Researchers focus on AIDS prevention in Hispanic adolescents

The National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) has awarded FIU a $2.3 million grant to research prevention methods to address Florida’s unexpectedly grim HIV epidemic.

The frequency of reported HIV cases among Florida Hispanics is nearly twice the national rate. Among states with dominant Hispanic populations, Florida ranks third in cumulative AIDS cases and second in the number of adolescents (13 to 19 years) living with HIV/AIDS. The highest concentration of those cases is in Miami-Dade and Broward counties.

School of Integrated Science and Humanity professor Maria Miguez-Perez is the principal investigator for the grant, which will fund a five-year study of South Florida Hispanic adolescents. It will examine how brain-derived neurotropic factors (BDNF) – active in areas of the brain vital to learning, memory and critical thinking – may affect behaviors that increase HIV transmission risk.

“Think of BDNF as fertilizer. A plant needs fertilizer to grow. Then it needs fertilizer to flower and it continues to need fertilizer to survive,” Miguez said. “BDNF is fertilizer for neurons. It makes neurons and the brain develop. As we go into adolescence, BDNF continues to act as a growth factor for neurons to make connections in the brain. If there is a BDNF deficiency, cognition and behavior may be affected.”

The study will focus on how disturbances in brain development are likely to alter an adolescent’s reasoning process, particularly under stressful situations. Miguez will look at non-infected Hispanic adolescents in Miami-Dade and Broward, during a period of four years. The subjects will be regularly tested for sexually transmitted diseases. If a study participant does test positive during the program, they will be referred for treatment.

“There are not many research grants that focus on minorities, particularly Hispanics,” Miguez said. “This study gives me the opportunity to explore environmental stressors that come with the nation’s economic depression, immigration and cultural assimilation unique to the Hispanic population in South Florida and the consequences these stressors may have on the neuropsychological status that can impact risk behaviors in adolescents. By finding a connection between these stressors and BDNF, we can begin to develop and implement effective clinical solutions.”

According to the NINR, while there are many HIV/AIDS prevention messages tailored for teens, HIV/AIDS infection in adolescents continues to rise. This project could lead to the development of more effective prevention HIV strategies, specifically for Hispanic youth.

As an interdisciplinary scholar, Miguez’s research interests span the fields of psychology, biology, immunology and medicine, and public health. She joined FIU in 2008, and recently became a principal investigator for SISH, working with a team of seven female collaborators in grants totaling more than $6 million dollars.