The overall goal of the University of Miami CDAAR is to move the elimination of health disparities by enhancing behavioral, basic, clinical, epidemiological, prevention, and applied research on drug abuse and HIV infection and other co-occurring illnesses, through the support of shared center resources. The CDAAR's theme, """"""""Eliminating Health Disparities for Drug Users in the HIV/AIDS Epidemic"""""""" is an ideal focus for the Interventions Core. The Interventions Core will support the overall goal of the CDAAR by facilitating the interaction of psychological, sociological, behavioral, and clinical sciences among affiliated University of Miami investigators, to develop, implement and evaluate multi- factorial interventions of relevance to the drug abuse and HIV/AIDS research arena. The use of this core by CDAAR members will enhance their work in HIV/AIDS and drug abuse through the utilization of new procedures they have not capitalized on before, with the ambition of advancing knowledge in the area of interventions focusing on narrowing the health disparities gap for chronic drug users. The Core, led by Dr. H. Virginia McCoy will foster the combination of clinical, basic and behavioral science to produce collaborative, transdisciplinary research in behavioral and clinical interventions. Within this context, the Intervention Core will accomplish the following aims: (1) foster synergy among intervention scientists, (2) enhance coordination and collaboration of intervention-specific research; (3) support emerging research opportunities through the development of an Intervention Mentor/Partner program; and (4) promote economy of scale by sharing intervention resources. There has never been a greater need to increase knowledge in drug abuse and its relationship to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. This need is underscored by the growing health disparities between chronic drug users and other populations within the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Built upon 25 years of interdisciplinary activity in drug users and other populations within the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Built upon 25 years of interdisciplinary ability in drug abuse research, the UM CDAAR Interventions Core will become a national model of collaborative intervention research and a resource for researchers at other institutions.
