# Using mobile technology to prevent HIV and related Youth Health problems: Sexual health, Mental health, and Substance use in southwest Uganda (Youth Health SMS)

> **NIH NIH K01** · NEW YORK STATE PSYCHIATRIC INSTITUTE DBA RESEARCH FOUNDATION FOR MENTAL HYGIENE, INC · 2020 · $180,496

## Abstract

The proposed K01 Award will provide the candidate, Dr. Kreniske, with the skills to achieve his long-term goal
of being an independent HIV investigator and an international leader who leverages digital technology to improve
adolescent and young adult (AYA) uptake of HIV prevention (including PrEP and HIV testing) and linkage to
behavioral health care. The candidate is a developmental psychologist with experience in qualitative and cross-
sectional research, domestically and internationally. The proposed training and research experience will expand
the candidate’s ability to design and evaluate interventions for AYA at high risk for HIV infection and address the
high priority topic of the National Institute of Health (NIH) Office of AIDS Research (OAR) of reducing the
incidence of HIV. To achieve his overall goals, Dr. Kreniske will receive additional training in: (1) longitudinal
data analysis for the purposes of interpreting associations between mobile phone use and protective and risk
factors for HIV infection in under-resourced settings; (2) adapting mobile phone-based interventions to address
multiple HIV risk factors as they relate to HIV prevention and the HIV care cascade; (3) evaluating mobile phone-
based interventions for AYA in under-resourced settings using randomized controlled trials (RCT); and (4)
professional skills for a successful independent research career, including grant and manuscript writing. The
candidate has assembled a mentorship team of national and international leaders who will support his successful
transition to independence through coursework, directed readings, one-on-one meetings, hands-on research
activities, and completion of an independent research project. Dr. Kreniske’s work is based in East and Southern
Africa (ESA) where AYA have the highest rates of HIV infection worldwide. Mental health and substance use
affect decision making about sexual and reproductive health and thus function as critical barriers to prevention
of HIV infection. AYA, particularly in this socio-cultural context, face unique challenges in accessing counselors
who can provide mental health and substance use assessment and treatment. To address these challenges the
candidate will identify how technology is related to known HIV risk factors (e.g. sexual behaviors, mental health
symptoms, substance use) and adapt and evaluate a mobile phone-based intervention. This will serve as proof
of concept for an R01 proposal to evaluate a scalable mobile phone-based intervention to reduce HIV infection
by targeting at risk AYA. Research and training will occur at NYSPI/ Columbia University as well as international
sites, in affiliation with two NIH-funded studies, (1) SSTAR, a study of AYA social transitions and determinants
(R01HD091003; PI Santelli), which will provide secondary data from the Rakai Community Cohort Study
(RCCS), and (2) SUUBI4Her (R01MH113486; PI Ssewamala), an HIV prevention study for AYA girls in Uganda
that will provide second...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10079681
- **Project number:** 1K01MH122319-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** NEW YORK STATE PSYCHIATRIC INSTITUTE DBA RESEARCH FOUNDATION FOR MENTAL HYGIENE, INC
- **Principal Investigator:** Philip Kreniske
- **Activity code:** K01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $180,496
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-07-01 → 2025-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10079681

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10079681, Using mobile technology to prevent HIV and related Youth Health problems: Sexual health, Mental health, and Substance use in southwest Uganda (Youth Health SMS) (1K01MH122319-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10079681. Licensed CC0.

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