Scientific Working Group

The HIV epidemic continues to pose major public health challenges in the St. Louis area and throughout Missouri. Many residents are not benefitting equally from advances in HIV prevention and treatment. Data indicate that HIV case rates remain significantly higher among certain demographic groups and in rural areas, where residents often face greater logistical barriers to accessing health services.

In response, the Midwest D-CFAR’s Scientific Working Group on Neglected Populations (SWG) is initiating a regional research effort involving academic institutions, local organizations, and public health stakeholders. This initiative supports applied, community-linked research focused on populations affected by HIV that have historically experienced limited access to medical resources. The SWG fosters cross-disciplinary collaboration among researchers, trainees, and health professionals to support scientific advances aligned with national HIV/AIDS research priorities. The initiative seeks to connect practical experience in HIV treatment with academic expertise to stimulate research that enhances prevention and care delivery.

We would love for you to join us as part of the SWG research collaborative! If you are interested, let us know by filling out this form.

Core Team

  • Michael Durkin, MD, MPH

    Michael Durkin, MD, MPH

    DIRECTOR

    Washington University in St. Louis Research: Ryan White style care, opioid use disorder, stigma reduction, unhoused individuals, harm reduction

    Bio
  • Dima Dandachi, MD, MPH

    Dima Dandachi, MD, MPH

    CO-DIRECTOR

    University of Missouri Research: PrEP, unhoused people with HIV, long-acting antiretrovirals, community engagement, telehealth

    Bio
  • Kneeshe Parkinson

    Kneeshe Parkinson

    COORDINATOR

    Washington University in St. Louis

    Interests: HIV advocacy, community engagement, health equity, public health initiatives, youth empowerment

    Bio

SWG Activities

Community Collaborative  

The Midwest D-CFAR Community Collaborative is developing a shared vision for a community and practitioner-responsive research agenda. Collaborative members will also serve as potential grant partners for academic researchers. Learn more.

Community-Academic Research Incubator

The research agenda developed through the Collaborative will serve as the core goals of our future research aims. We will work with both academic investigators and our community and practitioner partners to develop novel collaborative community-based research projects.   This incubator program provides support, mentoring, and coordination to turn ideas into tangible novel community-based research projects that can be submitted as proposals to the Midwest D-CFAR pilot funding mechanisms that prioritize partnerships administered by the Developmental Core.