Congratulations to Brandon Knettel, assistant professor, who has received an award for his NIH K08 Career proposal entitled: “Telehealth to Reduce Suicidality and lmprove HIV Care Engagement in Tanzania." This award is for a four-year period, awarded April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2025.

Suicidal ideation is strikingly common among people living with HIV worldwide, leading to higher burden of disease for both mental illness and HIV, poor HIV care engagement, increased transmission risk, and loss of life. In this K08 Career Development Award, Knettel proposes to develop and pilot test a three-session, nurse-delivered telehealth counseling intervention to reduce suicidality and improve HIV care engagement among people living with HIV in Tanzania. By completing the proposed research and training plans, Knettel seeks to create a scalable intervention model to address a critical public health challenge while gaining the needed skills to transition to independence as an academic researcher.