Major Grant Awarded to Nabila El-Bassel

Professor Nabila El-Bassel, director of the Social Intervention Group (SIG) at the Columbia University School of Social Work, is the recipient of a $4.5 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Co-investigators on the study are Louisa Gilbert, Susan Witte, Elwin Wu from SIG and Robert Remien from the HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies.

The five-year award will support one of the first HIV prevention studies focused on young drug involved HIV negative couples.

Dr. El-Bassel commented, "This is the fourth NIH award the Social Intervention Group has received for couples studies. We are now recognized as a leading research center on HIV prevention and intervention with couples."

Other research at the Social Intervention Group has focused on HIV/STI prevention among African American serodiscordant heterosexual couples and adherence to HIV medical care by seriodiscordant couples.

SIG is a multidisciplinary research center at the Columbia University School of Social Work that works to bring effective prevention and intervention models to local, national, and international communities. Problems researched by SIG include HIV, drug abuse, intimate partner violence and trauma.

August 22, 2004