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HIV Avenir Symposium

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Meeting Summary

The NIDA AIDS Research Program hosted a symposium in January 2021 of early-stage investigators to discuss their innovative research supported through the NIDA Avenir Award Program for Research on Substance Use Disorders and HIV/AIDS (DP2). The Avenir Awards are designed to stimulate innovation and potentially transformative research from early stage investigators.

The symposium featured remarks from NIDA Director Dr. Nora Volkow, after which ARP Director Dr. Redonna Chandler and ARP Associate Director Dr. Vasundhara Varthakavi facilitated presentations by recent HIV Avenir awardees:

  • Ashley Buchanan, DrPH, University of Rhode Island
    The University of Rhode Island NIDA Avenir Project: Causal inference methods for HIV prevention studies aamong networks of people who inject drugs
  • Zachary A. Klase, PhD, Drexel University
    HIV-1, epigenetics and substances of abuse
  • Daniel Lingwood, PhD, Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard
    Epitope-shifting to an HIV vaccine target through the acquisition of low affinity
  • Michael E. Newcomb, PhD, Northwestern University
    Using relationship education as a platform to reduce HIV risk in young male couples
  • Sunil Suhas Solomon, MBBS, PhD, MPH, Johns Hopkins University
    Disentangling networks and their role in transmission of HIV and HCV among PWID
  • Ryan Westergaard, MD, PhD, MPH, University of Wisconsin
    Mobile health strategies for predicting and mitigating lapses in HIV care for substance using patients

The symposium provided an overview of the vitally transformative research funded by the HIV Avenir award in high priority areas toward new opportunities for improved HIV treatment and prevention among substance users.

The HRP also funds the complementary NIDA Avant-Garde Award Program for HIV/AIDS and Substance Use Disorder Research (DP1, Clinical Trial Optional) to support high-impact, innovative studies by researchers at all career levels, and hosted an Avant-Garde Symposium in May 2022 to highlight recent award recipients and their research.

You can also review the 2022 Avenir Symposium, held September 2022, and contact  the HRP Support Team for more information and updates on the HIV Avenir and Avant-Garde Awards.

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