With a new National Institutes of Health Career Development Award (K01), Dr. Rodman Turpin, assistant research professor at the University of Maryland School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, will work to optimize HIV prevention efforts among Black sexual minority men (BSMM). The $608,828 K01 Mentored Research Scientist Career Development Award, will fund Turpin’s community-based intervention to reduce internalized racism, homophobia, and related stigmas around the use of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), a medicine that prevents contracting HIV from sex or injection drug use. When taken as prescribed, PrEP is highly effective for preventing HIV.
This five-year grant will allow Turpin, who serves as principal investigator on the study, to dedicate 80 percent of his time to the research. “This is the greatest career funding I have ever received,” Turpin said about the award.
“A K01 award is critically helpful for developing into an independent researcher.”
Turpin is faculty in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics and is a researcher with the University of Maryland Prevention Research Center, which aims to improve access to quality mental health and health care for LGBTQ+ communities.
Turpin’s pilot intervention will use the MPowerment model to increase social support, and reduce internalized homophobia, racism, and HIV/PrEP stigma amongst BSMM, which can be barriers to PrEP use. The intervention will use a peer-based approach with leaders from community-based organizations including, Us Helping Us, People Into Living, Inc. and The Gay Men’s Health Collaborative, which are based in the DC metro area.
“These organizations are really focused on helping Black sexual minority men and Black transgender people. They focus not only on HIV prevention but overall wellness by providing support and fostering a sense of community,” Turpin explained. “They have been great collaborators as a part of this work and I'm looking forward to continuing to work with both of them.”
Turpin also credits his mentors at the UMD SPH for providing him guidance and support throughout the process of applying to this K01 award. He recognizes Bradley Boekeloo, professor and director of the UMD Prevention Research Center, Typhanye Dyer, associate professor and Hongjie Liu, professor and chair of the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics for their guidance on the writing and development of the grant, as well as their mentorship in the planned research. The Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics also funded a pilot study on stigma and PrEP that Turpin and Liu conducted among BSMM which served as the foundation for his current work.
Turpin also credits DeMarc Hickson, executive director of Us Helping Us, People Into Living, Inc., for not only collaborating in the planned research but hosting a writing retreat that led to the development of this grant application.
Turpin is optimistic about how the NIH funding will enable him to make an impact.
“Interventions are a way that I can really make a change in my community,” he said.“A K01 award is an effective way to do that while also helping me develop into an independent intervention researcher.”
Read a related article, “Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Interventions among Black Sexual Minority Men: A Systematic Literature Review.”