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Yale faculty present findings from research funded by Hecht Awards

January 13, 2025

Faculty affiliated with the Yale Institute for Global Health (YIGH) gathered on December 5th for the Hecht Global Health Faculty Network Award Event. Hecht Awards winners from 2023 and 2024 presented findings from research studies funded by the awards and highlighted the impact this source of funding has had on several global communities.

To be eligible for the Hecht Global Health Faculty Network Award, projects must include faculty from two different schools, involve students or trainees, and link back to a faculty network supported by YIGH.

2023 award winners Dr. Danielle Poole, ScD, MPH and Dr. Frederick Altice, MD, MA presented the RESponding to the needs of PEople in ConflicT (RESPECT) project, which was launched in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to measure the effect that internal displacement has had on HIV transmission. HIV is highly prevalent among people who inject drugs in Ukraine, an issue that has been exacerbated by interruptions in opioid agonist treatment (OAT) due to the war. Poole and Altice have studied how internal displacement has led to dropouts in OAT care. They hope to use future funding to study the evolving situation of HIV infection, injection drug use, and internal displacement in Ukraine, with particular attention to interventions that can be used to continue OAT for those at risk of dropping out of treatment.

The other 2023 Hecht Award-winning team, led by Dr. Luke Davis, MD and Ann Johnson, addresses mental health and substance use disorders among people living with HIV (PLHIV) on preventive therapy for tuberculosis in South Africa. The project, called “Mind the Gap,” included a longitudinal cohort study among PLHIV in South Africa. Davis and Johnson measured outcomes related to mental health (depression, anxiety, and substance use) and adherence to 3HP therapy, a short-course preventative treatment regimen for latent tuberculosis. They found that depression was negatively correlated with adherence to the 3HP regimen, leading to their interest in further investigation into the integration of mental health and substance use treatment in TB prevention.

Finally, 2024 Hecht Award winners Dr. Nicola Hawley, PhD and Dr. Sarah Lowe, PhD presented their project, “Promoting Mental Health Among Adolescents in American Samoa.” The project was motivated by Hawley’s ongoing work in American Samoa. Her engagement with the community led her to become aware of the concerning youth suicide crisis on the island. Preliminary findings indicate that the prevalence of suicidal ideation is extremely high among Samoan adolescents, an issue Hawley and Lowe are hoping to address through interventions targeted at families.

Faculty members stated the importance of Hecht Awards in launching their projects, emphasizing the awards’ role in helping them demonstrate the impact of their research and create a stronger application for larger grants.