CROI 2024 reflections with Community Advocate Raif Derrazi: "It's about choice"

In HIV.gov's latest FYI video, HIV community advocate Raif Derrazi shared his reflections on the 2024 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI). Mr. Derrazi is a fitness expert for Plus Live, which produces TV and social media content, and co-chair of the community advisory board for the NIH-supported HOPE (HIV Obstruction by Programmed Epigenetics) Collaboratory, which is pursuing a path to an HIV cure. Watch the conversation with him below:

A note from our Community Engagement team: This is a great example of science communication for a wide audience! Check out how Raif describes HIV reservoirs.

News from the CFAR

International and Interdisciplinary Partnership:

Duke CFAR researchers deliver quantitative and qualitative methods workshops in Vietnam

In March 2024, the Duke Center for AIDS Research’s Social & Behavioral Sciences (SBS) Core and Quantitative Sciences (QS) Core, in collaboration with the Clinical Core, organized two workshops held at the Tropical Medicine Research Center for Talaromycosis at Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Each workshop provided training for 30-45 Vietnamese post-graduate trainees in health sciences from surrounding medical universities and affiliated hospitals across Vietnam.

The two-day Qualitative Sciences Workshop, led by Dr. Amy Corneli and Mr. Kevin McKenna, focused on the principles and methods of qualitative research. Attendees learned how to design, conduct, and analyze qualitative data from in-depth interviews and focus group discussions through the use of concrete examples. Dr. Corneli also provided guidance to a Vietnamese PhD student in developing the qualitative research aim for her PhD proposal, focusing on improving the quality of life and outcomes of patients with advanced HIV disease during the critical time period after hospital discharge from an acute AIDS-related illness.

The two-day Biostatistics Workshop, led by Dr. Rishi Chakraborty, covered fundamental principles of medical research, biostatistics, statistical testing, inference, and common biostatistical concepts. Dr. Chakraborty employed a combination of didactic teaching and practical exercises to address real statistical challenges faced by the Vietnamese researchers.

Dr. Thuy Le reflected on the trip: “Following the workshops, Dr. Corneli and Mr. McKenna accompanied our research team to visit Hanoi Medical University, a historic institution dating back 1,000 years. We met with leaders of the Vietnam HIV/AIDS Control of the Vietnam Ministry of Health and HIV doctors and thought leaders of HIV organizations and presented our research results (presented at CROI, March 2024) showing a remarkable 54% prevalence of TB and invasive mycoses and a collective mortality of 30% in hospitalized patients with advanced HIV disease. We discussed updating the National HIV Treatment Guidelines to include screening for talaromycosis and histoplasmosis in patients with advanced HIV disease in Vietnam. Beyond capacity development and policy engagement, we built connections traveling together whilst eating fabulous Vietnamese foods.”

These workshops exemplify the Duke CFAR’s interdisciplinary strengths and commitment to international partnerships and capacity strengthening in the field of HIV research. These efforts contribute to building sustainable research capacity and fostering long-term collaborations to advance global health equity and address critical issues in HIV care and treatment.

Read this story on the CFAR website.

CEACR Webinar: Community-Centered Research Design

Friday, April 19, 2024 | 1-2:15pm ET | Zoom

This Community Engagement Alliance Consultative Resource (CEACR) webinar will explore considerations and strategies for engaging in participatory research processes with community members and organizations, including study design, partnership structures, engagement planning, and bidirectional communication.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the rationale and effective strategies for establishing partnership structures, processes, and agreements.
• Explore approaches to establishing bidirectional community involvement, feedback loops, and reciprocity.
• Consider examples of community engagement planning and tools that help promote and sustain trust, bidirectional communication, connectedness, and meaningful engagement and outcomes.

The CEACR Speaker Series brings together experts from academic, clinical, and community-based settings to lead discussions focused on inclusive participation in research. CEACR supports the NIH Community Engagement Alliance (CEAL) mission by serving as a conduit for promising community-engaged practices. CEACR supports NIH-funded research teams who are seeking to apply principles of community engagement to address diversifying research participation, with a specific emphasis on communities traditionally underrepresented in research.

Register for the webinar.

CFAR-wide Webinar: CFAR Network of Integrated Clinical Systems (CNICS) Update and Opportunities

Monday, April 22, 2024 | 3:30-4:30pm ET | Zoom

You are invited to attend our next CFAR- Wide Webinar, featuring Dr. Michael Saag with UAB CFAR.

Title: CFAR Network of Integrated Clinical Systems (CNICS) - Update and Opportunities 

Register for the webinar.

NIH Workshop for Early Career Investigators in HIV

Wednesday, April 24, 2024 | 11am-4pm |Zoom

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of AIDS Research (OAR), along with the NIH institutes, centers, and offices (ICOs) with HIV research programs invite you to attend the Workshop for Early Career Investigators in HIV on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. OAR looks forward to building on the enthusiasm and feedback from the first two early career investigator (ECI) workshops in 2022 and 2023. OAR’s goal is to continue to provide knowledge, resources, and mentoring to the next generation of HIV investigators.

Register now, view the agenda, and access speaker biographies.

Register for the workshop.

Save the Date: 2024 Norman L. Letvin, MD, Memorial Lecture featuring Dr. Anthony Fauci

Wednesday, May 22, 2024 | 3-4pm | Penn Pavilion

“HIV/AIDS: Science, Policy, and a Personal Journey”

Featuring Anthony S. Fauci, MD

Distinguished University Professor

Georgetown University

School of Medicine, Department of Medicine

McCourt School of Public Policy

Co-hosted by Duke Consortia for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Development (CHAVD), Duke Human Vaccine Institute and Duke University School of Medicine. 

All School of Medicine faculty, staff, students, and trainees are invited to attend. 

Seats are limited. Registration coming soon. Livestream will be available. Link forthcoming with registration.

Late breaker abstracts for AIDS 2024 due May 2

July 22-26, 2024| Munich, Germany & Virtual

A small number of late-breaker abstracts will be accepted for oral or poster presentation at AIDS 2024. The late-breaker abstract submission will be open from 8 April to 2 May 2024. Late-breaker submissions must introduce data of unquestioned significance that meet a high threshold of scientific merit.

Learn more and submit an abstract.

Symposium - HIV in 2024: Progress, Problems, and Prospects

September 23-25, 2024| Frederick, MD

Led by the Frederick National Laboratory's Jeffrey Lifson, M.D. and Mary Carrington, Ph.D., the "HIV in 2024: Progress, Problems, and Prospects" symposium marks the third installment in the prestigious Hood College – Frederick National Laboratory Life Sciences Symposium series. This latest collaborative event builds on the enduring legacy of the Hood College–National Cancer Institute Oncogene meetings, which has served as a cornerstone of the scientific community in Frederick for more than two decades.

The Symposium, "HIV in 2024: Progress, Problems and Prospects" jointly organized by the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research and Hood College, is set to bring together a diverse audience of scientists, clinicians and students.

The event will feature presentations from esteemed experts, offering a state-of-the-art overview of the latest developments in critical aspects of HIV/AIDS research, including epidemiology, prevention strategies and advancements in clinical care.

The symposium will also address the persistent challenges that confront the field and innovative approaches aimed at overcoming these obstacles, focusing particularly on facets of HIV investigation with the potential to reshape clinical care and bolster prevention efforts. This symposium will serve as a vital platform for knowledge exchange, fostering collaboration and pushing the boundaries of our understanding of HIV.

Learn more and register.

Applications due May 15 for HVTN's Translational HIV Vaccine Early Stage Investigator 2024 Conference

October 21, 2024| New Orleans, LA

The HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) will host the 8th Translational HIV Vaccine Early Stage Investigator (ESI) Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana on October 21, 2024, prior to the NHP AIDS Symposium.

This conference is intended for ESIs who focus on translational HIV research in non-human primates (NHPs), or clinical HIV and TB research, and are within 10 years of completing their terminal research degree (PhD, MD, DVM), medical residency, or equivalent. Investigators will participate in career mentoring and networking designed for ESI working in translational HIV research. Past attendees have stated that the Conference has increased their skills and knowledge for career development and provided them with a venue to form new collaborations. 

There is no fee to attend the ESI conference. Attendees will also be invited to an NIH-sponsored pediatric-oriented meeting on Tuesday, October 22.

Registration is now open at the following link: 2024 ESI Conference Registration

The HVTN will provide a limited number of travel awards to attend this conference. This award will cover airfare, hotel, registration fees for the NHP AIDS Symposium, ground transportation, and per diem. The application is now open at the following link, and the deadline to apply is Wednesday, May 15, 2024: 2024 ESI Conference Travel Award Application

Learn more and register for the ESI Conference.

NIH Funding Opportunities

Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Resource-Related Research Project (R24) Applications to Support Collaborative Implementation Science to End the HIV Epidemic.

• This new opportunity replaces the current administrative supplement opportunity for implementation science Regional Consultation Hubs and the Coordination, Consultation, and Data Management Center. Please forward to anyone you know interested in HIV implementation science. The FY24 receipt dates for this opportunity are May 7, 2024, September 9, 2024, and January 7, 2025.

RFA-AI-24-011 Tailoring HIV Curative Strategies to the Participant (UM1 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

• NIAID intends to commit $7M to fund 2-3 awards in fiscal year 2025
• Application Receipt Date: July 30, 2024 (Letters of intent due on June 30, 2024)
• Scientific inquiries can be sent to Leia Novak (leia.novak@nih.gov)
• Scheduling a pre-application meeting is highly encouraged

NIAID New Innovator Award (DP2) program (PAR-23-198)

• The NIAID DP2 program supports Early-Stage Investigators (ESIs) of exceptional creativity who propose novel, original, and insightful research concepts with the potential to produce a major impact, test scientific paradigms, or advance key concepts on broad, important problems in biomedical research of priority to NIAID.
• ESIs who are either non-independent (postdoc or beyond) or within the first year of an independent research position may apply.
• Learn more by accessing the NIAID New Innovator Award website

Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Interventions to Reduce Chronic Inflammation and Inflammation-Related Morbidity in People Living with HIV/AIDS NOT-AT-24-035

Multidisciplinary Studies of HIV/AIDS and Aging (R21 Clinical Trial Optional) PAR-24-092

Multidisciplinary Studies of HIV/AIDS and Aging (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) PAR-24-091

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