Projects

Funder: National Institute of Mental Health
MPIs: Sarah Bass and Marné Castillo

We are testing the effectiveness of an eHealth decision support tool called QUEEN-P (QUestions to Empower and ENgage with PrEP). We are testing to see if it will increase informed PrEP decisions in young trans women between 15-24 years old in Philadelphia. The goal is to increase adherence and decision making in young trans women based on PrEP information given through QUEEN-P. 

Funder: U54
MPIs: Sarah Bass, Michael Hall, Tracey Revenson 

The primary goal of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of an electronic health (eHealth) decision support tool to increase TGP informed decision making in Latinx patients recruited in cancer centers in Philadelphia, New York City, and Camden, NJ.

Funder: National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
PI: Wilson Vincent; Co-I: Sarah Bass; MPI: Nathan Hansen; Consultant: José Bauermeister  

The presently proposed study reflects formative research in preparation to develop the Resilience-Based Intervention for Stress-Reduction and HIV-Related Efficacy (RISE) in future research studies. RISE will be a telehealth, trauma-informed, Cognitive Behavior Therapy-based intervention to help newly diagnosed Black sexual minority men (e.g., gay, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men) living with HIV (+BSMM) adjust to living with HIV by reducing traumatic stress symptoms and improving engagement in HIV care. The presently proposed study will address Aim 1 of a larger, three- Aim research program. The purpose of this research program is to formatively develop and then pilot-test a trauma-informed, telehealth intervention (RISE) to engage newly diagnosed +BSMM in HIV care.

Funder: National Institute of Drug Abuse
MPIs: Sarah Bass and Emily Dauria

This supplemental award for PA-Links expands our current project and focuses on integrating data on intersectional stigma, trauma, and resiliencies from multiple participant groups to understand how they impact the ability to access services. The current work has shown the importance of addressing these factors to increase service linkage following jail, prison, or parole for women. We will be conducting in-depth interviews and surveys with women who have had previous criminal legal system involvement and service providers. The goal of this project is to understand and address these barriers to deliver meaningful and relevant interventions. 

MPIs: Sarah Bass, Emily Dauria
Funder: National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

The primary goal of the proposed research is to pilot test a systematically developed PrEP and MOUD uptake intervention for WICS using contextually relevant messages developed through novel formative research methods and embedded in a web-based application in a rigorous research design. We will then test this approach (called PA-LINKS) in a pilot randomized trial with women leaving carceral settings (WLCS) in Philadelphia in partnership with Philadelphia FIGHT, a federally qualified health center, for promise of efficacy, and to assess feasibility and acceptability.

Funder: National Institute of Mental Health 
Director of core: Sarah Bass; Co-director: Maria Schultheis 

This project is part of the Comprehensive NeuroHIV Center. There are three aims for this core: 1. Conduct a Community Needs Assessment 2. Serve as a primary resource for research 3. Dissemination and Communication. For aim 1, we will identify the needs of community partners and researchers by conducting a community needs assessment (CNA) to refine the core’s research infrastructure services. For aim 2, we will serve as a primary resource to guide culturally competent research that engages communities and addresses neuroHIV disparities and form a community partnership advisory board (CPAB). For aim three, we will assist with the dissemination of research findings and bidirectional communication with affected communities. 

Funder: Gift of Life Transplant Foundation 
PI: Laura Siminoff; Co-Is: Heather Gardiner & Sarah Bass

The study will explore Black families’ experiences with being asked to donate a loved one’s organs. To date, nearly 30,000 Black Americans are waiting to receive an organ. Their comparatively greater numbers on the wait list and longer wait times represent both the higher prevalence of illnesses, such as hypertension and diabetes, as well as Black families’ persistently lower rates of solid organ donation. Authorization by Black family decision makers (FDMs) to the donation of deceased organs and tissues is almost half that of White families: 37.7% versus 60.5%. The study’s objective is to identify the barriers and assets of the Black family decision-making process by conducting up to 100 in-depth qualitative interviews with FDMs of Black potential organ donors. The resultant data set will serve as a knowledge base that could improve the communication between organ procurement organization (OPO) staff and Black families during the authorization discussion.

PI: Kristen Whitaker Co-I: Sarah Bass. 
Funder: American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)

The study will conduct an in-depth investigation of barriers and facilitators of Cascade Testing (CT) and develop a survey using perceptual mapping methods to investigate the experiences and perceptions of genetic risk communication and CT in Black and White patients with a goal of identifying general and race-specific barriers eligible for targeted messaging interventions to improve uptake of CT.

PI: Christopher Wheldon; Co-I: Sarah Bass
Funder: National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities

This application is in response to the NIMHD “Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant” program (PAR-20-150) with a focus on developing a novel clinic-based intervention to reduce anal cancer disparities among ethnoracially and socioeconomically diverse sexual and gender minority (SGM) populations. There are significant anal cancer disparities between MSM/TGW and the general population. HPV vaccination can prevent anal cancer and reduce disparities but is underutilized by MSM/TGW. We propose that promoting HPV vaccination within the PrEP care delivery system will increase the reach of anal cancer prevention for underserved MSM/TGW. The long-term objective is to develop a targeted multilevel clinic-based anal cancer prevention toolkit to support shared clinical decision-making for MSM/TGW on PrEP. However, no research has demonstrated how to adequately communicate anal cancer risk and prevention for diverse populations of MSM/TGW and how to best inform shared clinical decision-making for HPV vaccination within the context of PrEP care. Our goal is to develop common salient messages that are responsive to the experiences and information needs of MSM/TGW engaged in PrEP care.

MPIs: Sarah Bauerle Bass, Sophia Zamudio-Haas
Funder: NIH (National Institute of Mental Health)   

This project will leverage preliminary finding from our team’s previous NIMH funded R21 grant to leverage trans women social media influencers to deliver targeted PrEP messaging to trans women via instagram. We will design a community-led, social media based PrEP messaging training for trans women social media influencers, and design and pilot test the SIS (Sisters Influencing Sisters) intervention. This project is novel in its use of social media influencers to deliver PrEP messaging to and connect followers with PrEP resources. 

MPIs: Michael Hall, Sarah Bauerle Bass 
Funder: NIH (NCI; U54 project)   

This project will examine attitudes about genetic testing in diverse cancer patients (Latinx, White, Asian) and compare results to those in Black/African American cancer patients. Results will inform potential modification of an eHealth decision tool for patients on tumor genomic profile testing.

MPIs: Michael Hall, Sarah Bauerle Bass 
Funder: ECOG-ACRIN

This study will use a national sample of diverse cancer patients to understand the relationship between medical mistrust and understanding and use of genetic testing.

PI: Sarah Bauerle Bass; Co-Is: Heather Gardiner, Whitney Cabey  
Funder: Vice Provost for Research Catalytic Collaborative Funding Initiative

This study will examine vaccine hesitancy in Philadelphia and develop a targeted communication campaign to assess changes in attitudes about vaccination.

PI: Linda Fleisher. Co-I: Sarah Bauerle Bass 
Funder: Genentech

This study will assess the perceptions and decision making process related to clinical trials for both patients (attitudes towards clinical trials) and providers (the decision making process to offer clinical trials and how they communicate their decision making to patients) throughout the course of treatment providing a deeper understanding of the complex factors that impact shared decision making.  These findings will guide the adaptation of a multi-level mychoice^TM program for patients and providers and its implementation in oncology care.

PI: Beth Pfeiffer. Co-PI: Sarah Bauerle Bass 
Funder: National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR)

This project will refine a previously piloted peer support intervention (SAFE) to help adolescents and young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to understand and use safety precautions for airborne diseases in the workplace including COVID-19 protection. The Risk Communication Lab will conduct formative evaluation through interviews and perceptual mapping and vector message modeling analyses to develop a message strategy that will be embedded into the training and then piloted in a randomized control trial.

PI: Courtney Caiola. Co-I: Sarah Bauerle Bass 
Funder: National Institute of Nursing Research

Women living with HIV in the South represent a stark disparity with respect to HIV viral suppression. This R21 is an exploratory sequential mixed-methods study that uses indepth interviews and perceptual mapping and vector message modeling analyses to develop targeted messages to enhance engagement in HIV care and ART adherence for women living with HIV in the south and then concept test these messages with key stakeholders.

PI: Marne Castillo. Co-PI: Sarah Bauerle Bass 
Funder: Penn Mental Health AIDS Research Center (PHMARC) 

Transwomen are disproportionately affected by HIV. Little is known about young transwomen’s experiences and potential barriers to pre-exposure prophylaxis, a once daily medication that can reduce risk of HIV acquisition. This project utilizes perceptual mapping and vector modeling to develop targeted messages and prototype communication materials for young transwomen about PrEP.  

CO-PIs: Mike Hall & Sarah Bauerle Bass. 
Funder: American Cancer Society (ACS)

“E-IMPART: Enhancing Informed Decision Making in Physicians and African Americans patients on TGP testing”. This study will develop and test interventions for both oncologists and African American cancer patients on tumor genetic profile testing.