Omar Tremayne Sims PhD, MSW

Omar Tremayne Sims is the Associate Professor at the University of Alabama, Birmingham, Alabama, United States. As a health and public health scientist, Dr. Omar Sims’ program of research is focused on public health management and clinical management of liver disease caused by hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in mono-infected and HCV/HIV co-infected patients. HCV is the leading cause of cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and liver transplantation in the United States and in most of the western world. Likewise, liver disease caused by HCV is the leading non-AIDS cause of death among those with HIV infection.

His goal in this arena is to publish clinical and translational research to help health professionals improve health outcomes and extend the life of those burdened with chronic HCV-associated liver disease. He aims to accomplish this by focusing his research efforts on populations heavily burdened with HCV, but often under-researched or under-represented in liver research: HCV-infected persons with co-existing alcohol, substance use, and psychiatric disorders, HCV/HIV co-infected persons, African Americans living with HCV, and individuals aging with HCV. Similarly, his research efforts include HCV testing among high prevalent populations (who are unaware of their HCV infection), alcohol use reduction among HCV mono-infected and HCV/HIV co-infected patients, and barriers to care.