The effect of HIV on SARS-CoV-2 transmission and emergence of variants of concern

Dr. Molldrem will be the Project Director of the study. He will oversee all aspects of study design and execution, including remotely supervising the work of VGBO staff who will recruit participants and collect data in interviews and focus groups. He will also lead the team-based data analysis and will train personnel on the qualitative data analysis approaches used in this study. He has deep research expertise in the ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI) of pathogen genomics, with a particular focus on HIV, M. tuberculosis (TB), and SARS-CoV-2 in High-Income Countries (HICs), low-to- middle income countries (LMICs), and global health contexts. He has published about the ethics of studying the development of SARS-CoV-2 variants in people who are immunocompromised.

He also previously led an NIH bioethics supplement-funded study of Botswana-based TB stakeholders’ views on TB genomic epidemiology with the research group that is applying to this NIH bioethics supplement grant. Dr. Molldrem will also lead the dissemination of results at conferences and through manuscript writing; he will also assist with a half-day dissemination session in Gaborone at the study’s conclusion.