Happy New Year! We look forward to many exciting things in store for 2023!

News from the CFAR

Duke School of Nursing Faculty Showcase the Important Role of Nurses in HIV Prevention and Treatment

Last month, the Duke University School of Nursing (DUSON) put together a special World AIDS Day newsletter highlighting the ongoing work by DUSON faculty to combat HIV stigma, address health inequities, and end the HIV epidemic.

Profiles of six CFAR members at the School of Nursing were shared to demonstrate how faculty are designing nurse-led health care interventions and solutions that reduce health inequity among people living with HIV.

Brandon Knettel, PhD, is an Assistant Professor whose research focus is on improving mental health and reducing stigma among people living with HIV in diverse settings, both in the U.S. and in Tanzania. In Tanzania, Knettel and his team are implementing nurse-led screening for suicidal thinking among people living with HIV and connecting patients to nurse-delivered telehealth counseling. In North Carolina, the team is looking at the overlapping syndemics of HIV and opioid use to try to improve health outcomes. Both mental health and opioid use disproportionately affect underserved communities.

“I am dedicated to this work because I envision a world where all people living with HIV can lead a healthy life, free of stigma,” said Knettel. “Suicidal thinking and opioid use are deadly problems, and we want to be sure that people living with HIV have access to life-saving treatments for these challenges. By improving treatment access and addressing social determinants of health among people living with HIV, we can improve the health of these individuals and save lives.”

Associate Professors Schenita Randolph, PhD, MPH, RN, CNE and Ragan Johnson, DNP, MS, APRN-BC collaborate to shift the approach to sexual health among Black adolescents and young adults (AYA) with the first nurse-led, parent-adolescent intervention providing tools for parents to address HIV risk transmission and racial discrimination as interrelated public health issues. Their work also addresses sexual health inequities among Black women by addressing barriers to HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a medication that if taken consistently decreases HIV risk, such as PrEP stigma and distrust.

“We, in the HEEAT Lab, want our interventions to be practical, impactful and meaningful to the community in reaching health outcomes,” said Randolph. “If the research does not translate into clinical or community practice, we believe it lessens our impact and purpose. We also acknowledge the time, resources, and financial commitments that are made throughout the research process and wish for our work to be useful beyond grant funding for the communities that are most affected.”

Marta Mulawa, PhD, MHS, is an Assistant Professor whose research focuses on developing and testing a smartphone app-delivered intervention to support adolescents and young adults with HIV in Cape Town, South Africa. Mulawa’s research team includes young people with HIV who have a track record of good treatment adherence who serve as peer mentors and support other adolescents and young adults through the digital platform.

“Young people experience significant disparities in HIV-related morbidity and mortality compared to other age groups,” Mulawa said. “We need interventions designed by young people, for young people, to address the unique challenges they face. To end the epidemic, I believe we need approaches that center young people with HIV to identify solutions based on their unique circumstances.”

Michael V. Relf, PhD, RN, ACNS-BC, AACRN, ANEF, CNE, FAAN is the Associate Dean for Global and Community Health Affairs and an Associate Professor. His work focuses on expanding nursing science’s role throughout the epidemic and looking at the psychosocial aspects of HIV using mixed-methods particularly focusing on intimate partner violence, HIV-related stigma, intersectional stigma, and experiences with everyday discrimination among persons living with HIV.

Dean of the Duke School of Nursing and Vice Chancellor for Nursing Affairs, Vincent Guilamo-Ramos, PhD, MPH, LCSW, RN, ANP-BC, PMHNP-BC, FAAN focuses on Latino adolescent sexual reproductive health policy, practice, and science; reduction of stigma of youth and young people living with HIV/AIDS; and the role of nurses in ending the HIV epidemic.

Dean Ramos is also the director and founder of the Duke Center for Latino Adolescent and Family Health (CLAFH). Also part of the newsletter was CLAFH's launch of NO FEARS (Nurturing Ourselves: Family Education and Activities to Reduce Stigma), a family-based online program to reduce HIV stigma among youth living with HIV.

Read the full article about DUSON faculty and learn more about NO FEARS.

Recording now available: A Conversation with Dr. Jeffrey Jenks

On December 13th, Dr. Jeffrey Jenks, Medical Director of the Durham County Department of Public Health, presented to the Duke community to provide an understanding of the context of HIV in Durham and implications and opportunities for us at the Duke CFAR. The conversation was recorded and requires a Duke NetID to view.

Watch the recording.

In case you missed it: Spotlight on Department of Medicine CFAR Investigators at the Forefront of AIDS Research

Reflecting on the over 40 years of research since the discovery of HIV, the Department of Medicine recognized its many faculty members working at the forefront of HIV research and the contributions of the Duke CFAR. A featured article highlights the CFAR, led by Drs. Georgia Tomaras and Susanna Naggie, and shines a spotlight on four young faculty members who help represent the diverse portfolio of HIV-related research at Duke. From the article:

“These Department of Medicine research stars span four areas of HIV/AIDS research: computational biology, clinical implementation, lab-based science and social and behavioral science,” Naggie says. “While their research programs are independent, they work collectively as part of the Duke CFAR team. They truly represent the ideals of One Duke as they work to improve the health and lives of those living with HIV.”

Drs. Lance Okeke and Amy Corneli lead game-changing studies to understand the U.S. South epidemic and implement effective prevention programs. “These studies are likely to have a global impact and inspire inclusion of new early career investigators into the field,” Tomaras says. “Dr. Maria Blasi’s innovative basic science laboratory seeks to uncover mechanisms of HIV infection and disease in the kidney to ultimately improve clinical care -in part through a unique surgical resource enabled by the HIV Organ Policy Equity (HOPE) Act. Computational biologist Dr. Kevin Wiehe is working on identifying and utilizing knowledge of improbable mutations in HIV antibody lineages to essentially change the design of HIV vaccines so they can be laser focused to overcome these specific roadblocks on the way to protective immunity”.

Read the full article.

SBS Core Rocket Talk - Scientific Communication Series: Policy Communication

Monday, January 9th, 2023 | 11am-12pm ET | Zoom

Please join us for January’s Rocket Talk hosted by the CFAR SBS Core:

Presenters: Senator Graig Meyer, NC Senate, and Jenni Owen, Director of the NC Office of Strategic Partnerships

This talk will focus on communicating scientific evidence to policymakers to inform decision making as part of the Duke CFAR SBS Core’s Science Communication Series.

North Carolina Senator Graig Meyer will present “Stories First, Facts will Follow” and describe pathways to open policy makers hearts, and then inform—and possibly even change—their minds.

Jenni Owen, Director of the North Carolina Office of Strategic Partnerships, will present “Government Wants (and uses) Research, too,” and describe real examples of missed communication from faculty and researchers to government officials and how to take advantage of opportunities for government-research partnerships.

We hope you will join us for this information-packed session!

Zoom information

Meeting URL: https://duke.zoom.us/j/97783403381?pwd=MmV6RlNwNkcvWXpMdzhaUXlTYWoxUT09

Meeting ID: 977 8340 3381

Passcode: 356204

Register for the Live with Leadership: Aging Challenge Webinar

Tuesday, January 10th, 2023 | 2-2:30pm ET |Zoom

On Tuesday, January 10th, the HHS Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy (OIDP) is hosting a Live with Leadership conversation with the Administration for Community Living (ACL) to discuss federal initiatives to address the needs of people aging with HIV and long-term survivors.

A focus of the conversation will be OIDP and ACL’s partnership on two recently released HIV and Aging Challenges, which are now accepting applications: the “Innovations for Needs of People Aging with HIV/Long-term Survivors in Urban Communities” challenge and the “$500,000 Rural HIV and Aging Challenge”.

The conversation will be moderated by Kaye Hayes, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Infectious Disease and the Director of OIDP and panelists include:

• Timothy P. Harrison, PhD, Principal Deputy Director of OIDP, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• Edwin Walker, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Aging, ACL, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

The “Innovations for Needs of People Aging with HIV/Long-Term Survivors in Urban Communities” challenge and the “$500,000 Rural HIV and Aging Challenge” are national prize competitions seeking innovative and effective solutions that address the needs of people aging with HIV and long-term survivors in urban and rural communities, respectively, particularly among racial and ethnic minorities and LGBTQ+ populations.

This Live with Leadership conversation provides an opportunity to hear directly from key HHS leaders with expertise in HIV and aging coming together on one platform to discuss HIV, aging, and new and ongoing work to further the goals of the Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. (EHE) initiative.

Registration is required for the Live with Leadership session. This event is open to everyone. Please note capacity is limited, so register early! This webinar will be recorded and will be available after the session for those unable to attend.

Learn more and register for the webinar.

B-Cell and T-Cell Flow Cytometry Workshop facilitated by Immunology Core - Register by Jan 13th

Tuesday, January 31st, 2023 | 9am-4pm ET |MSRBI 001

Register now for this workshop facilitated by the CFAR Immunology Core.

The flow-cytometry-based assays enable high through-put in vitro qualitative and quantitative analyses of phenotypic and functional markers expressed by antigen-specific B and T cellular subsets.

We have designed two sessions to meet different levels or interest by both basic science and clinical investigators. Importantly, we will provide information on how the investigators can leverage the combined expertise of the CFAR Immunology and DHVI Flow cytometry cores to support research of existing funded projects as well as new grant applications.

The first 90 minutes of the B & T-Cell Flow Cytometry Workshop will include sessions tailored for those new to flow cytometry who would like to learn the principles and basic applications of the assays but is also for those who would like a refresher. These sessions will cover the principles of the assay, including some basic technical aspects related to instruments and reagents, the importance of collection, preparation and handling of different sample types. Information about the cores’ expertise and accessibility will also be presented.

The remainder of the morning and the early part of the afternoon will provide more detailed and advanced information on how to investigate specific areas of antigen-specific B and T-cell responses. We will achieve this goal by hosting a breakout group for each cellular subset with a Q&A session.

Lastly, we will dedicate the balance of the afternoon to introduce the utilization of FlowJo software for data analysis.

Registration will be limited to the first 42 registrants. Register by Friday, January 13th.

Learn more and register for the workshop.

Register by Jan 9th: Statistics Workshop - Quantitative Methods for HIV Researchers

Thursdays in January & February 2023 | 9am-12pm ET | Hock Plaza

Registration is now open for Statistics Workshops, Part II of the 3-part series of FREE workshops designed to provide HIV researchers with the quantitative skills necessary for analysis of large, complex data sets resulting from assays such as single-cell RNA-seq, flow cytometry, fMRI, etc. Each part of the series consists of 6 once-a-week workshops held on Thursdays from 9AM - Noon. The workshops will be taught in person at Hock Plaza (parking is available). These NIH-funded workshops are open to graduate students, postdocs, medical fellows, staff and faculty. Non-Duke-affiliated applicants are welcome. Completion of Part I-Data Science Workshops or prior knowledge/ competency in R is required to attend.

In Part II of this workshop series, attendees will learn important concepts in statistics and perform statistical analyses using real HIV data. We will introduce different types of clinical research studies, perform exploratory data analysis with numerical and graphical summaries and introduce hypothesis testing, and appropriate methods for modeling different types of outcomes.

In Part III of this workshop series, attendees will learn skills for analysis of large, complex data sets resulting from assays. Registration for these workshops will open in January 2023.

Register for Part II: Statistics Workshops by Monday, January 9th.

PART II: Statistics Workshops (must commit to attend all 6 sessions)

• Breakdown of an Experiment - 1/19/2023
• Probability, Distributions, and Confidence Intervals - 1/26/2023
• Hypothesis Testing and Power/Sample Size - 2/1/2023
• Paired and Categorical Data Approaches - 2/9/2023
• Regression, Survival, and Longitudinal Models - 2/16/2023
• Bring Your Own Project / High-level Consulting - 2/23/2023

PART III: Assays Workshops registration will open in Jan 2023

Learn more and register for the workshops.

Have a new member of your team? Were you forwarded this newsletter and want to sign up yourself? Please use and share this link to join the CFAR and receive all CFAR information and news.