of the LINC-II study in Russia, which evaluated the effectiveness of an intervention combining pharmacological therapy with strengths-based case management on various HIV outcomes. The abstract is entitled “Suppressing Viral Load in People with HIV Who Inject Drugs in Russia: LINC-II RCT” and is available here. The recording of this presentation is available here. Dr. Matthew Freiberg presented a poster focused on the results of the St PETER RCT study, which concluded last year and tested the effectiveness of varenicline, cytisine, and nicotine replacement therapy for smoking cessation among a sample of people with HIV who smoked and reported heavy drinking. The abstract is entitled “Effect of Nicotine Receptor Agonists on Inflammation and Risk of CHD and Death in HIV,” and the poster is available for download here.
URBAN ARCH affiliates who attended CROI were also able to gather for dinner during the conference. Overall, this year’s conference was a great opportunity for URBAN ARCH investigators and trainees to reconnect after a few years of virtual conferences, and to hear the latest advances in the field of HIV and substance use research.
