HIV Molecular Epidemiology (ME) Dashboard: Mapping HIV to Identify Prevention Gaps in Florida

HIV sequence data plays a critical role in the public health strategy of detecting transmission clusters and guiding interventions to contain recent outbreaks across the U.S. However, the use of this data raises legal and operational concerns, particularly regarding perceptions of risk associated with HIV transmission or non-disclosure. Practical solutions are needed to address these concerns while supporting health departments in optimizing allocation of prevention resources based on transmission data. This project aims to integrate de-identified and aggregated HIV sequence data with publicly available national HIV prevention and treatment data hosted on the AIDSVu platform. The result will be an interactive online dashboard that enables identification of geographic areas with elevated HIV transmission rates and corresponding variations in HIV treatment coverage in the HIV Care Continuum in Florida. The dashboard will be designed using an iterative usability testing process to ensure that its interface is intuitive and aligned with public health priorities. The effort is supported by a coordinated team of technical experts, public health officials, academic institutions (Emory University, UC San Diego, Johns Hopkins University), and the Florida Department of Health (FDOH). The overarching goal is to integrate HIV sequence and AIDSVu data into a regional monitoring tool that identifies transmission patterns and links them to targeted prevention strategies. The dashboard will use regional heatmaps—excluding individual-level data—to highlight clustering patterns, without use of individual or demographic identifiers, and incorporate national prevention metrics to support timely response. Evaluation of the tool will include assessments of system performance and utility in operational settings, guiding refinements throughout development. Specific Aims include Aim 1) Identify Design Requirements for the Dashboard – Conduct structured discussions with FDOH personnel and subject matter experts to define key functionalities, benefits, and limitations; Aim 2) Develop the HIV ME Dashboard – Integrate de-identified molecular epidemiology data with related metrics (e.g., STI incidence, AIDSVu data, and regional health indicators); and Aim 3) Pilot and Evaluate the Dashboard – Deploy a prototype in select Florida regions for real-world testing by FDOH staff. By aligning data science with public health operations, this project offers a scalable model for enhanced outbreak detection and response. Lessons learned may support similar tools in additional jurisdictions. Project Number: 1R01AI189284-01A1 | Fiscal Year: 2025 | NIH Institute/Center: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) | Principal Investigator: SUSAN LITTLE | Institution: UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO, LA JOLLA, CA | Award Amount: $812,427 | Activity Code: R01 | Study Section: Population and Public Health Approaches to HIV/AIDS Study Section[PPAH] View on NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/1R01AI18928401A1