Developed countries such as the U.S. have made tremendous progress in treating HIV infection since the epidemic's inception. However, treatment complications, rising costs, and the challenge of allocating limited resources all have dampened the optimism resulting from these clinical advances. Moreover, while the overall prevalence of HIV in countries like the U.S. has remained relatively stable, HIV continues to rise in sub-groups, such as ethnic minorities.

Beyond the U.S. and other developed countries, HIV has become a global pandemic, affecting women, men, and children, with prevalence estimates approaching 30-40% in some areas of sub-Saharan Africa. While HIV clinical progression has become better understood and effective treatment has become a reality in developed countries, severe financial and human resource constraints have limited the extent to which developing countries can offer available and sustainable HIV care.

For over a decade, the faculty of the Center for Health Decision Sciences along with a multidisciplinary group of collaborators, has addressed various critical HIV/AIDS-related issues. In the U.S., results from our studies have been used to inform national HIV clinical guidelines, on issues relating to:

Research with French colleagues has highlighted differences in the natural history of HIV disease progression (e.g., risk of opportunistic infection) between the U.S. and France, showcasing the need for country-specific guidelines, prevention, treatment, and care policies.

In less-developed countries, our research agenda encompasses addressing questions relating to:

The team collaborates with researchers in many countries including, Cote d'Ivoire, South Africa, India, and the Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), in an effort to understand differences in HIV treatment and transmission policies under conditions with differing: