CLAIRE STERK and KIRK ELIFSON

Claire Sterk and Kirk Elifson are familiar figures in Atlanta’s poorer neighborhoods, where they work with people at high risk for HIV. They learn from individuals both young and old. And they have seen firsthand that the world can be a lonely place for those who change their behaviors to be more healthy.

“They feel isolated. They no longer fit in with their friends,” says Sterk, Emory senior vice provost for academic affairs and Charles Howard Candler Professor of Behavioral Sciences. “Their social network is no longer a good match, and their neighborhood doesn’t feel the same. That started us thinking about HIV/AIDS in the context of everyday life and the environment in which people live.”

The hub for Sterk and Elifson’s work is a storefront in Atlanta’s West End, where

By The Numbers

staff and students continue to build on HIP (Health Intervention Project), now widely used by the CDC to help African American women adopt healthy behaviors. The researchers are halfway through a study looking at health-related issues in 100 Atlanta neighborhoods in collaboration with residents, social service agencies, police, architects, and city planners. By talking with residents, they are learning and mapping what each neighborhood needs to improve health—from opening a health care clinic in a convenient location to cleaning up lots left vacant by the economic downturn.

“When you create a better environment, people feel safe in their neighborhoods,” says Sterk. “ And when you feel safe, you can better stand up for yourself. That includes avoiding those behaviors that cause HIV.”