ABSTRACT Dr. Elise Riley is a Professor in the Division of HIV, Infectious Diseases and Global Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. Trained as an epidemiologist, she has mentored 57 postdoctoral fellows and early-career faculty throughout her career while simultaneously leading research focused on the health consequences of HIV and drug use. She is currently funded by NIDA to conduct a study regarding the influences of polydrug use, viral load and inflammation on small vessel disease in people living with HIV. Here she proposes an expansion of the parent study to include measures of tryptophan catabolism, which will provide a better understanding of cerebrovascular dysfunction through the consideration of multiple physiological pathways. Within this expanded investigation, Dr. Riley will continue growing and improving the content of her individual-level mentoring program. In parallel, she will partner with the UCSF Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) to create a new virtual mentoring module within the existing CFAR mentoring program. In combination, the proposed activities will provide multiple opportunities for training in patient-oriented research and career development for early career investigators.

PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE Stroke and premature death are disproportionately high in people living with HIV. A current study led by Dr. Riley considers how combinations of drugs and inflammation exacerbate conditions that precede stroke. The objective of the current proposal is to expand the existing research to consider tryptophan catabolism as an additional physiological pathway of stroke- related conditions, and augment mentoring activities alongside the research. This comprehensive program will provide an effective training environment for mentees conducting patient-oriented research. At the same time, it will facilitate the development of clinical tools for risk assessment to reduce stroke in people living with HIV.