Jane Simoni

Research

My research interests lie primarily in clinical and health psychology within a global health context, including coping and adaptation to chronic illnesses such as HIV. From an anti-racist framework, I am particularly interested in the experience of of individuals from historically oppressed or stigmatized groups and their unique stressors and culturally specific coping processes. Much of my research, therefore, concerns BIPOC individuals, GLBTQ folks, and persons living with HIV. The health disparities and unmet needs these marginalized communities have motivated my efforts to develop and empirically test culturally relevant disease prevention and health promotion interventions. Mentoring BIPOC trainees to lead this work in the future is a critical component of our research enterprise.

My research has included a randomized control trial to evaluate the effectiveness of peer support and two-way pager messaging to enhance antiretroviral medication adherence among a population of HIV+ clinic patients in Seattle.

In Beijing, China, we conducted a nurse-delivered HIV medication adherence intervention for HIV+ outpatients.

On the US-Mexico Border, we adapted an intervention to treat depression as a way to improve medication adherence among HIV+ individuals.

Work in China is exploring how online/nurse-facilitated/peer interventions can address the needs of newly diagnosed HIV-positive persons, including disclosing their HIV status to their children.

In Haiti, we studied at an electronic medical record alert and a provider intervention to support adherence to HIV medications.

With Susan Graham in the Dept of Global Health, I am looking at the acceptability of long-acting HIV medications in the U.S. and Kenya.

With Karina Walters from the Indigenous Wellness Research Institute (IWRI.org) in the School of Social Work, we have studied stress and coping among urban two-spirit Native Americans in six cities across the U.S. in a major study that employed both qualitative and quantitative methodologies.

I have also collaborated with IWRI on a cardiovascular disease prevention study at the Tulalip Indian Reservation and a computer-based HIV prevention intervention for Native men who have sex with men.

I am the Director of the new Behavioral Research Center on HIV (BIRCH) and Co-Director of the UW/Fred Hutch Center for AIDS Research.

Within the Department, I am the Director of Clinical Training.