What we're reading (and watching)

Recording of the Keynote Discussion with D3C members at the CFAR Fall Retreat, "Nothing About Us Without Us"

• A quote we love: "Look at the people outside of the data points. Everything that you all do in here, every single role you play, is heart work. You would not be doing this if your heart wasn't in it. So get to know the people that your heart work is helping."
• Another quote we love: "It's important to understand everyone's learning style [is different]. I'm more of a visual learner, folks may like audio, folks may be more hands on... that's a great opportunity to connect in a different way and be innovative when you're trying to disseminate the information out."
• Watch other sessions from the CFAR Retreat

DGHI Event Recap & Recording: Reasons for Concern, But Also Hope, in Global Fight to End HIV

• A quote we love: “We have the innovation, but we have to get the implementation right, focusing on structural barriers, policies, income and gender inequality,” said Jirair Ratevosian, Dr.P.H., the Hock Fellow at DGHI and former senior advisor to PEPFAR. “Progress is to be celebrated, but the next frontier will be the hardest.”

Links Between Health and Place in Durham, an article about social determinants of health research and the impact of structural racism, including work by CFAR investigator Nrupen Bhavsar

• A quote we love: “If gentrification breaks up social networks that people use for support, that can have a detrimental impact on people's health,” Bhavsar said. “Maybe someone they knew there took them to their physician appointment or was a friend they could talk to when they were stressed. Now they’re no longer there.”

AIDS 2024 session recordings

News from the CFAR

Early Stage Investigators Celebrated at 8th Translational HIV Vaccine ESI Conference in New Orleans 

On October 21st, a dedicated group of Duke early-stage investigators attended the 8^th Translational HIV Vaccine Early Stage Investigator (ESI) Conference in New Orleans. The event was organized by Drs. Alison Roxby and Jim Kublin of the HIV Vaccine Trial Network and was attended by a strong Duke ESI contingent: Drs. Harikrishnan Balachandran, RJ Bouch, Haleigh Conley, James Counts, Dieter Mielke, Philippe Rascle, and Marina Tuyishime.

The one-day conference aimed to support ESIs focusing on translational HIV research in non-human primates (NHPs) or clinical HIV and TB research. Attendees were all within 10 years of completing their terminal research degrees (PhD, MD, DVM), medical residencies, or equivalent. The event featured career mentoring, networking opportunities tailored for ESIs, and presentations and guidance from senior researchers and mentors, including the Duke CFAR's Guido Ferrari, Justin Pollara, Keith Reeves, and Wilton Williams.

Past participants have praised the Conference for boosting their career development skills and providing a platform for new collaborations. This year’s Duke attendees echoed this sentiment, appreciating the conference's value. Harikrishnan Balachandran shared, “It was an enriching experience to connect with colleagues from across the country and learn about their groundbreaking research. The sense of camaraderie and our shared commitment to using science to drive positive change was truly inspiring. Additionally, the mentorship from senior researchers and their encouragement to persevere through challenges provided invaluable support for us as early-stage investigators.”

Attendees were selected from a competitive pool of 51 national and international applicants, with several receiving scholarships, including James, Dieter, Marina, and Philippe. Congratulations to all Duke ESI attendees for being selected and presenting your work!

Read this article on the CFAR website.

More Duke CFAR at HIVR4P!

The HIV Research for Prevention Conference was held in Lima, Peru from October 6-10th. At HIVR4P, the latest evidence and emerging tools from HIV prevention research were featured in over 60 sessions – including plenary presentations, invited-speaker symposia, oral abstract sessions and satellites – and over 600 posters and e-posters. Access all oral abstracts, poster exhibitions, e-posters and late breakers from HIVR4P 2024 for free in the abstract book.

Over 1,700 abstracts were submitted to the conference. The Duke CFAR was well-represented among the selected abstracts. We are especially proud of our early stage investigators and trainees (*) who presented their work at the conference. Congratulations!

Duke CFAR investigators contributed as authors to 19 oral abstracts presented at HIV R4P. Duke presenters included:

• Dieter Mielke (pictured above), A higher proportion of recent compared to historic HIV viruses are resistant to antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity mediated by monoclonal antibodies and HIV BG505 SOSIP.664 trimer with 3M-052-AF/alum induces broad and potent ADCC-mediating antibodies (late breaker)
• * Dieter is a Senior Research Associate in the Ferrari Lab
• Tonia Poteat, PrEP uptake and adherence among transgender women: findings from a randomized clinical trial of a multicomponent intervention (HPTN 091)
• Catherine Purnell, Examining the impact of stigma on the PrEP cascade among indigenous gay and bisexual men in Guatemala
• * Catherine is a second-year 4+1 Master's student at the Duke Global Health Institute
• Kevin Wiehe, Mutation-guided HIV vaccine design: a strategy for developing boosting immunogens for BnAb induction

Duke CFAR investigators contributed as authors to 21 posters. First/presenting authors from Duke included:

• Daniel Adrianzen Alvarez (presented by David Katz), Modeling the probability of vaginal HIV infection: integrating viral mass transport theory, viral load, viral infection dynamics, and menstrual cycle phase
• * Daniel is a Postdoctoral Associate in Biomedical Engineering
• Guido Ferarri, on behalf of Fatima Laher, Non-therapeutic leukapheresis in the HVTN 305 HIV vaccine trial in South Africa
• Will Herbst (presented by David Katz), Contrasting deterministic and traditional volume-averaged computational PBPK modeling for topical PREP analysis and Using deterministic computational PBPK modeling in IVR design and performance evaluation
• * Will was the Katz Lab Manager
• Lance Okeke, Evaluating an historically Black college and university (HBCU)-based initiative to promote careers in HIV prevention research
• Daniel Schuster (pictured), BG505 SOSIP.664 adjuvanted with 3M-052 tunes IgG Fc glycosylation towards a more functional state (late breaker)
• * Daniel is a trainee in the Tomaras Lab
• Wilton Williams, Isolation and characterization of heterologous tier 2 HIV-1 neutralizing antibodies from SHIV-infected neonate macaques (late breaker)

View this article on the CFAR website.

Join CFAR Researchers in giving back on World AIDS Day!

Every year on December 1st, the world unites to commemorate World AIDS Day. This annual event serves as a reminder of the global struggle to end HIV-related stigma, an opportunity to honor those we have lost, and a rallying cry to continue working toward a day when HIV is no longer a public health threat.

As we approach World AIDS Day, we invite you to join CFAR colleagues in a community volunteering effort. By centering human rights and addressing the social determinants of health, we can create a stronger, more equitable community for all—especially individuals living with HIV. Whether through housing support, access to food, or promoting health resources, your time and energy can make an impact in addition to the important work you do as a researcher.

Consider organizing your colleagues to volunteer with a local organization, such as:

• Habitat for Humanity – helping build or repair homes for families in need
• The Williams Lab volunteered with Habitat for Humanity of Durham last year in honor of World AIDS Day. We would love to follow their lead and take this community volunteering effort CFAR-wide!

• Food Bank of Central & Eastern NC – supporting food access for individuals and families facing food insecurity

• Urban Ministries of Durham – assisting with meals or distributing essential resources to those experiencing homelessness

• Communities in Partnership – supporting grassroots organizations that serve East Durham and the surrounding community

Let’s take this opportunity to stand together and show our commitment to community wellbeing. We encourage all CFAR labs and teams to identify an opportunity and participate together.

Please let us know if you:

• have a recommendation for another organization/volunteer opportunity
• are organizing a volunteer day and would like to extend an invite to other CFAR researchers
• have photos or information to share from your outing for our website and newsletter

Join the D3C for their World AIDS Day Commemoration

Another way you can show up in support of community is by attending the D3C's World AIDS Day event on December 6, 2024 from 6-8pm in the Parish Hall of St. Philip's Episcopal Church (403 E Main St, Durham, NC 27701).

Please save the date and stay tuned for more information!

HANC Webinar: Transgender Day of Remembrance

Wednesday, November 20, 2024 | 12 - 1pm ET | Zoom

Join a special webinar in honor of the lives lost to anti-transgender violence.

Speakers



Imani Hayes - I'm the Program Manager for Project TEA (Trans Empowerment in Action), the first all trans/non-binary staffed grant in the state of NJ at NJCRI. I’m graduate of Rutgers University with a B.A, in Journalism. I have 3 years of experience helping transgender individuals, living with & without HIV, with their medical care and achieve their gender affirming goals. I'm passionate about empowering my clients to unlock their potential and achieve meaningful results in both their personal and professional lives. My passion enables me to assist my clients in gaining clarity, setting realistic goals, and developing actionable plans to overcome obstacles and achieve success.

Carter Brown is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of the National Black Trans Advocacy Coalition (BTAC), the first national Black trans-led nonprofit. A transgender man with firsthand understanding of marginalized experiences, Carter founded BTAC in 2011 to address critical issues impacting Black trans people, including violence, HIV disparities, and employment discrimination. With over a decade of advocacy, Carter's leadership has elevated BTAC's community organizing and programming. He

co-authored the U.S. Trans Survey, spotlighting disparities affecting nearly 100,000 transgender individuals, and recently testified before Congress in support of the Equality Act. His ongoing work is vital to advancing equity for Black trans people and the broader LGBTQ+ community.

Register for the webinar.

November ID Grand Rounds with Amy Corneli

Monday, November 25, 2024 | 4 - 5pm ET | Hanes House Room 131 & Zoom

Presenter: Amy Corneli, PhD, MPH

"Beyond Numbers: Using Qualitative Research to Advance HIV Prevention and Treatment"

Zoom Information

https://duke.zoom.us/j/98686770700?pwd=SXd1bm1YditFdWxmM0pkclRlQlljdz09 

Meeting ID: 986 8677 0700

Password: 205062

Save the Date! D3C World AIDS Day Commemoration

Friday, December 6, 2024 | 6 - 8pm ET | 403 E Main St, Durham, NC 27701

Funding & Training Opportunities

Applications due Nov 10 - HVTN Scientific Leadership Development Program

We’re excited to announce the opening of the fourth cohort of the HVTN Scientific Leadership Development program (SLD).

The HVTN has a growing portfolio of early-stage HIV and TB vaccine candidates, with multiple discovery protocols anticipated in the coming years. The HVTN seeks to foster a generation of up-and-coming, highly qualified, diverse clinical investigators to co-chair these protocols. As we develop numerous Phase 1-3 vaccine and monoclonal antibody studies, we also want to grow and support the clinical trial leaders of tomorrow. 

Led by Dr. Alison Roxby and senior colleagues throughout the HVTN, the SLD provides partial salary support so that awardees can immerse themselves in the time and activities required to foster investigative skills and training. This includes hands-on involvement in data analysis, manuscript writing, academic work including mentorship (both face-to-face and remote) and interactions with immunologists and biostatisticians. Together with a local mentor, each scientist in the program will create a professional development plan and write a first-author manuscript using data from completed HVTN studies.  

Our goal is to identify leaders in our midst who are ready for their next challenge. The need for highly-trained scientists is great, as is the imperative for clinical trials leadership to reflect the diverse communities we strive to serve. Learning this craft takes time and energy, and can lead to tremendous rewards for ourselves, our teams, and our communities. Please visit the Scientific Leadership Development website for program information, including eligibility criteria and the application.

The application window is open until November 10, 2024.

Learn more about the program.

Please share: Concept Proposals due Dec 2 - CFAR AFRICURE Program

The AFRICURE program will award five grants of $200,000 for one year, plus applicable indirect costs. This program intends to attract highly talented early- and mid-career stage investigators from sub-Saharan Africa to address critical questions related to HIV cure research. Recipients of the awards will be mentored by and collaborate with established HIV investigators across CFARs and affiliated institutions in Africa, with the goal of having a transformational impact on the careers of African investigators, their institutions, and the entire HIV cure enterprise. This is a 2-part application process, starting with the submission of a concept sheet.

Important Dates:

• Concept Proposal due: December 2, 2024 
• Notification of Outcome: December 20, 2024
• Invited Applications due: February 10, 2025 
• Notification of Outcome: March 14, 2025 
• Project Period: Estimated April 1, 2025 – March 7, 2026

Learn more about the program.

Call for Proposals due Dec 2 - CFAR Adelante Research Capacity Program in Latinx-Focused HIV Research

The NIH is working to address the HIV epidemic in Hispanic and Latina/o/x (Latinx) communities in the United States through the National CFAR Adelante Research Capacity Program. The program aims to promote the mentored development of early career investigators who focus on HIV prevention, treatment, and care in Latinx and/or Hispanic communities in the U.S. by strengthening the capacity of Latinx-serving community-based organizations to participate in and lead HIV-oriented research. 

Adelante – meaning forward or onward in Spanish – is funded by the NIH/NIMHD and managed by the Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) at Emory University with the DC CFAR. We are currently accepting concept proposal submissions for the 2025-2027 CFAR Adelante Research Capacity Program! Concept Proposals are due DECEMBER 2, 2024, at 11:59 PM EST.  

The CFAR Adelante Program supports two-year, academic-community partnered research projects led by an Adelante Team: a Scholar (early career HIV investigator), a CFAR-affiliated Mentor, and a Collaborating Partner project representative from a community-based organization that serves Hispanic and/or Latinx populations. Adelante Teams should be supportive, diverse, and interdisciplinary. Proposed research should be community-based and reflect local Hispanic and/or Latinx community needs, as identified by science and the local community.

Eligible research topics must focus on Hispanic and/or Latinx populations in the U.S. and may include but are not limited to:

1. Developing, testing, and implementing strategies to improve HIV prevention and/or care services.
2. Developing, testing and implementing strategies for improving health and well-being for these populations living with HIV.
3. Developing, testing, and implementing socio-behavioral interventions to improve uptake of HIV prevention and care strategies.
4. Conducting implementation research to optimize and/or enhance uptake of, linkage to, or engagement in HIV prevention and care services. 
5. Examining HIV-related health and social issues, including mental health or substance use disorder, that are clearly linked with HIV (transmission, pathogenesis, morbidity and mortality, stigma). 

Applicants may request up to $125,000 in direct costs per year ($250,000 over two years) plus applicable indirect costs. You can download the complete RFA and find more information about the program on the CFAR Adelante website.

Watch the recording from an informational webinar to learn more about the CFAR Adelante Program. If you have questions about the program, the RFA, and/or the application process, please reach out to CFAR Adelante Program Manager, Jenny Anderson (jenny.anderson@emory.edu).  

Learn more about the program.

Have news to share? Submit information for the newsletter and website.

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.