In early 2025, MHRP launched its first study in the Eastern European country of Georgia to characterize HIV risks, molecular epidemiology and related infections. As part of the study, MHRP is working closely with WRAIR’s forward directorate in Tbilisi, WRAIR-Europe-Middle East, and the Tengiz Tsertsvadze Infectious Diseases, AIDS and Clinical Immunology Research Center.
The molecular epidemiology of HIV in Georgia was most recently assessed from 2006-2008, and the recent influx of people displaced by regional conflicts could potentially impact the local HIV burden. This study will fill in public health knowledge gaps for the region and help inform prevention and treatment countermeasures. This research is also relevant to U.S national security, as changes in HIV incidence and transmission can contribute to regional instability.
MHRP and partners aim to enroll 650 adult participants living with HIV. Researchers will assess various factors, including demographic and sociobehavioral variables, HIV viral load, subtype, and drug resistance data, and molecular sequencing. The study is anticipated to last two years.
WRAIR Europe-Middle East was established in Tbilisi in 2014 and works closely with regional partners to surveil infectious disease threats like acute febrile illness, respiratory infection and antimicrobial resistance. This will be the site’s first HIV study.
“By partnering with local institutions and combining the expertise of our partners with MHRP’s experience in HIV research, we aim to provide a clear picture of the HIV epidemic in this region,” said MAJ Brennan Cebula, protocol chair of the study. “The knowledge gained from this study has the potential to affect public health in the region and guide HIV countermeasure development according to WRAIR’s mission.”