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Current Research Projects

In addition to the studies listed here, the HNRC also supports many other HIV/AIDS-related projects examining areas such as new treatments for HIV and associated symptoms, new techniques for brain imaging in HIV, and the effects of various comorbidities such as substance abuse and Hepatitis C infection.
HIV Neuropathogenesis in a Cohort of Long-Term Surviving Young Adults in Romania Cristian Achim, M.D., Ph.D.
Agency: NIH/NIMH
Agency Award Number: 5R21MH77487-02 		This project will demonstrate feasibility and will help develop an infrastructure to perform neurobehavioral and virological studies in Romania, which may provide a unique insight in the future of HIV-associated NP impairment in long term-survivors on HAART.
 
Immunophilins in the Neuroglial Response to HIV Cristian Achim, M.D., Ph.D.
Agency: NIH/NIMH
Agency Award Number: 1R21MH76681-01A2 		To study the association between immunophilins (IP) and markers of neurodegeneration in HIV infected patients.
 
Biomarker correlations of neurocognitive impairment during malaria and HIV co-infection among individuals in southern India Ajay Bharti, M.d.
Agency: HNRC
Agency Award Number: HNRC809 		This study investigates the effect of asymptomatic malaria co-infection on HIV-related neurocognitive impairment (NCI) in our south Indian cohort. In this proposed study, we will determine the effect of our subclinical malaria on immune activation and NCI.
 
Functional & Cognitive Impact of HIV in Spanish Speakers Mariana Cherner, Ph.D.
Agency: NIH/NIMH
Agency Award Number: 5R01MH64907-05 		The primary objective of this project is to establish the utility of the functional battery for measuring HIV-related functional impairments in Spanish speakers.
 
GSK3-beta Inhibitors in Preventing HIV Neurodegeneration Ian Everall, M.D, Ph.D.
Agency: UARP
Agency Award Number: ID06-SD-207 		To assess the effect of two GSKb-beta inhibitors in the prevention of HIV neurodegeneration and HIV neurocognitive impairment (HCNI).
 
Interdisciplinary Research Fellowship in NeuroAIDS Ian Everall, M.D., Ph.D.
Agency: NIH/NIMH
Agency Award Number: 1R25MH071482-01 		To establish a two-year Interdisciplinary Research Fellowship in NeuroAIDS to train tomorrow`s generation of NeuroAIDS clinician-researchers. The Fellowship will emphasize interdisciplinary and translational neuroAIDS research by mentoring fellows with leading edge basic and clinical neuroscientists attached to the HNRC, UCSD, The Scripps Research Institute, and the Burnham Medical Research Institute.
 
Somatostatin & Stress-Related Genes in HIV & Comorbid Major Depressive Disorder Ian Everall, M.D., Ph.D.
Agency: NIH/NIMH
Agency Award Number: 5R01MH079881-02 		To quantify our candidate somatostatin and stress-related gene expression (FGF2, GADD45A/B and SGK1) in human brain derived from persons who died with HIV, MDD and combined risks, as well as those who had neither risk. To establish whether commonalities exist between HIV and MDD at the gene expression level.
 
California NeuroAIDS Tissue Network (CNTN) Igor Grant, M.D.
Agency: NIH/NINDS
Agency Award Number: 1U01MH083506 		A tissue bank comprised of CNS autopsy material from HIV infected individuals who are well characterized neuropsychologically and neuromedically.
 
CNS HIV Anti-Retroviral Therapy Effects Research (CHARTER) Igor Grant, M.D.
Agency: NIH/NIMH
Agency Award Number: N01MH22005 		To assess the long-term effects of potent anti-retroviral therapy on HIV-induced disease of the nervous system.
 
HIV Neurobehavioral Research Center (HNRC/CSPAR) Igor Grant, M.D.
Agency: NIH/NIMH
Agency Award Number: 5P30MH62512-01 		A center that integrates and supports research into etiology, pathogenesis, phenomenology, treatment and prevention of neuroAIDS.
 
NeuroAIDS: Effects of Methamphetamine and HCV Igor Grant, M.D.
Agency: NIH/NIDA
Agency Award Number: 5P01DA12065-07 		The aim of this Program Project is to clarify the mechanisms of methamphetamine potentiation of HIV neural injury. The Program will examine the separate and combined effects of HIV, METH, and HCV.
 
Neurobehavioral Effects of HIV & Host Genetics in China Robert Heaton, Ph.D.
Agency: NIH/NIMH
Agency Award Number: 5R01MH73433-04 		To develop assessment instruments and norms to measure neurocognitive status in the Chinese population infected with HIV.
 
Inhibitory Deficits in Methamphetamine Dependence and HIV Infection Brook Henry, Ph.D.
Agency: NIMH
Agency Award Number: HNRC819 		Inhibition, i.e. the ability to withhold or attenuate an action or a thought, is of central importance in the regulation of behavior, and inhibitory deficits are key features of both HIV infection and methamphetamine (MA) dependence. Deficits in inhibitory behavior manifest as increased motor activity, perseverative behavior, and decreased sensorimotor inhibition and are hypothesized to be mediated by dopaminergic (DA) dysfunction in frontostriatal regions. Our group has recently established the first human open field paradigm (Human Behavior Pattern Monitor: HBPM), where human motor activity and behavior are measured in a room containing furniture and several engaging novel objects, a task directly based on models of rodent exploration. We hypothesize that HIV-infected individuals with comorbid MA dependence will exhibit inhibitory deficits compared to subjects with either HIV or MA dependence alone due to the combined effect of both factors on DA activation/sensitivity in the basal ganglia and neurotoxic damage to the prefrontal cortex. The first aim of our study will examine the effect of MA dependence and HIV on inhibitory deficits in the HBPM, while the second aim will assess the effect on prepulse inhibition (PPI), a form of sensorimotor gating. This project will improve our understanding of the pathology of HIV and comorbid drug use and will develop a novel translational paradigm with considerable potential to test treatments for this disease and identify the neural substrates underlying these disorders.
 
fMRI Indices and CSF Viral Load in HIV Infection Terry Jernigan, Ph.D.
Agency: NIH/NIMH
Agency Award Number: 5R01MH64905-05 		To evaluate the application of structural (sMRI) and functional (fMRI) imaging methods for predicting CNS viral loads.
 
Neurocognitive Consequences of Methamphetamine Use in Adolescence Terry Jernigan, Ph.D.
Agency: Academic Senate
Agency Award Number: RE565H 		The purpose of this study is to characterize the neurocognitive deficits associated with methamphetamine dependence during adolescence, elucidate the neural basis of these deficits with imaging techniques, and place these findings in a developmental context.
 
Role of Evolving White Matter Damage in Neurocognitive Effects of HIV and HCV Terry Jernigan, Ph.D.
Agency: NIH/NIMH
Agency Award Number: 5R01MH79752-02 		This project proposes to use multimodal imaging techniques to examine the effects of HIV and HCV in the white matter of a well characterized cohort being studied longitudinally at the CHARTER San Diego site.
 
The association of Insulin resistance (IR) and metabolic syndrome (MS) with neurocognitive impairment in HIV/AIDS patients in China Hua Jin,
Agency: HNRC
Agency Award Number: HNRC829 		This study measures IR and MS and compares the neurocognitive functions between individuals with and without increased MRS. The generated data will help us understand the role of IR or MS to neurocognitive impairment in HIV/AIDS patients, especially in the Asian population that often has higher risk of diabetes and the largest HIV epidemic in the world.
 
Neurocognitive Effects of HCV, HIV, and Drug Use Scott Letendre, M.D.
Agency: NIH/NIDA
Agency Award Number: 5R01DA16015-03 		To distinguish the effects of drug use, HCV infection, and HIV infection on neuropsychological performance, cerebral metabolism, and immune activation and to evaluate the cerebral metabolic, viral, and other biological correlates of neurocognitive impairment in HCV-infected study participants.
 
Development of Simulations to Detect Impaired Drivers Thomas Marcotte, Ph.D.
Agency: NIH/STI
Agency Award Number: 5R42MH57593-04 		To assess the impact that repeated cannabis administration has on driving abilities.
 
Impact of Repeated Cannabis Treatment on Driving Abilities Thomas Marcotte, Ph.D.
Agency: State of California/CMCR
Agency Award Number: C00-SD-102 		To examine whether routine administration of cannabis in the medical treatment of HIV-related neuropathy and spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis results in significant impairment in driving abilities.
 
HIV/Bipolar Disorder: Implications for Medication Adherence David Moore, Ph.D.
Agency: UARP
Agency Award Number: ID06-SD-207 		Application designed to assess self-reported medication adherence and qualitative interviews with persons with HIV/Bipolar Disorder.
 
Medication Adherence Among Bipolar Disorder Patients David Moore, Ph.D.
Agency: NIH/NIMH
Agency Award Number: 1R03MH78785-01A1 		The aim of this project is to determine the predictors (e.g., cognitive, substance use, psychiatric) of objective medication adherence (e.g., MEMS caps) among individuals with both bipolar disorder and HIV infection.
 
Behavioral Intervention for Female Workers in Mexico Minority Supplement Thomas Patterson, Ph.D.
Agency: NIH/NIMH
Agency Award Number: 3R01MH65849-04S1 		This study tests the efficacy of a counseling and educational program in increasing condom use among female sex workers in four cities on the Mexican side of the U.S.-Mexico border: Tijuana, Ciudad Juárez, Matamoros, and Nuevo Laredo. High rates of HIV and other sexually transmitted disease among this population make risk reduction a public health priority. Women are recruited from clinics, through personal referrals, and through direct outreach.
 
In Vivo Astrocyte Metabolism Using Acetate-2-13C MRS in HIV Brian Schweinsburg, Ph.D.
Agency: UARP
Agency Award Number: ID05-SD-038 		This study examines the impact of HIV on brain astrocyte metabolism. Specifically, the metabolic rates of the glutamate-glutamine cycle and astrocyte tricarboxylic acid cycle are measured in volunteers.
 
American Psychological Foundation Scholarship (J. Cobb Scott) J. Cobb Scott, M.S.
Agency: APF
Agency Award Number: N/A 		The primary aim of this project is to gather pilot data on novel, functional cognitive measures of script generation and multitasking in individuals with HIV infection in order to examine the associations of these measures with everyday functioning abilities.
 
Brain Response to HAART Measured with MR Spectroscopy Michael Taylor, Ph.D.
Agency: NIH/NIMH
Agency Award Number: 5R01MH64920-04 		To evaluate brain metabolites before and after treatment with different antiretroviral treatment regimens in individuals with HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (dementia and minor cognitive-motor disorder), to relate changes in brain metabolites with alterations in HIV RNA collected from the CSF and plasma as a result of antiretroviral treatment and to evaluate the effect of altering treatment strategies in those individuals who fail HAART treatment and initiate a new regimen after structured treatment interruption.
 
In Vivo Proton MRS Studies: Cerebral Injury in HIV Infection Michael Taylor, Ph.D.
Agency: NIH/Tufts University
Agency Award Number: 5R01NS36524-08 		To examine the relationship of metabolic patterns as measured by MRS in ADC subjects to levels of HIV RNA, immune activation, including chemokines, the CSF and peripheral compartments in response to potent antiretroviral therapy. Correlate changes in regional metabolites and surrogate markers of disease to neurocognitive performance.
 
Longitudinal Proton MRS Study of HIV-related Brain Injury Michael Taylor, Ph.D.
Agency: NIH/N.E. Medical Center
Agency Award Number: 999 		This national multi-site study is designed to evaluate the impact of HIV on the central nervous system using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Dr. Brad Navia from Tufts/New England Medical Center is the PI and Dr. Michael Taylor is the UCSD site PI.
 
Mixed Effects Models for Analysis of Longitudinal CHARTER Neurocognitive Data Florin Vaida,
Agency: HNRC
Agency Award Number: HNRC839 		This study searches to develop a new statistical method for model selection in generalized mixed effects models, and to apply those developed methods to the analysis of existing data from the CHARTER study with particular focus on longitudinal neuropsychological impairment as measured by the global deficit score.