Dr. Brittany Lane, a post-doctoral research scholar at FSU’s College of Nursing and Center of Population Sciences for Health Equity (CPSHE), has been selected as an ATN (Adolescent Medicine Trials Network for HIV Interventions) Scholar for the 2024-2025 cohort. This prestigious program comes with grant funding to study HIV and pregnancy prevention among racially and ethnically diverse adolescents and young adults assigned female at birth (AYA/AFAB), including cisgender women, transgender, and gender diverse individuals.

The Adolescent Medicine Trials Network's mission is to improve the quality of life and health of adolescents and young adults across the HIV prevention and care continuum through transformative research, education, and advocacy. Conducting various research studies related to HIV prevention and care for young people between 13 and 24 years old, the ATN aims to increase awareness of HIV status among youth and improve health and wellbeing of youth living with HIV. The focus on populations who face grater barriers to health access and equity because of systemic barriers including geographic location, racism, stigma, and lack of cultural sensitivity among healthcare providers.

As an ATN scholar, Dr. Lane will be afforded the opportunity to collaborate on various projects with her peers and experts in HIV research, while learning from their expertise and contributing to shared goals. This acceptance emphasizes her passion for HIV and her goals as a researcher as she aims to grow in this field and learn from leading experts.

“Being accepted aligns perfectly with my passion for HIV prevention among young people of color,” she says.

Her research aims to address the challenges faced by AYA/ AFAB individuals in HIV and pregnancy prevention with the hope that her research reflects the community’s needs by translating data into practical solutions that are embraced by youth and effectively prevent HIV and pregnancy.

Working as CPSHE as a postdoc scholar, Dr. Lane brings extensive experience working with populations experiencing health disparities, including indigenous people, Black communities, and LGBT populations. Dr. Casey Xavier Hall, Dr. Lane’s mentor, highlighted her passion for addressing health disparities, especially HIV-related disparities among Black communities. In discussing Dr. Lane’s qualities as a researcher, Dr Xavier Hall emphasized her motivation combined with her training in research skills, expressing confidence in her ability to produce research with positive community impact.

“At CPSHE, we recognize that Brittany has passion and with the right mentorship she will grow her impactful research and become a leader in health disparity research,” Dr. Xavier Hall stated.

Dr. Lane is committed to employing community-engaged research methodologies, ensuring that youth and community partners’ perspectives and needs are met. This approach not only promotes inclusivity but also helps in advancing health equity by addressing the unique challenges faced by marginalized communities.

“I’m thrilled to work on projects aligned with my passion for HIV prevention among youth, particularly youth of color, and to learn from the diverse members of the ATN, including academics, community partners, and the youth we serve,” Dr. Lane concludes.

About CPSHE: The Center of Population Science for Health Equity at FSU is a community driven research center dedicated to promoting health equity and reducing health disparities among marginalized, underserved, and vulnerable populations. CPSHE is an official sponsor of Global LGBTQ Health and provided the funds for it to be open access.