Harlem
United States | Harlem | Bronx
Harlem Prevention Center
ICAP’s two research centers in New York, the Bronx Prevention Center and the Harlem Prevention Center, are hubs of research in New York City that have been historically underserved and disproportionately impacted by the HIV epidemic and, more recently, the COVID-19 epidemic. ICAP works with local community-based organizations, religious leaders, and advocates to promote community awareness of and engagement with the research studies.
Led by Wafaa El-Sadr, MD, MPH, MPA and Jessica Justman, MD, this work is supported through the ICAP at Columbia University Clinical Trials Unit (CTU). The ICAP CTU aims to support the design and implementation of research to address gaps in the global HIV response, including through clinical research sites in the Harlem, Bronx, and Eswatini.
The Community Advisory Board (CAB) for the ICAP Clinical Trials Unit (CTU) provides guidance and feedback on proposed studies, outreach strategies, feedback on study materials, and information regarding community perceptions of the potential or current research studies.
Current studies include investigations of antibody-mediated prevention using broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) to prevent HIV or COVID-19, an injectable long-acting pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) option, mobile technologies to improve PrEP adherence, integrated care for people who inject opiates, HIV vaccine studies, and studies of COVID-19 immunity, vaccine efficacy, and treatment among others.
Through Columbia University, ICAP also supports additional COVID-19 surveys and various student fellowship programs, engaging students to participate in the design, implementation, and evaluation of ICAP-supported programs while working side-by-side with its experts.

Projects
ICAP in Harlem
Program Start
2004
Key Technical Areas
- Clinical Research and Trials
- COVID-19 Research
- PreP Research
- Surveys
Current Funders
- National Institute of Health
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIH/NIAID)
Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) - Family Health International (FHI)
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
- Janssen
Site Leader
Sharon Mannheimer, MD
Dr. Sharon Mannheimer has been the Site Leader of the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health ICAP Harlem Prevention Center CRS since its inception over a decade ago. She is a practicing board certified Infectious Disease physician with over twenty years of experience and expertise in HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention. Most of her career has been in Harlem where she provides clinical care and conducts clinical research, including HIV prevention studies of oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), long-acting injectable PrEP, broadly neutralizing monoclonal antibodies, and an HIV vaccine. In HPTN, in addition to Site Leader, she has served as a protocol team member and currently serves as protocol co-chair of HVTN 130/HPTN 089, a combination monoclonal antibody trial for HIV prevention. Recently her research has shifted to also include COVID, overseeing the implementation of vaccine and monoclonal antibody trials for COVID prevention at the CRS.
Jobs in the United States
For international ICAP job listings see careers at ICAPACITY