Behavioral Innovations Core

The Behavioral Innovations Core (BIC) provides research support, consultation, technical assistance, and training in applied behavioral science and related technological innovation.

The BIC sits at the intersection of behavioral science and digital health, and provides support, knowledge, and skills in diverse contexts to further HIV prevention and care research while addressing health equity, access, ethics and policy. Advances in HIV care and prevention require substantial behavioral considerations for optimal uptake. Our efforts leverage behavioral science and digital health to advance HIV care and prevention efforts. At our core we aim to promote interdisciplinary HIV research, provide consultations and mentorship through the following actions:

Maintain a relevant resource database
Organize symposia to promote local and regional cross-disciplinary collaboration
Facilitate coordinated responses to funding opportunities
Provide consultation services related to behavioral science and digital health
Provide technical assistance related to behavioral science and theory

The BIC has a strong focus on building equitable partnerships with community in order to raise community voices, support the development and advance work of individuals who represent the communities disproportionately impacted by the HIV epidemic, and expand HIV workforce capabilities to make a sustainable impact on curbing the worldwide HIV epidemic.

Behavioral Innovations Core (BIC) Research Consultations

Research Consultations provide technical assistance and training on

Behavioral theory (including structural and multilevel models)
Digital data capture
Behavioral outcomes measurement (including geospatial and social networking data)
TelePrEP, telehealth, and other digital health intervention services
Health access, equity, and policy

BIC also offers

Social media consultations via a UW social media specialist
Tailored workshop trainings in REDCap, ODK etc to fit the needs of your desired didactic
Professional networking and connections for and within its listserv members

To access all services listed above, please complete the Behavioral Innovations Research Consultation Form below.

Behavioral Innovations Research Consultation Form

Early Stage Investigator (ESI) Group Assist early stage investigators in securing funding, actively publishing, and otherwise advancing in their careers. We have a successful track record, with many members focused on applying for, completing, or transitioning off a K or other post-doctoral award. Interested investigators should send a biosketch or CV to  cfarBIC@uw.edu
Quarterly Seminars
Workshop Series
Cross-core Collaborations
- Administrative Core and Office of Community Engagement Seminar will host a nationally recognized researcher working in behavioral research and/or digital health. (annual)
- Behavioral Innovations Symposium fosters interdisciplinary collaboration among researchers and community members (annual)
- Implementation Science Core Equity Seminar co-sponsored by BIC. (twice annually)

Listserv subscription link

Resources

Survey Instruments

Social and Behavioral Instruments (SABI) (University of North Carolina)Open-access compilation of social and behavioral instruments for use in HIV research
Survey Research Division (University of Washington)Provides support to help researchers collect data, assisting with design, recruitment and mode of collection, survey programming, data entry, and data management and reporting.
Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS, Northwestern University)Provides over 300 measures of physical, mental, and social health for people living with a chronic condition, including separate measures for pediatric and adult populations.
NIH Toolbox (NIH)An app with >100 validated measures for cognitive, sensory, motor, and emotional functions among people aged 3-85+.
PhenX Toolkit (Research Triangle Institute International)Provides recommended standard data collection protocols for biomedical research and detailed study protocols for data collection.

Data Sources: HIV, Epidemiology, and Surveillance

United States Census Bureau: HIV/AIDS Surveillance Data Base
United Nations: AIDSinfo Global data on HIV epidemiology and response
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF): HIV/AIDS data
America’s HIV Epidemic Analysis Dashboard (AHEAD): Department of Health and Humans Services (HHS), through its Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy (OIDP), data visualization tool that displays HIV Data from the CDC along with progress data for the 50 U.S. states
Public Health – Seattle & King County: Epidemiology, statistics, reports and surveillance
Washington State Department of Health: HIV Statistics and Research
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: HIV Statistics Center
UNAIDS: UNAIDS Resources
World Health Organization: HIV data and statistics

Data Collection Tools

Support provided for: ODK, REDCap (on- and off-line versions), KoBo Toolbox
Referral support for: Ajua, CommCare,Ona, Survey CTO, QDS, Survey Monkey, SurveyGizmo

Training and Other

Artificial Intelligence
- DeepLearning.AI Short Courses online training
- Sofia Seranno’s “A Brief Introduction to (Large) Language Models” BIC Event recording (email cfarbic@uw.edu for recording zip)
HIV/STI/HCV Treatment and Prevention
- National HIV Curriculum (CME, CNE, CE) online training
- National PrEP Curriculum
- Hepatitis C online training (CME, CNE, CE)
- Mountain West AIDS Education and Training Center (MWAETC)
Digital Health Workshops
- UCLA’s mHealth Training Institute – Recorded webinars and in-person workshop
- Fenway Institute’s National LGBTQIA+ Health Education Center
- US. Food and Drug Administration Digital Health Center of Excellence

Leadership

Joanne Stekler, MD, MPH – Core Director, Provides expertise is in domestic PrEP implementation, telePrEP, and HIV testing technologies and strategies.

Deepa Rao, PhD, MA – Associate Director, Professor Rao is a Clinical Psychologist and Behavioral Scientist who has worked in stigma reduction and integrating mental health care programs in non-psychiatric settings.

Faculty

Alison Drake, PhD, MPH – Provides consultations on incorporating digital health technology for surveys or interventions, supports BIC ESI group, develops resources to promote and expedite digital data capture.

Brandon Guthrie, PhD, MPH – Develops and coordinates skills-building workshops and provides consultations and technical assistance to support investigators incorporating digital health platforms for data collection or intervention deployment.

David Katz, PhD, MPH – Provides content expertise in research accessibility for diverse populations and community partnerships. He manages incoming communication to direct BIC consults.

E. Roberto Orellana, PHD, MPH, MSW – Supports trainees and trainee workshops and co-leads work with community partners to amplify community voices.

Keshet Ronen, PhD, MPH – Provides consultations on human-centered design and evaluation of digital behavioral interventions; supports BIC community partnerships