The candidate's immediate and long-term career objectives are to pursue a career that combines clinical research, mentoring of new clinical researchers, and patient care. The mid-career award would (1) ensure the candidate the time and funding to participate in clinical research projects and mentor new researchers, and (2) provide funds for the candidate and these new researchers for such purposes as obtaining the preliminary data for successful grant applications. The candidate has substantial experience in patient-oriented research over 11 years at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Her current research project, """"""""Self-care intervention to prevent oral candidiasis"""""""" (NIH-NINR, R01 NR04396), targets the nutrient supplies for the ubiquitous commensal organism and opportunistic pathogen, Candida albicans.
The specific aims are: 1) to determine, through a controlled, single-blind randomized clinical trial, whether the PRO-SELF: CANDIDIASIS (P-S:C) program of dietary and oral hygiene instruction is effective in increasing inter-episode time for recurrences of oral candidiasis in susceptible HIV-infected persons; and 2) to determine whether HIV-infected persons in the P-S:C study arm self-report the recurrence of their oral candidiasis more accurately than do HIV-infected persons in the control arm. Participants will be cleared of oral candidiasis, randomized to the P-S:C arm or the control arm, and followed for 26 weeks to determine recurrence frequency. Each participant's self-diagnosis will be compared for accuracy with the investigators' clinical diagnosis. If successful, the P-S:C Program could be widely employed by medical and dental health-care workers dealing with HIV-infected persons in all risk groups to reduce the morbidity associated with oral candidiasis by reducing the number and severity of recurrences through earlier detection and prompt treatment. These benefits would substantially increase quality of life for people with HIV. The candidate's mentoring plans will be tailored to the experience and needs of new or prospective researchers. Opportunities to be made available to them include: 1) research experience to be gained by participating in ongoing research projects and planning sessions for new projects; 2) pertinent course work; 3) attendance at national and international research meetings and seminars, and 4) encouragement and support for development of new research projects or sub-projects. The training in patient-oriented research will occur at UCSF, which offers a wealth of training and educational experiences for those desiring an advanced degree and those seeking experience in clinical research.
