# Exploring, Predicting, and Intervening on Long-term Viral suppression Electronically (EPI-LoVE)

> **NIH NIH UG3** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES · 2024 · $2,589,625

## Abstract

In response to RFA-AI22-024 Limited Interaction Targeted Epidemiology: Viral Suppression
(LITE-VS), we propose “Exploring, Predicting, and Intervening on Long-term Viral suppression
Electronically (EPI-LoVE)” with a cross-cutting, interdisciplinary scientific team with strong
expertise in longitudinal cohorts to enroll a large, digitally maintained cohort of people living with
HIV (PLWH) in the US who are not adequately virally suppressed (>200 copies/mL), report prior
gaps in HIV care engagement, or lack of sustained viral suppression (VS). The cohort will
investigate trajectories of HIV care engagement and VS applying a theoretical approach and
analytic strategies that recognize the cyclical nature of retention in HIV care and VS. We will
examine the syndemics underlying these outcomes including substance use, mental health, and
barriers to HIV care including stigma and rural isolation. Our strategy includes multiple recruitment
methods such as a) social media recruitment in partnership with digital advertising companies
employing unique tools, websites/apps and artificial intelligence (AI)-based models to optimize
outreach/recruitment; and b) a partnership with AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest
HIV medical provider in the country. We will enroll a diverse cohort of PLWH enriched with those
living in rural areas, Black, under 25 years of age and experiencing substance use challenges.
An evidence-based digital platform (HealthMpowerment, HMP) deployed in 10 studies, including
other limited interaction targeted epidemiology (LITE) initiatives, will be used for data collection,
real-time analysis and participant communication and will be supplemented with semi-annual
blood specimens collected with a multi-pronged strategy (i.e. local laboratory, clinics, and home-
based collection options) to facilitate participation. We will develop a sophisticated risk
assessment tool to optimize when PLWH in our cohort are most at risk for VNS and deliver
tailored, real-time intervention components based on their personalized needs at the time they
need them most. Our investigative team from three leading institutions The University of California
at Los Angeles and Irvine, and University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill has decades of
experience with recruitment, engagement, and care of PLHW and large-scale longitudinal cohort
studies, as well as long-standing expertise developing digital and AI-based tools in collaboration
with HIV stakeholders. We capitalize upon productive partnerships and expertise to articulate the
drivers of the ongoing HIV epidemic among the most vulnerable populations in the US and to
identify the most effective, expeditious and scalable digital strategies to address this ongoing
public health crisis.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10836559
- **Project number:** 5UG3AI176592-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES
- **Principal Investigator:** Pamina Mae Gorbach
- **Activity code:** UG3 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $2,589,625
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-05-03 → 2025-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10836559

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10836559, Exploring, Predicting, and Intervening on Long-term Viral suppression Electronically (EPI-LoVE) (5UG3AI176592-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10836559. Licensed CC0.

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