Q &A with Dr. Madeline Sutton: MARI

In her latest study, "Strengthening the Network of Mentored, Underrepresented Minority Scientists and Leaders to Reduce HIV-Related Health Disparities," published with the American Journal of Public Health (AJPH), Dr. Madeline Sutton examines the Minority HIV/AIDS Research Initiative (MARI), a program dedicated to helping minority researchers and scientists conduct HIV/AIDS research. This week, Dr. Sutton sits down with AJPH Talks to discuss her findings.

 

Q: The Minority HIV/AIDS Research Initiative was established about 10 years ago to represent minority scientists in conducting HIV prevention research in highly affected communities. Can you describe the program in more detail?

 

Sutton: MARI was established in an effort to address some of the funding and training gaps that were noted for historically underrepresented minority scientists who were interested in doing HIV prevention research.  Many times, researchers from communities highly affected by HIV have very personal and deeply rooted reasons for asking and answering critical questions about how to work toward solutions to reduce the impact of HIV in their communities.  MARI competitively awards funds to early-career investigators who pose innovative and culturally-focused research questions that seek to educate persons in highly affected communities about HIV, prevent new HIV infections, ensure persons who are infected or affected can access needed services, and ultimately reduce HIV-related health disparities. Our MARI investigators are the principal investigators (PIs) for their studies, so they design and manage all aspects of their studies, including research questions, hiring research staff, overseeing all aspects of their studies, developing first-authored scientific reports and presenting at scientific conferences.  We support our MARI investigators with both CDC mentors and local senior mentors with everything from protocol development to data management support to manuscript writing; the non-CDC local mentors also may help with grant writing.  We conduct annual PI meetings and monthly phone calls with our investigators, and we provide technical assistance as needed.  To date, we have funded 27 early-career scientists through MARI; 18 have successfully completed their studies, and 11 of those have successfully competed for new research dollars, including R01 awards.  Eight currently-funded MARI investigators are actively engaged in their research studies.

 

Q: What are some of the key accomplishments of MARI of the past 10 years?

Sutton: Our scientists have been very active during these past 10 years!  To date, our scientists have collaborated with and strengthened partnerships with many Black and Hispanic communities and highly affected groups through their HIV prevention work.  They have produced more than 45 peer-reviewed articles and more than 60 presentations at national and international scientific meetings.  To date, 11 MARI scientists have successfully competed for more than $32 million in new research funding dollars as either PIs or co-PIs.  MARI scientists have served on the President’s Advisory Council for HIV/AIDS and have had prominent roles in planning national and international scientific conferences. In addition, many MARI investigators have been promoted and received tenure early; they’ve informed me that the amount of MARI funding they received (approximately $220,000 per year for four years) made a huge difference in their process.

 

Q: What were some of the challenges MARI has faced throughout its implementation?

 

Sutton: Like many areas in federal research, MARI has been challenged by budget fluctuations. However, MARI continues to receive enthusiastic support from many who work in HIV prevention, especially based on the continued disproportionate impact of HIV on Black and Hispanic communities in the US and the continued important role of historically underrepresented, minority investigators.

 

Q: What are some of the future goals for MARI? Any next steps?

 

Sutton: I continue to get lots of questions about future MARI cycles from early-career investigators who I meet at conferences or by email or phone queries, so my hope is that future funding may be available to respond to this continued need for and gap in mentored support for HIV research in and with affected communities. 

 

In the immediate future, several MARI investigators will gather at the 141^st APHA Annual Meeting for a MARI scientific abstract session on November 4, 2013.  This will be an exciting and informative session where audience members will hear from four of our currently-funded MARI investigators about their ongoing research projects, including progress to date and lessons learned that may help others as we continue to do HIV prevention research in highly affected communities.  I will also provide more details about MARI during that session.

 

Q: Is there any other information that you would like to add?

 

Sutton: Just that the MARI mentors and team members also play such an important role in the process for our MARI investigators!  Thanks to all of them and the dedication, enthusiasm and hard work of our MARI investigators; MARI has been successful because of them!

 

References:

 

Madeline Sutton, Yzette A. Lanier, Leigh A. Willis, Ted Castellanos, Ken Dominguez, Lisa Fitzpatrick, and Kim S. Miller. Strengthening the Network of Mentored, Underrepresented Minority Scientists and Leaders to Reduce HIV-Related Health Disparities. American Journal of Public Health: December 2013, Vol. 103, No. 12.doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2012.301090

 

To read more about the MARI Initiative, please visit our website at http://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/full/10.2105/AJPH.2013.301345.