Research
Claudia Silvia a MMS Summer Research Intern who presented research on women experiencing homelessness
Our multidisciplinary research center promotes research focused on improving access, continuity of care, behavioral health services integration, quality, equity, effectiveness and the value of primary and behavioral healthcare for underserved and vulnerable populations by:
- Conducting externally funded, innovative health equity research to improve behavioral health structure, process, and outcomes for vulnerable and underserved populations including racial/ethnic minorities, persons with serious mental illness, substance users, persons at risk for HIV/AIDS, people experiencing homelessness, foster children aging out of care, and aging and disabled populations;
- Planning, implementing, and evaluating evidence-based, behavioral health services to improve outcomes for vulnerable and underserved populations;
- Accelerating the movement of evaluation and research findings into action through knowledge translation strategies to relevant stakeholders in community and academic settings;
- Offering training courses and research seminars in the Texas Medical Center and across Houston/Harris County on behavioral health equity topics; and
- Supporting graduate and medical students, psychiatry resident physicians and post-doctoral research fellows seeking to conduct research to improve outcomes and reduce behavioral health disparities.
Current Research and Training Projects
The goal of this study is to test an addiction-clinic based behavioral intervention for increasing PrEP uptake and adherence among women who engage in sexual behaviors and problematic substance use that may increase susceptibility to HIV.
The goal of this study is to test a behavioral intervention for increasing PrEP uptake and adherence among women who have trauma related mental health conditions and who engage in sexual behaviors or substance use that may increase susceptibility to HIV.