Dr. Springer, Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Department of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases at the Yale School of Medicine, has significant research experience with adherence interventions for HIV-infected drug- and alcohol-dependent released prisoners.
Dr. Springer was a recipient of a NIDA-funded K23 mentored career development award, where she evaluated the use of medication-assisted treatment (MAT) to prevent relapse to opioid use as a conduit to care among HIV-infected opioid-dependent released prisoners. She developed the first protocol to use buprenorphine as relapse prevention for opioid-dependent HIV-positive prisoners on day of release. She has published these findings, which serve as the basis for this particular grant showing as proof of concept that MAT can be effective in maintaining HIV-positive released prisoners’ HIV clinical outcomes. She also has expertise in supervising RCTs by serving as medical director and co-investigator for multiple RCTs, including DAART adherence interventions for IDUs and HIV-positive released prisoners. She also has considerable clinical and research experience with the use of extended-release naltrexone. She has been awarded an R01 from NIAAA as principal investigator to evaluate its use in improving HIV treatment outcomes via preventing relapse to alcohol use among HIV-infected alcohol-dependent prisoners transitioning to the community; and from NIDA as principal investigator as part of the Seek, Test, Treat and Retain initiative to evaluate its use to improve HIV treatment outcomes by preventing relapse to opioid use among opioid-dependent released criminal justice populations. She is also a co-investigator on an R01 from NIDA and also part of the STTR initiative to utilize buprenorphine as an intervention to link jail detainees with opioid dependence to HIV testing and treatment in Washington, D.C. Furthermore, she has just received a K02 independent scientist award from the NIH. Dr. Springer has expertise in the development and implementation of medication-assisted therapy interventions involving HIV-positive drug- and alcohol-dependent persons.