Gina Chowa, an assistant professor at UNC’s School of Social Work, has received additional funding to support a research study in Zambia that explores how financial assets affect the lives of men and women with HIV/AIDS.
Chowa was selected to receive $7,500 from the UNC Junior Faculty Development Award and $4,500 from the University Research Council Award. The funding will support a one-year pilot study focused on assessing how revenue from productive assets impacts the economic, physical and mental outlook of men and women with HIV/AIDS. Chowa is interested in developing an intervention program to help HIV/AIDS-impacted families bring more money into their households and set aside a portion in savings.
In 2010, Chowa received a $20,000 grant from the UNC Center for AIDS Research to fund the one-year study. Additional funding comes from the School of Social Work and from the Center for Aids Research at the University of Alabama.