Robert Heimer, PhD

Research Interests

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; Epidemiology; Foodborne Diseases; Hepatitis C; Injections; Public Health; Russia; Vietnam; Global Health; HIV Infections

Public Health Interests

Drug Abuse/Addition; HIV/AIDS

Research Organizations

School of Public Health: Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS | Connecticut Emerging Infections Program | Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases | YSPH Global Health Concentration

Faculty Research

Liver Center

Molecular Virology: Virology laboratories

Global Health Studies

Office of Cooperative Research

Yale Institute for Global Health

Research Summary

Dr. Heimer is also the Director of the Yale office of the Connecticut Emerging Infections Program. This Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-funded program is one of eleven programs nationwide that seek to assess, through population-based surveillance, the public health impact of emerging infectious diseases and to evaluate methods for their prevention and control in the community. The Yale program currently focuses on chronic liver disease (especially hepatitis C), foodborne illnesses, and respiratory illnesses.

Dr. Heimer's major research efforts include scientific investigation of the mortality and morbidity associated with injection drug use. Areas of investigation include syringe exchange programs, HIV survival in syringes, hepatitis B vaccination, hepatitis C transmission risks, overdose prevention and resuscitation, and pharmacological treatment of opiate addiction. His research combines laboratory, operational, and ethnographic analyses to evaluate the effectiveness of intervention programs in preventing the negative medical consequences of injection drug use. Dr. Heimer is Director of the Interdisciplinary Research Methods Core at Yale's Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS.

Specialized Terms: Mortality and morbidity in relation to injection drug use; HIV and hepatitis C transmission; Evaluation of prevention and treatment for people who inject drugs

Extensive Research Description

Robert Heimer is a professor of epidemiology and public health and pharmacology at Yale University School of Medicine. He is also a director for the Yale Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS. His primary research interests are mortality and morbidity in relation to injection drug use and HIV transmission. Dr. Heimer’s research provides health and prevention practitioners with information by examining consequences of drug abuse in the United States and Russia. He is the principal investigator for Yale Emerging Infections Program and for a project titled “Environmental Factors in HIV Transmission about Suburban IDUs.”

Robert Heimer received his M.S. and Ph.D. from Yale University. He is also a member of a Substance Use Working Group. Grants for his international work include: International Feasibility Study of Pharmacy-Based HIV Prevention: St. Petersburg Influences on HIV Prevalence and Service Access among IDU’s in Russia and Estonia.Influences on HIV Prevalence and Service Access among IDUs in Russia and Estonia (REGIMES)
We are studying the impacts of ethnicity and stigma on HIV prevalence and on access to HIV prevention and care services in St. Petersburg and Kohtla-Järve.
1 R01 DA029888-01 (Heimer/Uuskula)
09/01/2010– 07/31/2015
NIDA

Environmental Factors in HIV Transmission among Suburban IDUs (SHERPA)
Recent evidence suggests that injection drug use is increasing among suburban residents. Little research has focused on this trend, and the economic, social, and medical consequences have not been considered. To close this gap, we are proposing to identify, recruit, and study a valid sample of injectors who reside in Connecticut suburbs using respondent driven sampling (RDS).
5 R01 DA023408-04 (Heimer)
07/01/2007– 04/30/2012
NIDA

Drug Policy, Incarceration, Community Re-entry, and Race Disparities in HIV/AIDS (SHARRPP)
The project analyzes the interconnections among drug policies in the US, the massive migration in and out of the criminal justice (CJ) system that these policies have created, and race disparities in HIV risk.
7 R01 DA025021-02 (Blankenship)
09/15/2009– 07/31/2014
NIDA

Online Respondent-Driven Sampling & Data Collection for Men Who Have Sex with Men
The study assesses the feasibility of improving representativeness of samples of MSM recruited online, a population at acute risk for sexually transmitted infections.
1 R21 MH090920-01A1 (White)
01/01/2011– 12/31/2012
NIMH

Connecticut Emerging Infections Program (CT-EIP)
The Yale Emerging Infections Program, in partnership with the State of Connecticut Department of Public Health is responsible for carrying out surveillance for emerging and re-emerging infections of particular interest to the CDC, most notably foodborne, respiratory, hepatitis, lyme disease, and other infectious disease.
2009-0238 (Heimer)
12/30/2008– 12/29/2011
CDC

International Feasibility Study of Pharmacy-Based HIV Prevention: St. Petersburg
The study assesses the feasibility of using pharmacies as public health venues to provide HIV-prevention to injection drug users (IDUs) in St. Petersburg, Russia. This application is one of the linked R21 proposals developed by India,Vietnam, Russia and USA in preparation for a large-scale, multi-site randomized controlled intervention trial. The expected results of these studies will help to develop the training for the pharmacists to provide HIV- related services to IDUs as highly effective intervention that could be implemented in a wide variety of cultural settings.
5 R21 DA027228-02 (Shaboltas)
09/15/2009– 08/31/2012
NIDA

Alcohol and HIV Risk Reduction in St. Petersburg, Russian Federation
We are developing and testing a theory-based risk reduction intervention for men and women who drink alcohol, who are seeking VCT at STI clinics and are at risk for contracting and transmitting HIV in St. Petersburg, Russia.
5 R01 AA17389-04 (Abdala)
09/30/2007– 06/30/2011
NIAAA

Center for Public Health Excellence in HIV Prevention in the Russian Federation
The primary aim of the projects are (1) setting up a scientific and methodological center for research and development to facilitate efficiency improvement of organizations engaged in HIV control and prevention in the Russian Federation, (2) analyzing previously collected biobehavioral and surveillance data, (3)conducting studies on HIV prevalence in IDU and bridge populations in two Russian cities, and (4) developing manuals and courses to teach research methods on these topics.
CRDF 47.079 (Levina and Heimer)
6/15/2008- 3/31/2011
Civilian Research & Development Foundation

Monitoring and Evaluation of Program to Promote Youth Friendly Sexual and Reproductive Health Services in 8 CIS Nations
The primary aims of this project are to provide the implementers of the program with the reporting tools to determine the impact of their efforts and to analyze the reports to inform the project funder (the government of Finland) of project accomplishments and failures.
UREC6R52A Heimer (PI)
07/01/09– 07/31/11
UNFPA

Training and Research in HIV Prevention in Russia
This training grant continues to develop a cadre of researchers at four institutions in St. Petersburg thereby building capacity in Russian institutions to address their expanding HIV/AIDS epidemic.
5D43TW001028-10 (Heimer)
09/30/98– 05/31/16
Fogarty International Center

Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS (CIRA)
Conduct research aimed at the prevention of HIV infection and reduction of the negative consequences of HIV disease in vulnerable and underserved populations. Through multidisciplinary collaborations, such research will identify determinants of risky behaviors, evaluate interventions in local, high-risk populations,develop and test models to assess the impact of these interventions on the epidemic, and determine transferability of specific intervention approaches between the United States and selected developing countries.
5 P30 MH062294-08 (Cleary)
09/30/2008– 06/30/2013
NIMH

Assessing Epidemiological Risks of Parenteral HCV Transmission in Drug Users
This project has been designed to understand the risks for transmission of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) through unsafe drug injection and evaluate methods to reduce transmission. The study protocol fuses into laboratory-based research the real-world observations on drug injection practices to analyze (1) the potential for HCV transmission resulting from the use of HCV-contaminated injection equipment, (2) the duration of HCV viability in injection equipment, (3) the potential for disinfectants to inactivate HCV, and (4) the potential for exposure to infectious HCV in various drug preparation and injection practices common in parts of the world where the HCV epidemic among injection drugs users is still rapidly increasing.
R01 DA030420-A101 (Heimer)
07/01/2011 – 06/30/2016
NIDA

Selected Publications

• Prevalence, characteristics, and predictors of police training initiatives by US SEPs: building an evidence base for structural interventions.

  Beletsky L, Grau LE, White E, Bowman S, Heimer R. (2012) Prevalence, characteristics, and predictors of police training initiatives by US SEPs: building an evidence base for structural interventions. Drug & Alcohol Dependence, 119:145-149.

• Sexual partners of street-based female sex workers in St. Petersburg: A model of partnership characteristics as a basis for further research.

  Levina OS, Heimer R, Odinokova V, Bodanovskaya Z, Irwin KS, Niccolai LM. (2012) Sexual partners of street-based female sex workers in St. Petersburg: A model of partnership characteristics as a basis for further research. Human Organization, 71:32-43.

• Chronic pain, addiction severity, and misuse of opioids in Cumberland County, Maine.

  Heimer R, Dasgupta N, Irwin KS, Phinney Harvey A, Givens A, Grau LE. (2012) Chronic pain, addiction severity, and misuse of opioids in Cumberland County, Maine. Addictive Behaviors, 37:346-349.

• Police training to align law enforcement and HIV prevention: preliminary evidence from the field.

  Beletsky L, Agrawal Kapur A, Moreau B, Kumar P, Weiss-Laxser N, Moreau B, Heimer R. (2011) Police training to align law enforcement and HIV prevention: preliminary evidence from the field. American Journal of Public Health, 101:2012-2105.

• The relative role of perceived partner risks in promoting condom use in a three-city sample of high-risk, low-income women.

  Ober AJ, Iguchi MY, Weiss RE, Gorbach PM, Heimer R, Ouellet LJ, Shoptaw S, Anglin MD, Zule WA.The relative role of perceived partner risks in promoting condom use in a three-city sample of high-risk, low-income women. AIDS Behav. 2011 Oct;15(7):1347-58

• Estimates of HIV incidence among drug users in St. Petersburg, Russia: continued growth of a rapidly expanding epidemic.

  Niccolai, LM, Verevochkin SV, Toussova OV, White E, Barbour R, Kozlov AP, Heimer R. Estimates of HIV incidence among drug users in St. Petersburg, Russia: continued growth of a rapidly expanding epidemic. Eur J Public Health. 2011 Oct;21(5):613-9.

• HIV disclosure, condom use, and awareness of HIV infection among HIV-positive, heterosexual drug injectors in St. Petersburg, Russian Federation.

  Grau LE, White E, Niccolai LM, Toussova OV, Verevochkin SV, Kozlov AP, Heimer R. HIV disclosure, condom use, and awareness of HIV infection among HIV-positive, heterosexual drug injectors in St. Petersburg, Russian Federation. AIDS Behav. 2011 Jan;15(1):45-57

• Trends in fatal opioid intoxications in Connecticut: 1997-2007.

  Green TC, Grau LE, Colon N, Carver HW, Kinzly ML, Heimer R (2011) Trends in fatal opioid intoxications in Connecticut: 1997-2007. Drug & Alcohol Dependence, 115:221-228.

• The roles of law, client race, and program visibility in shaping police interference with the operation of US syringe exchange programs.

  Beletsky L, Grau LE, White E, Bowman S, Heimer R. (2011) The roles of law, client race, and program visibility in shaping police interference with the operation of US syringe exchange programs. Addiction, 106:357-365.

• Survival of hepatitis C virus in syringes: implication for transmission among injection drug users.

  Paintsil E, He H, Peters C, Lindenbach BD, Heimer. (2010) Survival of hepatitis C virus in syringes: implication for transmission among injection drug users. Journal of Infectious Diseases, 202:984-990.

• The roles of law, client race, and program visibility in shaping police interference with the operation of US syringe exchange programs.

  Beletsky L, Grau LE, White E, Bowman S, Heimer R. (2010) The roles of law, client race, and program visibility in shaping police interference with the operation of US syringe exchange programs. Addiction, 106:357-365.

• Drug network characteristics and HIV risk among injection drug users in Russia: the roles of trust, size, and stability.

  Cepeda JA, Odinokova V, Heimer R, Grau LE, Lyubimova A, Safiullina L, Levina O, Niccolai LM Drug network characteristics and HIV risk among injection drug users in Russia: the roles of trust, size, and stability. AIDS Behav. 2011 Jul;15(5):1003-10.

• Subpopulations of illicit drug users reached by targeted street outreach and respondent-driven sampling strategies: implications for research and public health practice.

  Rudolph A, Crawford N, Latkin C, Heimer R, Benjamin, E, Jones K, Fuller C. Subpopulations of illicit drug users reached by targeted street outreach and respondent-driven sampling strategies: implications for research and public health practice. Ann Epidemiol. 2011 Apr;21(4):280-9.

• Comparing sexual risks and patterns of alcohol and drug use between injection drug users (IDUs) and non-IDUs who report sexual partnerships with IDUs in St. Petersburg, Russia.

  Abdala N, White E, Toussova OV, Krasnoselskikh TV, Verevochkin SV, Kozlov AP, Heimer R Comparing sexual risks and patterns of alcohol and drug use between injection drug users (IDUs) and non-IDUs who report sexual partnerships with IDUs in St. Petersburg, Russia. BMC Public Health. 2010 Nov 5;10:676.

• Prevalence and predictors of transitions to and away from syringe exchange use over time in 3 US cities with varied syringe dispensing policies.

  Green TC, Bluthenthal RN, Singer M, Beletsky L, Grau LE, Marshall PA, Heimer R. Prevalence and predictors of transitions to and away from syringe exchange use over time in 3 US cities with varied syringe dispensing policies. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2010 Sep 1;111(1-2):74-81.

• High HIV prevalence, suboptimal HIV testing, and low knowledge of HIV-positive serostatus among injection drug users in St. Petersburg, Russia.

  Niccolai LM, Toussova OV, Verevochkin SV, Barbour R, Heimer R, and Kozlov AP.High HIV prevalence, suboptimal HIV testing, and low knowledge of HIV-positive serostatus among injection drug users in St. Petersburg, Russia. AIDS Behav. 2010 Aug;14(4):932-41.

• Estimation of the number of injection drug users in St. Petersburg, Russia.

  Heimer R, White E. (2010) Estimation of the number of injection drug users in St. Petersburg, Russia. Drug & Alcohol Dependence, 109:79-83.

• Patterns of drug use and abuse among aging adults with and without HIV: A latent class analysis of a US Veteran cohort.

  Green TC, Kershaw T, Lin H, Heimer R, Goulet JLm Kraemer KL, Gordon AJ, Maisto SA, Day NL, Bryant K, Fiellin DA, Justice AC. (2010) Patterns of drug use and abuse among aging adults with and without HIV: A latent class analysis of a US Veteran cohort.

• Statistical design for a small serial dilution series.

  Zelterman D, Tulupyev A, Abdala N, Heimer R. (2010) Statistical design for a small serial dilution series. Statistics in Medicine, 9:411-420.

• Hepatitis C virus infection among drug injectors in St Petersburg, Russia: social and molecular epidemiology of an endemic infection.

  Paintsil E, Verevochkin SV, Dukhovlinova E, Niccolai LM, Barbour R, White E, Toussova OV, Kozlov AP, Heimer R. Hepatitis C virus infection among drug injectors in St Petersburg, Russia: social and molecular epidemiology of an endemic infection. 2009 Nov;104(11):1881-90

• Getting the message straight: effects of a brief hepatitis prevention intervention among injection drug users.

  Grau LE, Green TC, Singer M, Bluthenthal R, Marshall PA, Heimer R. (2009) Getting the message straight: effects of a brief hepatitis prevention intervention among injection drug users. Harm Reduction Journal 2009, 6:e36.

• Peridomestic Lyme disease prevention: results of a population-based case-control study.

  Connally NP. Durante AJ. Yousey-Hindes KM. Meek JI. Nelson RS. Heimer R. (2009) Peridomestic Lyme disease prevention: results of a population-based case-control study. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 37:201-206.

• The potential for bridging of HIV transmission in the Russian Federation: sex risk behaviors and HIV prevalence among drug users (DUs) and their non-DU sex partners.

  Niccolai LM, Shcherbakova IS, Toussova OV, Kozlov AP, Heimer R. The potential for bridging of HIV transmission in the Russian Federation: sex risk behaviors and HIV prevalence among drug users (DUs) and their non-DU sex partners. J Urban Health. 2009 Jul;86 Suppl 1:131-43

• Potential bridges of heterosexual HIV transmission from drug users to the general population in St. Petersburg, Russia: is it easy to be a young female?

  Toussova OV, Shcherbakova IS, Volkova GV, Niccolai LM, Heimer R, Kozlov AP. Potential bridges of heterosexual HIV transmission from drug users to the general population in St. Petersburg, Russia: is it easy to be a young female? Journal of Urban Health,86(Suppl 1):121-130.

• Simultaneous Recruitment of Drug Users and Men Who Have Sex with Men in the United States and Russia using Respondent Driven Sampling: Sampling Methods and Implications.

  Iguchi MY, Ober AJ, Berry SH, Fain T, Heckathorn DD, Gorbach P, Heimer R, Kozlov AP, Ouellet, LJ, Shoptaw S, Zule WA (2009) Simultaneous Recruitment of Drug Users and Men Who Have Sex with Men in the United States and Russia using Respondent Driven Sampling: Sampling Methods and Implications. Journal of Urban Health, 86(Suppl 1):5-31.

• Social and structural aspects of the overdose risk environment in St. Petersburg, Russia.

  Green TC, Grau LE, Blinnikova KN, Torban M, Krupitsky EM, Ilyuk R, Kozlov AP, and Heimer R (2009) Social and structural aspects of the overdose risk environment in St. Petersburg, Russia. International Journal of Drug Policy,20:270-276.

• Drug Choice, Spatial Distribution, HIV Risk, and HIV Prevalence among Injection Drug Users in St. Petersburg, Russia.

  Kruse GR, Barbour R, Heimer R, Shaboltas AV, Toussova OV, Hoffman IF, Kozlov AP (2009) Drug Choice, Spatial Distribution, HIV Risk, and HIV Prevalence among Injection Drug Users in St. Petersburg, Russia. Harm Reduction Journal, 6:e22.

• Economic evaluation of delivering hepatitis B vaccine to injection drug users.

  Hu Y, Grau LE, Scott G, Seal KH, Marshall PA, Singer M, Heimer R. Economic evaluation of delivering hepatitis B vaccine to injection drug users. Am J Prev Med. 2008 Jul;35(1):25-32

• Psychosocial and Contextual Correlates of Opioid Overdose Risk among Drug Users in St. Petersburg, Russia.

  Grau LE, Green TC, Torban M, Blinnikova K, Krupitsky EM, Ilyuk R, Kozlov AP, Heimer R. (2009) Psychosocial and Contextual Correlates of Opioid Overdose Risk among Drug Users in St. Petersburg, Russia. Harm Reduction Journal, 6:e17.

• Distinguishing signs of opioid overdose and indication for naloxone: an evaluation of six overdose prevention and response programs in the Unites States.

  Green TC, Grau LE, Heimer R (2008) Distinguishing signs of opioid overdose and indication for naloxone: an evaluation of six overdose prevention and response programs in the Unites States. Addiction, 103:979-989.

• Economic evaluation of delivering hepatitis B vaccine to injection drug users.

  Heimer R, Grau LE, Singer M, Scott G, Marshall PA, Hu Y, and Seal KH (2008) Hepatitis B virus prevalence and vaccination rates among Hispanic injection drug users participating in a vaccination campaign operated at syringe exchange programs. Am J Prev Med. 2008 Jul;35(1):25-32. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2008.03.028.

• Spatial distribution of HIV prevalence and incidence among injection drugs users in St. Petersburg, Russia: Implications for HIV transmission.

  Heimer R, Barbour R, Shaboltas AV, Hoffman IF, and Kozlov AP (2008). Spatial distribution of HIV prevalence and incidence among injection drugs users in St. Petersburg, Russia: Implications for HIV transmission. AIDS, 22:123-130.

• Community coverage and HIV prevention: Assessing metrics for estimating HIV incidence through syringe exchange.

  Heimer, R. (2008) Community coverage and HIV prevention: Assessing metrics for estimating HIV incidence through syringe exchange. International Journal of Drug Policy,19S:S65-S73.

Full List of PubMed Publications

• Heimer R: The Policy-Driven HIV Epidemic Among Opioid Users in the Russian Federation. Curr HIV/AIDS Rep. 2018 Apr 18; 2018 Apr 18. PMID: 29671203
• Tavitian-Exley I, Boily MC, Heimer R, Uusküla A, Levina O, Maheu-Giroux M: Polydrug Use and Heterogeneity in HIV Risk Among People Who Inject Drugs in Estonia and Russia: A Latent Class Analysis. AIDS Behav. 2018 Apr. PMID: 28699018
• Wurcel AG, Burke D, Skeer M, Landy D, Heimer R, Wong JB, Chui KKH, Stopka TJ: Sex work, injection drug use, and abscesses: Associations in women, but not men. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2018 Apr 1; 2018 Feb 20. PMID: 29482054
• Tavitian-Exley I, Maheu-Giroux M, Platt L, Heimer R, Uusküla A, Levina O, Vickerman P, Boily MC: Differences in risk behaviours and HIV status between primary amphetamines and opioid injectors in Estonia and Russia. Int J Drug Policy. 2018 Mar; 2018 Jan 5. PMID: 29306786
• Ruiz MS, Heimer R, Levina OS, Badosova NV, Rassokhin VV, Belyakov AN, Belyakov NA: HIV-care access among people with incarceration experience in St. Petersburg, Russia. Eur J Public Health. 2018 Feb 1. PMID: 29020277
• Heimer R, Binka M, Koester S, Grund JC, Patel A, Paintsil E, Lindenbach BD: Recovery of Infectious Hepatitis C Virus From Injection Paraphernalia: Implications for Prevention Programs Serving People Who Inject Drugs. J Infect Dis. 2018 Jan 17. PMID: 28968665
• Bazazi AR, Vijay A, Crawford FW, Heimer R, Kamarulzaman A, Altice FL: HIV Testing and awareness of HIV status among people who inject drugs in greater Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. AIDS Care. 2018 Jan; 2017 Aug 13. PMID: 28803503
• Wu J, Crawford FW, Raag M, Heimer R, Uusküla A: Using data from respondent-driven sampling studies to estimate the number of people who inject drugs: Application to the Kohtla-Järve region of Estonia. PLoS One. 2017; 2017 Nov 2. PMID: 29095866
• Heimer R, Barbour R, Khouri D, Crawford FW, Shebl F, Aaraj E, Khoshnood K: HIV Risk, Prevalence, and Access to Care Among Men Who Have Sex with Men in Lebanon. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses. 2017 Nov; 2017 Jun 29. PMID: 28540733
• Grau LE, Griffiths-Kundishora A, Heimer R, Hutcheson M, Nunn A, Towey C, Stopka TJ: Barriers and facilitators of the HIV care continuum in Southern New England for people with drug or alcohol use and living with HIV/AIDS: perspectives of HIV surveillance experts and service providers. Addict Sci Clin Pract. 2017 Oct 2; 2017 Oct 2. PMID: 28965489
• Heimer R, Usacheva N, Barbour R, Niccolai LM, Uusküla A, Levina OS: Engagement in HIV care and its correlates among people who inject drugs in St Petersburg, Russian Federation and Kohtla-Järve, Estonia. Addiction. 2017 Aug; 2017 May 4. PMID: 28233356
• Li J, Valente TW, Shin HS, Weeks M, Zelenev A, Moothi G, Mosher H, Heimer R, Robles E, Palmer G, Obidoa C: Overlooked Threats to Respondent Driven Sampling Estimators: Peer Recruitment Reality, Degree Measures, and Random Selection Assumption. AIDS Behav. 2017 Jun 28; 2017 Jun 28. PMID: 28660381
• Johannson A, Vorobjov S, Heimer R, Dovidio JF, Uusküla A: The Role of Internalized Stigma in the Disclosure of Injecting Drug Use Among People Who Inject Drugs and Self-Report as HIV-Positive in Kohtla-Järve, Estonia. AIDS Behav. 2017 Apr. PMID: 27990583
• Abdala N, Patel A, Heimer R: Recovering Infectious HIV from Novel Syringe-Needle Combinations with Low Dead Space Volumes. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses. 2016 Oct/Nov; 2016 Aug 22. PMID: 27548374
• Grau LE, Zhan W, Heimer R: Prevention knowledge, risk behaviours and seroprevalence among nonurban injectors of southwest Connecticut. Drug Alcohol Rev. 2016 Sep; 2016 Apr 13. PMID: 27073014
• Abdala N, Patel A, Heimer R: Recovering infectious HIV from novel syringe-needle combinations with low dead space volumes. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses. 2016 Jul 12; 2016 Jul 12. PMID: 27405590
• Drucker E, Anderson K, Haemmig R, Heimer R, Small D, Walley A, Wood E, van Beek I: Treating Addictions: Harm Reduction in Clinical Care and Prevention. J Bioeth Inq. 2016 Jun; 2016 Apr 26. PMID: 27112489
• Calabrese SK, Burke SE, Dovidio JF, Levina OS, Uusküla A, Niccolai LM, Heimer R: Internalized HIV and Drug Stigmas: Interacting Forces Threatening Health Status and Health Service Utilization Among People with HIV Who Inject Drugs in St. Petersburg, Russia. AIDS Behav. 2016 Jan. PMID: 26050155
• Heimer R, Lyubimova A, Barbour R, Levina OS: Emergence of methadone as a street drug in St. Petersburg, Russia. Int J Drug Policy. 2016 Jan; 2015 Oct 19. PMID: 26573380
• Uusküla A, Raag M, Vorobjov S, Rüütel K, Lyubimova A, Levina OS, Heimer R: Non-fatal overdoses and related risk factors among people who inject drugs in St. Petersburg, Russia and Kohtla-Järve, Estonia. BMC Public Health. 2015 Dec 18; 2015 Dec 18. PMID: 26684815
• Bazazi AR, Crawford F, Zelenev A, Heimer R, Kamarulzaman A, Altice FL: HIV Prevalence Among People Who Inject Drugs in Greater Kuala Lumpur Recruited Using Respondent-Driven Sampling. AIDS Behav. 2015 Dec. PMID: 26358544
• Heimer R, Levina OS, Osipenko V, Ruiz MS, Sergeyev B, Sirotkin AV, Vyshemirskaya I: Impact of incarceration experiences on reported HIV status and associated risk behaviours and disease comorbidities. Eur J Public Health. 2015 Dec; 2015 Sep 16. PMID: 26381650
• Binka M, Paintsil E, Patel A, Lindenbach BD, Heimer R: Survival of Hepatitis C Virus in Syringes Is Dependent on the Design of the Syringe-Needle and Dead Space Volume. PLoS One. 2015; 2015 Nov 4. PMID: 26536599
• Le LT, Grau LE, Nguyen HH, Khuat OH, Heimer R: Coalition building by drug user and sex worker community-based organizations in Vietnam can lead to improved interactions with government agencies: a qualitative study. Harm Reduct J. 2015 Oct 16; 2015 Oct 16. PMID: 26470693
• Morozova O, Levina O, Uusküla A, Heimer R: Comparison of subset selection methods in linear regression in the context of health-related quality of life and substance abuse in Russia. BMC Med Res Methodol. 2015 Aug 30; 2015 Aug 30. PMID: 26319135
• Dukhovlinova E, Masharsky A, Toussova O, Verevochkin S, Solovyeva T, Meringof M, Paintsil E, White E, Barbour R, Heimer R, Kozlov A: Two Independent HIV Epidemics in Saint Petersburg, Russia Revealed by Molecular Epidemiology. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses. 2015 Jun; 2015 Jan 5. PMID: 25417740
• Heimer R, Zhan W, Grau LE: Prevalence and experience of chronic pain in suburban drug injectors. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2015 Jun 1; 2015 Mar 19. PMID: 25841984
• Burke SE, Calabrese SK, Dovidio JF, Levina OS, Uusküla A, Niccolai LM, Abel-Ollo K, Heimer R: A tale of two cities: stigma and health outcomes among people with HIV who inject drugs in St. Petersburg, Russia and Kohtla-Järve, Estonia. Soc Sci Med. 2015 Apr; 2015 Feb 16. PMID: 25703668
• Binka M, Paintsil E, Patel A, Lindenbach BD, Heimer R: Disinfection of syringes contaminated with hepatitis C virus by rinsing with household products. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2015 Jan; 2015 Feb 23. PMID: 26034767
• Cepeda JA, Niccolai LM, Lyubimova A, Kershaw T, Levina O, Heimer R: High-risk behaviors after release from incarceration among people who inject drugs in St. Petersburg, Russia. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2015 Feb 1; 2014 Dec 2. PMID: 25496706
• Suvorova A, Belyakov A, Makhamatova A, Ustinov A, Levina O, Tulupyev A, Niccolai L, Rassokhin V, Heimer R: Comparison of satisfaction with care between two different models of HIV care delivery in St. Petersburg, Russia. AIDS Care. 2015; 2015 Aug 20. PMID: 26291488
• Cepeda JA, Vetrova MV, Lyubimova AI, Levina OS, Heimer R, Niccolai LM: Community reentry challenges after release from prison among people who inject drugs in St. Petersburg, Russia. Int J Prison Health. 2015. PMID: 26277925
• Akselrod H, Grau LE, Barbour R, Heimer R: Seroprevalence of HIV, hepatitis B virus, and HCV among injection drug users in Connecticut: understanding infection and coinfection risks in a nonurban population. Am J Public Health. 2014 Sep; 2013 Oct 17. PMID: 24134382
• Bowman S, Grau LE, Singer M, Scott G, Heimer R: Factors associated with hepatitis B vaccine series completion in a randomized trial for injection drug users reached through syringe exchange programs in three US cities. BMC Public Health. 2014 Aug 9; 2014 Aug 9. PMID: 25107530
• Paintsil E, Binka M, Patel A, Lindenbach BD, Heimer R: Hepatitis C virus maintains infectivity for weeks after drying on inanimate surfaces at room temperature: implications for risks of transmission. J Infect Dis. 2014 Apr 15; 2013 Nov 23. PMID: 24273176
• Heimer R, Barbour R, Palacios WR, Nichols LG, Grau LE: Associations between injection risk and community disadvantage among suburban injection drug users in southwestern Connecticut, USA. AIDS Behav. 2014 Mar. PMID: 23921583
• Hayes-Larson E, Grau LE, Khoshnood K, Barbour R, Khuat OT, Heimer R: Drug users in Hanoi, Vietnam: factors associated with membership in community-based drug user groups. Harm Reduct J. 2013 Nov 22; 2013 Nov 22. PMID: 24268108
• Cepeda JA, Niccolai LM, Eritsyan K, Heimer R, Levina O: Moderate/heavy alcohol use and HCV infection among injection drug users in two Russian cities. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2013 Oct 1; 2013 May 1. PMID: 23642314
• Heimer R: Patterns of new drug emergence: a comment in light of 'krokodil'. Int J Drug Policy. 2013 Jul; 2013 Jul 1. PMID: 23827763
• Abdala N, Hansen NB, Toussova OV, Krasnoselskikh TV, Verevochkin S, Kozlov AP, Heimer R: Correlates of unprotected sexual intercourse among women who inject drugs or who have sexual partners who inject drugs in St Petersburg, Russia. J Fam Plann Reprod Health Care. 2013 Jul; 2013 Feb 2. PMID: 23377534
• Abdala N, Hansen NB, Toussova OV, Krasnoselskikh TV, Kozlov AP, Heimer R: Age at first alcoholic drink as predictor of current HIV sexual risk behaviors among a sample of injection drug users (IDUs) and non-IDUs who are sexual partners of IDUs, in St. Petersburg, Russia. AIDS Behav. 2012 Aug. PMID: 21800183
• Heimer R, Dasgupta N, Irwin KS, Kinzly M, Harvey AP, Givens A, Grau LE: Chronic pain, addiction severity, and misuse of opioids in Cumberland County, Maine. Addict Behav. 2012 Mar; 2011 Nov 20. PMID: 22138379
• Niccolai LM, Odinokova VA, Safiullina LZ, Bodanovskaya ZD, Heimer R, Levina OS, Rusakova MM: Clients of street-based female sex workers and potential bridging of HIV/STI in Russia: results of a pilot study. AIDS Care. 2012; 2012 Jan 31. PMID: 22292804
• Niccolai LM, Verevochkin SV, Toussova OV, White E, Barbour R, Kozlov AP, Heimer R: Estimates of HIV incidence among drug users in St. Petersburg, Russia: continued growth of a rapidly expanding epidemic. Eur J Public Health. 2011 Oct; 2010 Aug 26. PMID: 20798184
• Cepeda JA, Odinokova VA, Heimer R, Grau LE, Lyubimova A, Safiullina L, Levina OS, Niccolai LM: Drug network characteristics and HIV risk among injection drug users in Russia: the roles of trust, size, and stability. AIDS Behav. 2011 Jul. PMID: 20872063
• Beletsky L, Grau LE, White E, Bowman S, Heimer R: The roles of law, client race and program visibility in shaping police interference with the operation of US syringe exchange programs. Addiction. 2011 Feb; 2010 Nov 4. PMID: 21054615
• Grau LE, White E, Niccolai LM, Toussova OV, Verevochkin SV, Kozlov AP, Heimer R: HIV disclosure, condom use, and awareness of HIV infection among HIV-positive, heterosexual drug injectors in St. Petersburg, Russian Federation. AIDS Behav. 2011 Jan. PMID: 20700645
• Abdala N, White E, Toussova OV, Krasnoselskikh TV, Verevochkin S, Kozlov AP, Heimer R: Comparing sexual risks and patterns of alcohol and drug use between injection drug users (IDUs) and non-IDUs who report sexual partnerships with IDUs in St. Petersburg, Russia. BMC Public Health. 2010 Nov 5; 2010 Nov 5. PMID: 21054855
• Paintsil E, He H, Peters C, Lindenbach BD, Heimer R: Survival of hepatitis C virus in syringes: implication for transmission among injection drug users. J Infect Dis. 2010 Oct 1. PMID: 20726768
• Green TC, Bluthenthal RN, Singer M, Beletsky L, Grau LE, Marshall P, Heimer R: Prevalence and predictors of transitions to and away from syringe exchange use over time in 3 US cities with varied syringe dispensing policies. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2010 Sep 1; 2010 May 26. PMID: 20537814
• Niccolai LM, Toussova OV, Verevochkin SV, Barbour R, Heimer R, Kozlov AP: High HIV prevalence, suboptimal HIV testing, and low knowledge of HIV-positive serostatus among injection drug users in St. Petersburg, Russia. AIDS Behav. 2010 Aug. PMID: 18843531
• Green TC, Kershaw T, Lin H, Heimer R, Goulet JL, Kraemer KL, Gordon AJ, Maisto SA, Day NL, Bryant K, Fiellin DA, Justice AC: Patterns of drug use and abuse among aging adults with and without HIV: a latent class analysis of a US Veteran cohort. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2010 Aug 1; 2010 Apr 15. PMID: 20395074
• Heimer R, White E: Estimation of the number of injection drug users in St. Petersburg, Russia. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2010 Jun 1; 2010 Jan 13. PMID: 20060238
• Zelterman D, Tulupyev A, Heimer R, Abdala N: Statistical design for a small serial dilution series. Stat Med. 2010 Feb 10. PMID: 19943329
• Grau LE, Green TC, Singer M, Bluthenthal RN, Marshall PA, Heimer R: Getting the message straight: effects of a brief hepatitis prevention intervention among injection drug users. Harm Reduct J. 2009 Dec 15; 2009 Dec 15. PMID: 20003518
• Paintsil E, Verevochkin SV, Dukhovlinova E, Niccolai L, Barbour R, White E, Toussova OV, Alexander L, Kozlov AP, Heimer R: Hepatitis C virus infection among drug injectors in St Petersburg, Russia: social and molecular epidemiology of an endemic infection. Addiction. 2009 Nov; 2009 Aug 27. PMID: 19712125
• Connally NP, Durante AJ, Yousey-Hindes KM, Meek JI, Nelson RS, Heimer R: Peridomestic Lyme disease prevention: results of a population-based case-control study. Am J Prev Med. 2009 Sep. PMID: 19595558
• Kruse GR, Barbour R, Heimer R, Shaboltas AV, Toussova OV, Hoffman IF, Kozlov AP: Drug choice, spatial distribution, HIV risk, and HIV prevalence among injection drug users in St. Petersburg, Russia. Harm Reduct J. 2009 Jul 31; 2009 Jul 31. PMID: 19646255
• Grau LE, Green TC, Torban M, Blinnikova K, Krupitsky E, Ilyuk R, Kozlov AP, Heimer R: Psychosocial and contextual correlates of opioid overdose risk among drug users in St. Petersburg, Russia. Harm Reduct J. 2009 Jul 24; 2009 Jul 24. PMID: 19630963
• Niccolai LM, Shcherbakova IS, Toussova OV, Kozlov AP, Heimer R: The potential for bridging of HIV transmission in the Russian Federation: sex risk behaviors and HIV prevalence among drug users (DUs) and their non-DU sex partners. J Urban Health. 2009 Jul; 2009 Jun 9. PMID: 19507037
• Green TC, Grau LE, Blinnikova KN, Torban M, Krupitsky E, Ilyuk R, Kozlov A, Heimer R: Social and structural aspects of the overdose risk environment in St. Petersburg, Russia. Int J Drug Policy. 2009 May; 2008 Sep 5. PMID: 18774283
• Hu Y, Grau LE, Scott G, Seal KH, Marshall PA, Singer M, Heimer R: Economic evaluation of delivering hepatitis B vaccine to injection drug users. Am J Prev Med. 2008 Jul. PMID: 18541174
• Green TC, Heimer R, Grau LE: Distinguishing signs of opioid overdose and indication for naloxone: an evaluation of six overdose training and naloxone distribution programs in the United States. Addiction. 2008 Jun; 2008 Apr 16. PMID: 18422830
• Heimer R: Community coverage and HIV prevention: assessing metrics for estimating HIV incidence through syringe exchange. Int J Drug Policy. 2008 Apr; 2008 Jan 18. PMID: 18207726
• Heimer R, Barbour R, Shaboltas AV, Hoffman IF, Kozlov AP: Spatial distribution of HIV prevalence and incidence among injection drugs users in St Petersburg: implications for HIV transmission. AIDS. 2008 Jan 2. PMID: 18090400
• Heimer R, Kinzly ML, He H, Abdala N: The effect of acids on the survival of HIV during drug injection. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2007 Jun 1. PMID: 17356472
• Grau LE, Dasgupta N, Harvey AP, Irwin K, Givens A, Kinzly ML, Heimer R: Illicit use of opioids: is OxyContin a "gateway drug"? Am J Addict. 2007 May-Jun. PMID: 17612819
• Heimer R, Grau LE, Curtin E, Khoshnood K, Singer M: Assessment of HIV testing of urban injection drug users: implications for expansion of HIV testing and prevention efforts. Am J Public Health. 2007 Jan; 2006 Nov 30. PMID: 17138916
• Heimer R, Catania H, Newman RG, Zambrano J, Brunet A, Ortiz AM: Methadone maintenance in prison: evaluation of a pilot program in Puerto Rico. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2006 Jun 28; 2005 Dec 5. PMID: 16332415
• Abdala N, Grund JP, Tolstov Y, Kozlov AP, Heimer R: Can home-made injectable opiates contribute to the HIV epidemic among injection drug users in the countries of the former Soviet Union? Addiction. 2006 May. PMID: 16669907
• Irwin K, Karchevsky E, Heimer R, Badrieva L: Secondary syringe exchange as a model for HIV prevention programs in the Russian Federation. Subst Use Misuse. 2006. PMID: 16809182
• Heimer R: Critical issues and further questions about respondent-driven sampling: comment on Ramirez-Valles, et al. (2005). AIDS Behav. 2005 Dec. PMID: 16344920
• Grau LE, Bluthenthal RN, Marshall P, Singer M, Heimer R: Psychosocial and behavioral differences among drug injectors who use and do not use syringe exchange programs. AIDS Behav. 2005 Dec. PMID: 16237501
• Abdala N, Crowe M, Tolstov Y, Heimer R: Survival of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 after rinsing injection syringes with different cleaning solutions. Subst Use Misuse. 2004 Mar. PMID: 15115214
• Abdala N, Carney JM, Durante AJ, Klimov N, Ostrovski D, Somlai AM, Kozlov A, Heimer R: Estimating the prevalence of syringe-borne and sexually transmitted diseases among injection drug users in St Petersburg, Russia. Int J STD AIDS. 2003 Oct. PMID: 14596774
• Grau LE, Arevalo S, Catchpool C, Heimer R: Expanding harm reduction services through a wound and abscess clinic. Am J Public Health. 2002 Dec. PMID: 12453808
• Heimer R, Clair S, Teng W, Grau LE, Khoshnood K, Singer M: Effects of increasing syringe availability on syringe-exchange use and HIV risk: Connecticut, 1990-2001. J Urban Health. 2002 Dec. PMID: 12468675
• Heimer R, Clair S, Grau LE, Bluthenthal RN, Marshall PA, Singer M: Hepatitis-associated knowledge is low and risks are high among HIV-aware injection drug users in three US cities. Addiction. 2002 Oct. PMID: 12359032
• Chaput EK, Meek JI, Heimer R: Spatial analysis of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis near Lyme, Connecticut. Emerg Infect Dis. 2002 Sep. PMID: 12194771

Edit this profile