PrEPárate

Community Dissemination Award | October 2024 – April 2025

Led by Principal Investigator Pedro A. Serrano (CQLC NFP) and sponsored by Third Coast CFAR, the Chicago Queer Latine Collaborative is excited to present "PrEParate: PrEP For You & Me," a dynamic gallery exhibition showcasing the multimedia work of our acclaimed PrEPárate campaign. This exhibition highlights the vibrant voices and personal stories of Latine LGBTQ+ artists, activists, and community members.

Set at the culturally rich Chicago Art Department, and timed to coincide with the Pilsen Open Galleries 2nd Friday Artwalk on April 11th, the event will feature large-format prints, looping short videos, and live interactions with campaign Ambassadors. Attendees will engage with immersive visual narratives that promote PrEP and PEP awareness as essential tools for HIV prevention.

In addition, visitors will have access to simplified community briefs of our academic publications—available in both English and Spanish—to foster informed dialogue and education.

The PrEPárate Gallery Exhibition is a celebration of art and public health, designed to deepen community engagement, elevate HIV prevention strategies, and inspire transformative conversations around health equity.

Community-Mini Award | January 2022 – June 2022    

Under the leadership of Project Leader Pedro A. Serrano at the Hektoen Institute of Medicine and supported by Third Coast CFAR, this community dissemination award funded a forum on the newly approved Cabotegravir Long Acting (CAB-LA) formulation for PrEP. The forum, held at the CORE Center of Cook County Health and hosted by the HIV Prevention Trials Network study team, brought together HIV healthcare and service providers. The primary goal was to inform and engage key stakeholders about this innovative HIV prevention strategy, thereby promoting informed clinical practices and expanding the reach of cutting-edge PrEP interventions.

CFAR Pilot Award | October 2022 – September 2023    

Guided by Academic PI Harita Shah (University of Chicago) with consulting support from Pedro A. Serrano (Hektoen Institute of Medicine) and mentorship from Gregory Phillips II (Northwestern University), this epidemiological study examined the socio-structural determinants affecting HIV-related health outcomes among Latine communities. Sponsored by the Third Coast Center for AIDS Research, the assessment aims to inform future targeted interventions and policy initiatives by identifying key individual and structural factors impacting health within these communities.

CFAR Ending the HIV Epidemic Supplement Award | September 2021 – December 2022    

Under the guidance of Community PI Pedro A. Serrano (Hektoen Institute of Medicine) and Academic PI Harita Shah (University of Chicago), with mentorship from Gregory Phillips II (Northwestern University), this pilot project adapted a PrEP social marketing campaign specifically for Latine HIV-vulnerable cisgender sexual minority men, transgender, and non-binary individuals. Funded by the Third Coast Center for AIDS Research, the campaign was pilot tested both virtually and in the field, and later evaluated through online surveys and interviews to assess its reach, impact, acceptability, and feasibility.

Community-Mini Award | September 2020 – December 2020    

Led by Project Leader Pedro A. Serrano at the Hektoen Institute of Medicine and sponsored by Third Coast CFAR, this community dissemination award funded the demonstration of a proof of concept for a health promotion campaign disseminated over social media. Partnering with Cook County Health and independent creatives, the initiative employed community-engaged approaches to address HIV-related health disparities among sexual and gender minority populations. The project not only disseminated timely COVID-19 public health messaging, but also developed a framework for a scalable health communication plan to guide the upcoming PrEPárate campaign.