DETROIT – The HIV/AIDS pandemic scene in East Asia is largely dominated by China. While AIDS is not yet considered an epidemic in  China, the infection rate has risen sharply in recent years, and the potential impact of a serious outbreak would be disastrous for both China and the world’s economy. Researchers at Wayne State University are working hard to prevent such devastation in China.

Recently, Dr. Xiaoming Li was awarded a $2.2 million, five-year grant from the National Institute of Nursing Research of the National Institutes of Health to begin testing whether HIV and STD prevention and intervention programs developed in western cultures can be adapted and effectively used in China where the study will take place. Along with researchers from Wayne State and Beijing Normal University in China, Dr. Li, professor and director of the Prevention Research Center of the Carman and Ann Adams Department of Pediatrics in Wayne State University’s School of Medicine, will “implement and evaluate a social-cognitive theory-based, culturally appropriate HIV/AIDS intervention program among 1,300 young rural-to-urban migrants in Beijing,” wrote Li in his research proposal titled “Culture, behavioral change and HIV-risk reduction among young migrants in China.”

According to Dr. Li, the primary outcomes of his study will determine behavioral consequences, such as consistent use of condoms by the subjects, and biomarkers, such as rates of common STDs.

“The key research question in this study is whether a Western theory-based HIV/AIDS behavioral intervention program, through appropriate cultural adaptation, can be effective in a different cultural setting,” said Li. Data will be obtained through multiple sessions of intervention and will be conducted through small, structured groups.

The WSU-Beijing Normal University connection has worked together since 2001 with funding by the National Institutes of Health for HIV/STD prevention-intervention and mental health research done in China. They have been working with several at-risk populations including rural migrants and children orphaned or affected by HIV/AIDS.

“This project embraces Wayne State’s desire to broaden global programs by giving students an opportunity to learn from complex societal issues abroad,” said Dr. Hilary Ratner, Vice President for Research at Wayne State. “Dr. Li’s research furthers WSU’s global academic collaborations, and aims to make a major international impact,” Ratner added.

Wayne State University is one of the nation’s pre-eminent public research universities in an urban setting. Through its multidisciplinary approach to research and education, and its ongoing collaboration with government, industry and other institutions, the university seeks to enhance economic growth and improve the quality of life in the city of Detroit, state of Michigan and throughout the world.