Brown researchers awarded $3.8 million grant to study links between alcohol, gut health and HIV

The research team hopes to determine how alcohol use specifically affects bacterial species that produce butyrate, a short chain fatty acid. These specific bacteria play a vital role in immune, cardiovascular and brain health. Reduced levels of these bacteria are linked to increased inflammation, a persistent issue for individuals living with HIV — even those with controlled viral loads.

“Once you deplete those bacteria, they have downstream effects later on if the changes become chronic as it often does in both heavy drinkers and people living with HIV,” Monnig said. “By identifying what is going haywire, the hope is that there can then be targeted interventions developed to bring the numbers back to healthier levels.”

The work builds on two pre-existing cohorts: one from Russia and Tennessee. The participants from the cohorts have already undergone extensive clinical and demographic assessments, including providing behavioral tests and blood and fecal samples.

While the focus is on people living with HIV, the findings could one day have broader applications for heavy drinkers without the condition. Right now, though, the researchers are focused on individuals who experience, what Monnig calls, a “double hit” of drinking heavily and living with HIV.

“It’s about improving not just lifespan for this population but health span, as well, informing future intervention efforts and precision medicine efforts,” Monnig said.