The Encore Study

About the LITE Study

We are very excited to announce the launch of a new research study, Leading Innovation for Transgender Women's Health and Empowerment (LITE). This is the first cohort study of transgender women and transfeminine people in the United States! This project is an exciting new NIH-supported research study that will enroll 1,100 transgender women across five US cities (Boston, New York, Baltimore-Washington DC, Atlanta and Miami) beginning in early 2018.

This is a cohort study, which means we will check-in with transgender women participants approximately every 3 months for up to 5 years, with incentives given at each check-in. The study focuses on s*xual health and HIV in order to learn about engagement in HIV prevention and treatment; however, we will also be collecting data on a wide range of health and social topics. This project is a partnership between Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Boston Children's Hospital, Fenway Health, Harvard University T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Callen-Lorde Community Health Center, University of Miami, Emory University and Grady Memorial Hospital, and Whitman Walker Health.

Our study team knows that health and HIV research often includes transgender women with other populations, such as with men who have s*x with men (MSM), resulting in research that is not gender affirming or responsive to transgender women’s experiences and needs. This leaves many gaps in our knowledge about health and HIV issues that are specific and unique to transgender women, which the current study will fill. We finally have the opportunity to conduct the first and largest cohort study in the U.S. that is dedicated to research specifically with transgender women!

Funding information: This research is supported by Award Number UG3-AI133669, from the National Institute of Health. The LITE study is also appreciative of support from the Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) at partner institutions including JohnsHopkins University (P30AI094189), Emory University (P30AI050409) and University of Miami (P30AI073961)