Overview
ATN is the only multicenter research network in the United States devoted to the health and well-being of adolescents and young adults living with or at risk for HIV. The network’s primary mission is to conduct both independent and collaborative research that explores promising behavioral, microbicidal, prophylactic, therapeutic, and vaccine modalities in adolescents, ages 13 years through 24 years, living with or at risk for HIV. ATN activities encompass the full spectrum of research studies, conducted collaboratively and independently, focused on reducing new HIV acquisitions among youth and improving the HIV care continuum for adolescents and young adults living with HIV. ATN research focuses on increasing awareness of HIV status among youth and improving the health and well-being of young people living with HIV. ATN works with community organizations, health authorities, and the government to prioritize populations and geographic areas most affected by HIV. ATN focuses on populations that face greater barriers to health access and equity because of systemic barriers, including geographic location, racism, stigma, and a lack of cultural sensitivity. The populations of focus include sexual and gender minority youth and young people of color.
The NICHD Maternal and Pediatric Infectious Disease Branch started ATN in 2001 through a cooperative agreement. Other NIH institutes, including the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institute of Mental Health, co-fund ATN. The first, second, and third funding cycles ended in February 2006, 2011, and 2016, respectively, and the fourth cycle ended in June 2022.
ATN has extensive experience in recruiting and retaining understudied youth populations in the United States. Additionally, ATN benefits from multiple successful collaborations with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Health Resources and Services Administration; AIDS Clinical Trial Group; HIV Vaccine Trials Network; International Maternal, Pediatric, Adolescent AIDS Clinical Trials (IMPAACT) Network; Microbicide Trials Network; and other entities.
A restructuring in 2016 further increased collaborations across three adolescent-focused HIV/AIDS clinical trials network hubs. This former structure created transparent mechanisms for network hub leaders to solicit and support ideas from the research community, while allowing for external researchers, as well as other networks, to tap into the networks’ clinical trial infrastructure and capacity. Several of these collaborations continue today, such as with the HIV Prevention Trials Network and the IMPAACT Network.
The current ATN cycle, launched in 2023, consists of a Scientific Leadership Center (SLC) and an Operations and Collaborations Center (OCC). The SLC develops and refines the research agenda, convenes working groups, prioritizes emerging research projects, manages protocol development, implements and completes clinical trials, and ensures timely dissemination and communication of results. The OCC assists with developing and implementing the scientific agenda and infrastructure, provides organizational support and site consortium capacity, facilitates communication, and coordinates efforts and scientific collaboration.
Topic Areas
Research studies focus on high-priority topic areas to address substantial and disproportionate gaps in health outcomes across the HIV prevention and care continuum for youth with the following:
- Undiagnosed HIV acquisitions
- Persistent new HIV acquisitions
- HIV care engagement
- Antiretroviral therapy adherence and viral suppression
- Adverse HIV health outcomes from COVID-19
More Information
- ATN Website
(maintained by Westat) - NICHD Contacts: Sonia Lee, Denise Russo, Gretchen Buckler, and Franklin Yates
Browse studies and request data for your research.
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