Recognizing National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day on March 20, the first day of Spring

National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NNHAAD) was first observed in 2007 and is observed on the first day of Spring each year, a day chosen by individuals in the community who participated in a national survey. It was acknowledged that in many Native cultures across the United States, the four seasons are highly respected because they closely represent the cycle of life. Spring also represents a time of equality and balance and is the only day when day and night are at equal lengths. It is considered a time of profound change, new beginnings and birth; a celebration of life for all people. The 2022 observance is recognized on March 20th and the theme is "Reflection. Celebration. Rejuvenation."

NNHAAD is a national mobilization effort designed to encourage American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians across the United States and Territorial Areas to get educated, get tested, get involved in prevention, and get treated for HIV. American Indian and Alaska Native communities face unique challenges in improving HIV health outcomes, including many systems-based and service delivery challenges and compounding impacts of social determinants of health. Learn more about these challenges and NNHAAD.

News from the CFAR

Help us recruit a Community Chair!

Spring is in the air! Here at the Duke CFAR, we are excited to celebrate this change of season and new growth in our community engagement efforts.

As a revamp of the Community Advisory Board (CAB), the Durham-Duke CFAR Collaborative Community Council will gather community members interested in supporting and shaping the conduct and impact of research related to HIV prevention and care. Members will work with researchers and staff from the Duke CFAR to contribute to community outreach efforts, help review research proposals and protocols, and identify research priorities that are important to the community. 

We are now looking for a Collaborative Community Council Chair who will work with the Duke CFAR Community Engagement team to plan and lead meetings of the Council and other community outreach efforts.

If you know someone who might be a good fit, please help spread the word (you can use the image below) and direct them towards our application for more information and how to apply. Applications are due March 31st.

Any questions about the role can be directed to Lizzy Knippler at [email protected]

Learn more about the role by following the application link.

Dr. Susanna Naggie elected to the American Society for Clinical Investigation

Congratulations to Dr. Susanna Naggie, CFAR Co-Director, for being one of 95 new members elected to join the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI).

Founded in 1908, the ASCI is one of the nation's oldest and most respected nonprofit medical honor societies and is focused on the role of physician-scientists in research, clinical care, and medical education.

Dr. Naggie is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Vice Dean for Clinical Research. She focuses on the care of patients with HIV and viral hepatitis and leads a research program aimed at understanding the mechanisms of accelerated liver fibrogenesis in this patient population and the development of biomarkers to guide medical decision making. 

Read more from the Duke School of Medicine.

Join CFAR colleagues for "The Lancet HIV in the USA Series: One Year Later"

Thursday, March 17th |2pm EDT

March CFAR-wide Webinar: "HPTN: Where are we now and where are we going"

Monday, March 28th |3:30-4:30pm EDT

Join colleagues from CFARs across the U.S. for this webinar hosted by the UNC CFAR featuring Dr. Myron S. Cohen and Dr. Wafaa El-Sadr, Co-Principal Investigators of the HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN).

Register for the Zoom webinar.



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