Aaron Siegler
Associate Professor
Faculty, Epidemiology
Faculty, Behavioral/Social/Health Educ
There are many promising opportunities in infectious disease prevention given shifts in technology and biomedical approaches to prevention. To optimize the effectiveness of infectious disease prevention efforts, it is necessary to create tailored strategies that integrate biomedical advances, epidemiological exploration, and behavioral science. My research explores the intersection of the biomedical and social realms, with a focus on disparities in healthcare access. I currently serve as Co-Director of the Emory CFAR Prevention and Implementation Sciences Core. My current interests include characterizing the COVID-19 epidemic in the United States through home testing (COVIDVu), optimal approaches for scaling up provision of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis including telemedicine, novel interventions to increase the use of prevention goods, geospatial analyses to better understand access to healthcare, and exploring novel combination infectious disease prevention strategies.
Below is a sample of some of the projects I am currently leading:
COVIDVu: Population-based survey of SARS-CoV-2 infection and immune response (3R01AI143875-02S1; contact PI, MPI Sullivan)
This study will assess the prevalence and incidence of COVID-19 among randomly selected households in the United States, targeting participation of over 7,000 households each provided with home-based specimen collection materials for PCR and antibody testing. The study includes development of a website to disseminate study findings (COVIDVu.org) and mathematical modeling to leverage epidemiological study data.
Making it last: A randomized, controlled trial of a home care system to promote persistence in PrEP care (R01MH114692; contact PI, MPI Mayer)
This study is a clinical trial to determine whether a home care system for HIV PrEP, compared to standard of care in-person visits, will have higher levels of maintenance in PrEP care at one-year follow-up.
ePrEP: Testing an electronic PrEP initiation and maintenance home care system (R01-equivalent, NIH ATN159; contact PI, MPI Mena)
This multisite clinical trial assesses whether providing telemedicine PrEP to MSM in rural areas from centralized facilities through an app-based platform leads to improved uptake and maintenance in care relative to standard of care referral. This grant is part of the NIH Adolescent Medicine Trials Network, a network NIH uses to fund HIV trials research.
Integrating a combination HIV prevention intervention into a widely-used geosocial app for Chinese MSM (R01AI143875; contact PI, MPI Sullivan)
This study includes a literature review, mathematical modeling, and development of an HIV prevention package for Chinese MSM that will be incorporated into an existing geosocial networking app (Blued) and pilot tested in two cities.
Improving PrEP Access: the PrEP Locator (MAC AIDS Fund, PI)
This project seeks to build a national database of providers of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) as an open-source resource, accessible via API, to allow patients to locate PrEP providers and allow researchers to identify gaps in PrEP service availability.
A study to improve the fit of HIV prevention methods (Project Lead, Co-I)
This Phase II SBIR supports a cross-over randomized trial to assess fitted condom performance, including clinical outcomes of breakage, slippage, and pleasure.
For a current list of my publications, please visit PubMed:
Contact Information
1518 Clifton Road, NE Suite 468
Atlanta , GA 30322
Phone: 404-712-9733
Fax: 404-727-8737
Email: asiegle@emory.edu
Areas of Interest
- Behavior and Health
- Disease Surveillance
- Health Disparities
- HIV/AIDS Prevention
- Infectious Disease
- Statistical Modeling
Education
- PhD 2012, Emory University
- MHS 2005, Johns Hopkins University
- BA 2002, Emory University
Courses Taught
- EPI 535: Design & Implement EPI Studies
Affiliations & Activities
Recent coverage of COVIDVu
JAMA Open: Changes in vaccination hesitancy over time
NPR: Team To Send Out 10,000 At-Home Coronavirus Test Kits
Emory: Emory launches national COVID-19 home testing study
Medical news: Emory launches COVIDVu study to understand the extent of epidemic across the U.S.
Recent news:
FDA first ever approval of condoms for anal sex, based on clinical trial research by my team:
NY Times, Smithsonian Magazine, NBC, Buzzfeed, The Hill
Other news:
(video) This HIV drug is proven to save lives but getting it in GA could be a problem
Washington Post: This HIV pill saves lives. So why is it so hard to get in the Deep South?
Georgia's HIV problem in rural areas
AIDSVu Blog: Q & A on the COMPASS Initiative
Contagion Live: Home-Based PrEP Monitoring Tests Well in Individuals at Risk of HIV
WSB-TV, local ABC affiliate: HIV Hot Spots: The areas in metro Atlanta the disease has taken a grip
AIDSVu Blog: PrEP Use Research and Expanding Access
Emory: Emory develops national database of clinics that prescribe HIV prevention drug PrEP
Infectious Disease Advisor: National Sample Shows 40% of Patients Adhere to Full PrEP Schedule
Publications
- Siegler AJ, Bratcher A, Weiss KM, 2019, Geographic Access to Preexposure Prophylaxis Clinics Among Men Who Have Sex With Men in the United States, American Journal of Public Health, ,
- Siegler AJ, Rosenthal EM, Sullivan PS, Mehta C, Moore RH, Ahlschlager A, Kelley CF, Rosenberg ES, Cecil MP, 2019, Levels of clinical condom failure for anal sex: A randomized cross-over trial, EClinicalMedicine, ,
- Coy KC, Hazen RJ, Kirkham HS, Delpino A, Siegler AJ, 2019, Persistence on HIV preexposure prophylaxis medication over a 2-year period among a national sample of 7148 PrEP users, United States, 2015 to 2017, JIAS, ,
- Siegler AJ, Mayer KH, Liu AY, Patel RR, Ahlschlager LM, Kraft CS, Fish R, Wiatrek SE, Sullivan PS, 2018, Developing and assessing the feasibility of a home-based PrEP monitoring and support program., Clinical infectious diseases, ,
- Siegler AJ, Bratcher A, Weiss KW, Mouhanna F, Ahlschlager L, Sullivan PS., 2018, Location location location: an exploration of disparities in access to publicly listed pre-exposure prophylaxis clinics in the United States, Annals of Epidemiology, ,
- Siegler AJ, Mouhanna F, Giler RM, Weiss K, Pembleton E, Guest J, Jones PhD J, Castel A, Yeung H, Kramer M, McCallister S, Sullivan PS, 2018, The prevalence of pre-exposure prophylaxis use and the pre-exposure prophylaxis-to-need ratio in the fourth quarter of 2017, United States, Annals of Epidemiology, ,
- Sullivan PS, Giler RM, Mouhanna F, Pembleton ES, Guest JL, Jones J, Castel AD, Yeung H, Kramer M, McCallister S, Siegler AJ, 2018, Trends in the use of oral emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate for pre-exposure prophylaxis against HIV infection, United States, 2012-2017., Annals of Epidemiology, ,
- Bratcher A, Schlueter Wirtz S, Siegler AJ, 2018, Users of a National Directory of PrEP Service Providers: Beliefs, Self-Efficacy, and Progress Toward Prescription, Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, ,
- Siegler AJ, Wirtz S, Weber S, Sullivan PS, 2017, Developing a Web-Based Geolocated Directory of HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis-Providing Clinics: The PrEP Locator Protocol and Operating Procedures, JMIR Public Health Surveillance, ,
- Siegler AJ, Sullivan PS, de Voux A, Phaswana-Mafuya N, Bekker LG, Baral SD, Winskell K, Kose Z, Wirtz AL, Brown B, Stephenson R, 2015, Exploring repeat HIV testing among men who have sex with men in Cape Town and Port Elizabeth, South Africa, AIDS Care, 27,
- Siegler AJ, Voux Ad, Phaswana-Mafuya N, Bekker LG, Sullivan PS, Baral SD, Winskell K, Kose Z, Wirtz AL, Stephenson R, 2014, Elements of Condom-Use Decision Making among South African Men Who Have Sex with Men, Journal of the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care, , 414-423
- Cecil M, Warner L, Siegler AJ, 2013, Online purchases of an expanded range of condom sizes in comparison to current dimensional requirements allowable by US national standards, Sexual Health, , 408-413