# Adherence to HIV Treatment Postpartum: The Implications of Transitions Among Women Living with HIV in South Africa

> **NIH NIH K01** · BROWN UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $156,543

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
 Prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) efforts have reduced the rates of vertical
transmission to 2.7%, however, optimal antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence remains a difficult goal to
reach, particularly postpartum. The contribution of the proposed research is expected to be two-fold: 1) to gain
an understanding of how influential contextual, interpersonal, clinic, and individual level factors change during
key moments of transition during pregnancy and postpartum and influence ART adherence and 2) to develop
bio-behavioral interventions to assist mothers in maintaining their adherence to ART postpartum. Candidate: I
am a social psychologist with a background in ART adherence socially disadvantaged groups in the United
States. I am applying for a five-year K01 Career Development Award to obtain training, mentorship, and
research experience to become an expert in maternal health among women living with HIV in resource limited
settings and an independent investigator capable of obtaining R01 funding. Mentoring: I have put together an
exceptional mentoring team with extensive experience in HIV treatment and prevention research in South
Africa that integrates epidemiology, qualitative methods, and clinical science. Drs. Don Operario and Mark
Lurie will serve as co-Primary mentors and bring complementary expertise in international HIV behavioral
intervention development and infectious disease epidemiology. In addition to my two Primary mentors, my co-
mentors provide expertise in specific content areas and methodologies and are based in both the U.S. and
South Africa (ZA). My co-mentorship team includes: Dr. Susan Cu-Uvin (U.S.-based, clinical management of
HIV, obstetrics and gynecology), Dr. Landon Myer (ZA-based, perinatal epidemiology, postpartum ART
adherence), Dr. Abigail Harrison (U.S.-based, longitudinal qualitative methods, sexual and reproductive
health), and Dr. Christopher Colvin (ZA-based, qualitative methods, maternal child health). Training: Specific
training in perinatal epidemiology, longitudinal qualitative methods, theory-based interventions, cross-cultural
intervention development and evaluation will be achieved through intensive mentored training, coursework,
workshops and directed readings and primary ZA research. Guided by my excellent mentorship team, these
training and research experiences will establish my independent investigator career as an expert in developing
HIV treatment and prevention interventions to address maternal health in high impact, low resource settings,
that take into account key moments of transition and change that impact health behaviors. Research: The
goals of the proposed project are to (1) identify contextual, interpersonal, clinic, and individual level factors that
influence women's HIV treatment adherence during key period of transition during pregnancy and postpartum;
(2) evaluate a Transition Theory-based bio-behavioral intervention to improve ART adherence postpart...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9984522
- **Project number:** 5K01MH112443-04
- **Recipient organization:** BROWN UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Jennifer Ann Pellowski
- **Activity code:** K01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $156,543
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-08-01 → 2022-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9984522

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9984522, Adherence to HIV Treatment Postpartum: The Implications of Transitions Among Women Living with HIV in South Africa (5K01MH112443-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9984522. Licensed CC0.

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