Goldfarb Scientist Receives STTI Funding for HIV-Related Study

Judy Frain, PhD, RN, associate professor at Barnes-Jewish College Goldfarb School of Nursing, to led HIV-related study with the 2017 Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI)/National Gerontological Nursing Association research grant.   The sole recipient of the 2017 Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI)/National Gerontological Nursing Association research grant is a study led by nurse scientist Judy Frain, PhD, RN. An associate professor at Barnes-Jewish College Goldfarb School of Nursing, Frain is primary investigator of the study, which is being conducted at Washington University’s AIDS Clinical Trials Unit. She will work with HIV researchers from that unit, as well as sleep-research expert Jean Davis, PhD, RN, FAAN, Goldfarb nurse scientist.

“St. Louis has more people living with HIV than any other area in Missouri,” says Frain. “And as HIV has transitioned into a chronic disease, more people are dealing with the problems of aging with HIV.” Frain and her colleagues have designed their study to look at the sleep problems experienced by older adults living with HIV. “Previous studies have shown that poor sleep is a common complaint in this population,” Frain notes. “We want to find out how poor sleep is affecting other aspects of their lives.” For instance, is it contributing to high rates of cognitive problems? Is it partially responsible for poor medication management, daytime fatigue, depression and other comorbidities? Frain says these and other questions are ones the research team will work to answer. 

Participants selected for the study will undergo two rounds of testing. Researchers will measure their sleep, cognition, self-efficacy and quality of life, in part by using an actigraph, a device each participant will wear for seven days. The STTI grant, Frain notes, will be used to compensate participants for their time and efforts. “Without willing volunteers, this research would not be possible,” Frain adds. 

Frain says she is eager to begin the study, which is titled “Understanding Disrupted Sleep and Its Implications on Symptoms for Older Adults Living with HIV." And, she says, “it will provide much needed data to improve the lives of older adults living with HIV."

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With a legacy beginning in 1902, Barnes-Jewish College Goldfarb School of Nursing has a strong tradition of educating health care professionals in St. Louis.

Goldfarb School of Nursing is located on the campus of Washington University Medical Campus in St. Louis and is affiliated with Barnes-Jewish Hospital, with a site at Missouri Baptist Medical Center. Goldfarb School of Nursing has nationally recognized educational facilities with state-of-the-art classrooms, lecture halls and sophisticated Clinical Simulation Institute labs with patient simulation mannequins and exam rooms that provide high-tech, advanced nursing care experiences. 

Barnes-Jewish College Goldfarb School of Nursing is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and is approved by the Missouri State Board of Nursing and Higher Education Commission.

To learn more about Barnes-Jewish College Goldfarb School of Nursing, visit BarnesJewishCollege.edu