Dear Colleague,

I am delighted to announce that Dr. Ingrid V. Bassett has been selected to serve as Co-Director for the Harvard University CFAR. Dr. Bassett has been an active member of HU CFAR leadership for many years. She served as Director for Mentoring from 2013 through 2016, during which time she expanded mentoring and training opportunities for the HIV research community across Harvard. In 2016, Dr. Bassett became Director for the Developmental & Mentoring Core, a position she held until 2021; as Core Director, she worked to expand funding opportunities to align with NIH HIV/AIDS research priorities and to encompass the goals of Scientific Working Groups.  

Dr. Bassett’s research is focused on increasing access to screening and treatment for HIV and associated co-morbidities, with an emphasis on implementation science methods. She is the co-PI for the Boston Covid-19 Recovery Cohort, and has worked to increase access to research for people historically underrepresented in research. Dr. Bassett has mentored dozens of trainees and takes great pride in cultivating the next generation of HIV researchers. She is the recipient of many honors and awards, including the highly competitive Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Research Scholar award. Dr. Bassett is a Weissman Family MGH Research Scholar, a Physician Investigator and Co-Director within the Medical Practice Evaluation Center, faculty in the MGH Infectious Diseases Division and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. 

Dr. Bassett's appointment as HU CFAR Co-Director began on January 9, 2023. Please join me in warmly welcoming Dr. Bassett to her new role. 

Lastly, I wish to extend my sincere appreciation and thanks to Drs. Amy Barczak, Douglas Krakower and Shahin Lockman for their review and assistance in the process of selecting a new Co-Director. 

Happy new year, and best regards. 

Rajesh T. Gandhi, MD

HU CFAR PI & Co-Director