# Research Training for Substance Use Mediated HIV Epidemic in Kazakhstan

> **NIH NIH D43** · SUNY DOWNSTATE MEDICAL CENTER · 2021 · $300,905

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
The NYS International Training and Research Program (ITRP) of SUNY Downstate Health
Sciences University (DHSU) proposes to renew its existing HIV Research Training Program in
Kazakhstan (KZ) in collaboration with Asfendiyarov Kazakh National Medical University (KNMU)
in Almaty. NYS-ITRP has a 25-year history of successfully providing advanced HIV research
training in the region and enhancing research capacity. While NYS-ITRP investments have
strengthened the ability of KZ to respond to the HIV epidemic, cases of HIV infection are rising,
substance use (SU) treatment is poorly developed, and the COVID-19 pandemic complicates
the delivery of both HIV and SU treatment. Long-term goals include addressing the behavioral
and structural interventions needed to respond to gaps in the HIV treatment cascade in KZ, with
an emphasis on SU disorders. Objectives include providing: 1) an 11-month certificate program
to 6 KNMU faculty to strengthen the research and academic capacity for KZ; 2) advanced
degree training (MS) in epidemiology for 2 KNMU School of Public Health (SPH) faculty; 3)
medium term training in epidemiology/biostatistics to 5 trainees from Kazakh Research Center
of Dermatology and Infectious Disease (KRCDID), National Research and Clinical Center of
Mental Health, and other KNMU faculty; and 4) research training capacity building for the KNMU
SPH. Key activities include short term training, including an annual 2-day scientific meeting at
KNMU, focusing on HIV treatment challenges and intersections with SU disorders, a 2-day
faculty development workshop, and expanding KNMU SPH curricula on topics covering
research design and addictive disorders. The program provides short-, medium-, and long-term
training modalities designed to provide the maximum, cost-effective training coverage for
individual trainees and strengthen research training at KNMU. Our efforts will focus primarily on
junior faculty from the KNMU SPH as well as representatives from KRCDID, and National
Research and Clinical Center of Mental Health, thus drawing together a deeper partnership
between national public health service and the academic research community. Long-term
trainees will be expected to develop a research proposal that uses in-country data related to
HIV and/or SU. All training is designed to bolster research capacity focused on the intersection
of SU disorder and the HIV treatment cascade and to enhance the role of KNMU as a national
leader in HIV-related research training. Measures to demonstrate increased capacity include
assessment of academic progress of faculty and student trainees; trainee surveys; KNMU SPH
core curricula review and development; and advanced in-country research support.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10244733
- **Project number:** 2D43TW010046-06
- **Recipient organization:** SUNY DOWNSTATE MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Jack A DeHovitz
- **Activity code:** D43 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $300,905
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2016-04-15 → 2026-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10244733

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10244733, Research Training for Substance Use Mediated HIV Epidemic in Kazakhstan (2D43TW010046-06). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-21 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10244733. Licensed CC0.

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