Division of  General Internal Medicine

Section of Treatment, Research, and Education in Addiction Medicine

Harm Reduction Research Collaborative (HRRC)

The Harm Reduction Research Collaborative (HRRC) is dedicated to advancing research, education, and advocacy to reduce harm and promote the health of people who use drugs.

Projects

Humanizing Healthcare through Harm Reduction

This quality improvement initiative integrates harm reduction services in healthcare settings to reduce substance use-related morbidity and mortality, increase access to evidence-based interventions, and improve engagement with people who use drugs. Since February 2023, this initiative has distributed over 4,000 kits across 5 sites within the UPMC system, distributing naloxone, test strips, wound care, and safer use supplies.

WoundWell Clinic

Starting in June 2024, WoundWell is Allegheny County’s first xylazine-associated wound care clinic co-located within an addiction treatment program (IM-REP) that delivers low-barrier, trauma-informed wound care services through a hybrid model. In addition to individualized wound care, WoundWell’s multidisciplinary team provides harm reduction services, addiction treatment, transportation, case management, peer support, and wound care supplies at no-cost.

Prescribe to Prevent HIV (P2PH)

Funded by NIDA, this project aims to prevent HIV and severe drug use-related infections among people who inject drugs through a community-engaged, type 3 hybrid clinical trial. This study pilot tests a tailored multi-level implementation strategy to increase the prescribing of sterile injection equipment and PrEP across four outpatient clinics, informed by diverse perspectives from patients, clinical teams, and an interdisciplinary community collaborative.

Funding

Current:

  • NIH NIDA K23DA063654: Prescribe to Prevent HIV
  • 2025 Beckwith Frontline Innovation Grant, The Beckwith Institute. Expanding WoundWell’s initiative: Improving outcomes for patients with xylazine-related wounds

Previous:

  • NIDA 1RM1 DA055311-01 TREETOP Branch Pilot Award. Humanizing healthcare through harm reduction: a multi-site evaluation of harm reduction services for patients with OUD and chronic pain
  • Magee-Womens Research Institute CARES Research Award. Feasibility and acceptability of pairing xylazine education and home testing as a harm reduction strategy for pregnant and postpartum persons at high-risk of illicit opioid use

 

Presentations

Our team has presented at various conferences locally, nationally, and internationally, including ASAM, AMERSA, CPDD, SGIM, and INHSU. Click the images below to enlarge.

Wilson Scholars in Addiction Medicine Research Award

Presented at AMERSA 2025

Presented at ASAM 2024

Presented at ASAM 2025

Presented at CPDD 2024

Presented at INHSU 2024

Presented at ASAM 2026

Related Publications

  1. Implementing harm reduction kits in an office-based addiction treatment program
  1. Xylazine and adulterants in the evolving drug supply: Urgent call for responsive education models
  1. Wound care capacity of the addiction workforce in the setting of xylazine
  1. Drug use practices and wound care experiences in the age of xylazine adulteration
  1. Implications of xylazine exposure in pregnancy: A narrative review
  1. Building multidisciplinary consensus on inpatient xylazine management through clinical protocols
  1. A content analysis of xylazine-associated stigma in web-based media driven by the zombie term and stigmatizing imagery
  1. Micro-costing analysis of harm reduction services in office-based addiction treatment
  1. “None of us asked for it”: Experiences of xylazine among individuals with xylazine-associated wounds
  1. Xylazine test strip utilization among pregnant and postpartum women with opioid use disorder: A pilot study

Educational Materials

Harm Reduction Pamphlets:

Xylazine-Related Work

 

Team

Raagini Jawa, MD, MPH, FASAM, Co-founder
Margaret Shang, MD, MS, Co-founder
Ilana Hull, MD, MSc

Amrit Ahluwalia, MD – Research Assistant
Sara Barač, BA – Volunteer Coordinator
Ronit Deshpande, BS – Research Assistant
Mariska Goswami, BS – Research Assistant
Austen Markus, MPH – Research Coordinator
Olivia Studnicki, BS – Research Assistant 

HHH Site Champions
Ariana Evagash, MHA, MBA
Meghan GaNung, LCSW
Cambria King, BA, CRS
Hannah Scears, MS

Alumni
Chrishuan Alexander, BS
Samia Ismail, MPH
Gary McMurtrie, BA
Alena Schwob, BA

HRRC presenting at INHSU 2024 Annual Conference in Athens, Greece (Left to Right: Mariska Goswami, Gary McMurtrie, Raagini Jawa, Olivia Studnicki)

Volunteer with HRRC

HRRC Harm Reduction Packing Parties

Location: 3609 Forbes Ave, Floor 2, Pittsburgh, PA 15213

Time: 4:30-7:30 PM (feel free to come when you can)

2026 Schedule
See @hrrc_pitt on Instagram or email hrrc@pitt.edu for dates.