Alcohol Research Consortium in HIV: Biostatistics and Method Core

HIV Treatment as Prevention (TASP) is critical to Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE).

At-risk alcohol use and alcohol used disorder (AUD) are barriers to TASP through direct impacts on the HIV Care Continuum (HIV-CC).

The impact of alcohol use on other comorbidities among persons with HIV (PWH) including liver disease, cardiovascular disease (CVD), malignancy, cognition, and frailty is increasingly relevant as persons age with HIV.

The goals of ARCH are to implement evidence based alcohol interventions across the alcohol use spectrum (from no use, low risk, at-risk, AUD, recovery (low risk use or no use) or remission (no use) and relapse); to understand the contextual factors (i.e., social determinants of health [SDH] from the individual to community level) impact on alcohol use spectrum, the alcohol care continuum (Alc-CC), HIV ?CC, and comorbidities; and to determine the optimal alcohol targets (abstinence, reduction in WHO risk score) and use different sources of alcohol measures to maximize information for determining alcohol status.

The goal of the ARCH Biostatistics and Methods Core (ARCH-BMC) is to ensure that high quality contemporary research is carried out in terms of formulating research questions, study design, and analyses of the projects included within this P01.

The ARCH- BMC will provide expertise and leadership in epidemiology and biostatistics in the quantitative support of the consortium.

As has been done in prior years of ARCH, our group we will increase the depth to which research questions are pursued, resulting in increased quantity, quality, and effectiveness of the consortium research objectives, including the overall goals of the P01 (implementation science of alcohol interventions, impact of social determinants of health, and measures of alcohol).

To accomplish this goal, we propose activities for both project support and methodological development.

The specific aims of ARCH BMC are: 1) To provide wide- ranging, high-quality epidemiological and statistical support to ARCH, 2) To provide leadership in developing new statistical and epidemiological methods that address deficiencies in causal methods relevant to the novel research aims of the consortium, and 3) To integrate supplemental data sources and assessment of novel methodologies across the alcohol care continuum.

ARCH-BMC adds value by contributing quantitative and epidemiological perspectives to the ARCH P01 scientific agenda and simultaneously operationalizing the science with appropriate study designs, data management, and analytical methodology.

Successful research is accomplished by creating comprehensive partnerships that provide expertise throughout the entire research process, from the beginning with the conceptualization of the research question through all steps to publication.

Innovation and improved research insights are obtained when collaborations integrate novel and improved methodology, uncovering further methodological challenges and motivating new areas for research.

By supporting the research projects and working collaboratively with the transdisciplinary ARCH team, ARCH-BMC will increase the likelihood of success of ARCH in achieving its overall project goals.