# HIV, Equity, and Addiction Training (HEAT) Program

> **NIH NIH K24** · UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM · 2024 · $185,148

## Abstract

This is a career mentoring award to support Dr. Eaton with dedicated time to support a
sustainable, structured approach to mentoring for herself, her trainees, and early career faculty
mentees. Ellen Eaton, MD, MSPH, is an infectious disease trained clinician-scientist with
expertise developing and testing interventions to reduce infectious consequences of substance
use disorders (SUD), with an emphasis on HIV in persons who use drugs. Her mentoring
portfolio focuses on women and underrepresented groups in science and medicine (URiM).
Mentees will work alongside Dr. Eaton on newly proposed research in the K24 and ongoing
NIH-funded studies in hospitals, clinics and rural communities in Alabama.
Dr. Eaton proposes mentoring aims to (1) develop Deep South physician scientists from diverse
backgrounds who conduct patient-oriented research at the nexus of SUD and HIV and (2)
establish a HIV, Equity and Addiction Training (HEAT) Program that leverages the
complementary expertise of the UAB Center for Addiction and Pain Prevention Intervention and
UAB Center for AIDS Research. This proposal will accelerate progress towards Ending HIV by
building SUD research capacity and expertise.
Dr. Eaton proposes novel research aims using new skills obtained through this career
development award. She has assembled a team of advisors who bring complementary
expertise in implementation science, qualitative research, telemedicine, health equity, and
community engagement. The research will be informed by the Health Equity Implementation
Framework to use implementation strategies to identify equitable use of telemedicine to extend
substance use treatment for people with HIV. She proposes a rapid analysis approach to
analyze in-depth interviews and focus group discussions conducted with key stakeholders and
end-users (people with HIV) across Alabama. Research activities will explore feasibility and
acceptability of a telemedicine intervention with the goal to inform a future implementation trial.
There is a shortage of clinician researchers who study the intersection of HIV and addiction, and
this shortage is especially pronounced in rural and poor states like AL where substance use has
outpaced research on equitable healthcare delivery. This award will contribute to the growth of
skilled and diverse researchers, while advancing the science of healthcare delivery for persons
with substance use disorders in Alabama.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10923283
- **Project number:** 1K24DA060786-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM
- **Principal Investigator:** Ellen Florence Eaton
- **Activity code:** K24 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $185,148
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-06-01 → 2029-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10923283

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10923283, HIV, Equity, and Addiction Training (HEAT) Program (1K24DA060786-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10923283. Licensed CC0.

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