Duke CFAR Newsletter - January 24, 2024
In this newsletter:
News from the CFAR
Upcoming Events
Funding Opportunities
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DGHI article highlights work by Dr. Tonia Poteat: For Transgender Communities, What’s the Price of Being Your True Self?
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A recent article by Karli McGuiness of the Duke Global Health Institute (DGHI) introduces the work of Dr. Tonia Poteat, who joined Duke in July 2023 and was recently made an Associate Director of the Duke CFAR Developmental Core: | |
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When Tonia Poteat, Ph.D., joined the Duke School of Nursing in July 2023, she was quite literally coming home. A North Carolina native, she attended the North Carolina School of Science and Math, just four blocks from where she now lives. "It feels like a full circle opportunity to apply my training and experience to my local North Carolina community,” says Poteat, a professor of nursing who co-directs the Sexual and Gender Minority Wellness Program at the Duke Global Health Institute (DGHI).
The scope of Poteat’s work, however, extends far beyond Durham. Over the past two decades, she has emerged as one of the leading experts on transgender health, both through her clinical practice and her innovative research focusing on the health inequities experienced by LGBQ and transgender communities. A specialist in HIV treatment and care, she has been certified as a gender specialist by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health and co-leads a transgender health working group for the Center for AIDS Research.
Michael Relf, interim dean of the School of Nursing and a DGHI faculty member, describes Poteat as one of the most influential thought leaders on transgender health, noting that “her work has become even more critical as politics continue to jeopardize the public's health."
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Both in the U.S. and globally, transgender communities are facing a rising tide of discrimination and stigma. Many U.S. states and countries have passed laws limiting access to gender-affirming care, barring transgender athletes from competing on teams that align with their gender, or limiting discussion of gender identities in schools. Such measures, which Poteat says are often fueled by transphobia and political scapegoating, are driving significant gaps in healthcare access and outcomes for transgender communities.
Poteat describes her work as seeking “strategies to advance health justice” for these marginalized communities. Her projects include research with the first transgender-specific healthcare center in South Africa, where she is evaluating the relationship between gender affirmation and HIV care engagement. She also works domestically to provide financial support and peer mentoring for transgender people facing hardships.
Poteat began focusing on LGBTQ health as an undergraduate student at Yale University, where she worked to help respond to the HIV crisis. As a volunteer for the AIDS Project in New Haven, Connecticut, she learned that the HIV movement was about not only health, but also the rights of the LGBTQ community. Read more.
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Call for CFAR Quantitative Intern Projects
The Duke Quantitative Methods in HIV/AIDS Summer Internship is seeking research projects for summer 2024 (May – August). Now in its 6th year, the summer internship is designed for graduate students from quantitative disciplines to do quantitative research on HIV/AIDS projects.
We are currently reviewing intern applications, and have 25 candidates with a wide variety of backgrounds that could support different types of projects (clinical, social and behavioral sciences, health services research, immunology and vaccine development, etc.) and we are looking for project proposals from HIV/AIDS investigators. The interns and their mentorship is paid for by the R25 grant.
If you have a research idea or data collected, we would like to work with you! Please email Kelly Suñé at kelly.sune@duke.edu, and someone from our team would be happy to meet with you to help craft a good summer internship project.
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CFAR Pilot Award Letters of Intent due February 19 |  | |
The CFAR Developmental Core Pilot Awards support scientific studies for 1 year. The purpose of these awards is to develop preliminary data for peer-reviewed applications.
Letter of Intent Deadline (required): February 19, 2024
Application Deadline: May 1, 2023
Two types of Pilot Awards are available
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Standard Pilot Awards (7 pages) – up to $100,000 direct funding
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Focused Pilot Awards (3 pages) – up to $60,000 direct funding
CFAR Pilot Awards provide opportunities for training and mentoring of Early Stage HIV/AIDS investigators, as well as seasoned investigators new to the HIV/AIDS field. Current topics of interest to the Duke CFAR are Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and HIV & Aging. Proposals must target one of the NIH HIV/AIDS Priority Areas of Research.
*Post-docs and Fellows are eligible for CFAR Pilot Award funding, with a letter of support from a faculty mentor and approved PI Status.
Please see the RFP or the Duke CFAR Website for further details.
Learn more about the pilot awards and view the RFP.
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Today! AETC Southeast Webcast - Cultivating Inclusivity: Advancing Transgender Health Equity with Dr. Tonia Poteat
Wednesday, January 24, 2024 | 12-1pm EST | Webinar
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Join the Southeast AIDS Education and Training Center (AETC) for Webcast Wednesday Cultivating Inclusivity: Advancing Transgender Health Equity
This week's Webcast Wednesday is presented by Tonia Poteat, Ph.D, Professor in the Duke University School of Nursing, Associate Director of the Duke CFAR Developmental Core, and Co-Director of the Duke Sexual and Gender Minority Wellness Program.
Register for the webinar.
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Today! NIDA HIV Seminar Series: Integrating Addiction and HIV Prevention and Treatment for Everyone and Bringing it to Where They Live
Wednesday, January 24, 2024 | 1pm EST | Zoom
Join the NIDA HIV Research Program for the upcoming NIDA HIV Seminar with Dr. Sandra Springer of Yale School of Medicine, 2022 recipient of the NIDA HIV Avant-Garde Award, for her presentation "Integrating Addiction and HIV Prevention and Treatment for Everyone and Bringing it to Where They Live."
Sandra Springer, M.D., is a Professor of Medicine at the Yale School of Medicine. Her research integrates aspects of substance use and infectious diseases, with a focus on opioid use disorder treatment and the treatment and prevention of HIV among people with carceral experience.
Register for the webinar.
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CERI Examples from the Field: Barbers, Beauticians and Researchers Uniting to Improve Community Health
Friday, January 26, 2024 | 12-1pm EST | Zoom
The Duke Clinical and Translational Science Institute's Community Engaged Research
Initiative (CERI) presents Examples From the Field for clinicians, researchers, research support staff, public health practitioners, and the community.
Barbers, Beauticians, and Researchers Uniting to Improve Community Health
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Panelists:
Dr. Schenita Davis Randolph, Associate Professor in the Duke School of Nursing and Director of the Duke University HEEAT Research Lab
Dr. Craig Scott Fryer, Associate Professor and Interim Chair, Behavioral and Community Health, University of Maryland School of Public Health
Moderator: Chiquitta Lesene, CEO, Shackle Free Community Outreach Agency
From this webinar you will learn about:
- The role of barber and beautician communities in fostering health equity through collaborations with academic researchers.
- Successful examples of community-engaged research initiatives involving barber and beautician networks.
- Strategies for building effective partnerships between researchers, healthcare providers, and barber/beautician professionals.
- Challenges and opportunities in advancing health equity through collaborative efforts.
Learn more and register for the Zoom.
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SBS Core Joint Duke and UNC CFAR Networking Event: Untangling the Quagmire of Stigma
Wednesday, January 31, 2024 | 9-10:30am EST | In-person at the Duke University School of Nursing Interprofessional Education Building, Classroom 3280ABC (307 Trent Dr)
Join the Social & Behavioral Sciences Cores of the Duke and UNC CFARs for a spring networking event at Duke exploring the state of the science on HIV and stigma, stigma interventions, and stigma measurement. Register for the event.
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DGHI Event - Dispatches from the AIDS Epidemic: Revisiting the Early Days of a Global Health Crisis
Tuesday, February 6, 2024 | 12-1pm EST| 040 Trent Hall & Zoom
In their new book, Dispatches From the AIDS Pandemic: A Public Health Story, Kevin De Cock, Harold Jaffe, and James Curran – three former leaders with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – offer a compelling firsthand account of the earliest days of a global health crisis. In this Think Global event, two of the book's authors -- Drs. Curran and De Cock -- will share their experiences on the frontlines of the CDC’s efforts to understand and respond to AIDS both in the U.S. and globally, tracing the scientific mobilization and public activism that drove life-saving advancements in HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment.
DGHI director Chris Beyrer and Lance Okeke, who both serve as associate directors of Duke’s Center for AIDS Research, will lead a discussion with the authors exploring the most significant lessons from the AIDS epidemic and how HIV/AIDS research continues to shape public health science and responses to global health crises today.
This is a hybrid event with both in-person and remote attendance options. Lunch will be available.
Learn more and register for the Zoom.
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Upcoming CFAR Immunology Core Events | |
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Apply to be a Fellow of the NIDA-funded HIV and Drug Abuse Prevention Research Ethics Training Institute
Summer training & research funding available for early career investigators! The Fordham HIV and Drug Abuse Prevention Research Ethics Training Institute (RETI) offers ethics training and a $30,000 small grant award to conduct a mentored research project (MRP) that will contribute to evidence-based HIV and drug abuse research ethics policies and procedures. RETI fellows make a 2-year commitment that includes two in-person summer programs in 2022 and 2023 including fully funded travel, lodging, and meals.
Program details
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Attend two summer training programs with fully funded travel and lodging:
- July 7-15, 2024: New York City (Manhattan Campus)
- TBD 2025: New York City (Manhattan Campus)
- Receive a $30,000 grant to conduct a mentored research study that will contribute to evidence-based HIV & drug use research ethics practice
- Join a network of scholars examining current challenges in HIV & drug abuse research ethics nationally and internationally
Visit the RETI website page for the application requirements and form, or contact Dr. Celia Fisher, Director and Principal Investigator, at ethicsinst@fordham.edu for more information. Applications are due March 1, 2024. Applicants will be notified of award decisions by April 30, 2024.
Institute Alumni have published findings from their funded research in high impact journals, incorporated findings as pilot data for successful NIH grant applications and have become recognized as experts in the responsible conduct of HIV and drug abuse research. Visit trainees' publications page for more information or visit our online collection.
Learn more and apply.
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Hypothesis Fund seeks high risk, high reward ideas | |
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The Hypothesis Fund is setting up a network of incredible scientists and empowering them to look for really bold ideas. The Hypothesis Fund was founded by David Sanford in 2022 to support breakthrough research that increases our adaptability against systemic risks to the health of humans and the planet. Duke CFAR is pleased to announce our very own Dr. Wilton Williams as one of the Scouts for this Fund.
For more information about the fund's unconventional approach to making grants, visit their website or read more from the Science article, New funding effort will deploy a corps of scientist ‘scouts’ to spot innovative ideas.
Learn more about Hypothesis Fund.
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RFA: HIV Cure-Related Research in Africa
NIAID has partnered with CRDF Global to fund African institutions carrying out HIV cure-related research in Africa. Please share with all who may be interested!
The RFA is for one-year $150,000 grants to African institutions, with up to $25,000 subawards to non-African collaborators. Applications are due April 15, 2024.
Learn more and access the RFA.
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