Yearly Archives: 2018

Posted on Categories Feature

Ending Gender Inequalities: Evidence to Impact Conference

You’re invited to join us for the Ending Gender Inequalities:
Evidence to Impact conference

Conference registration opens 28 February 2018

Participating in this meeting will help you:

  • Enhance knowledge of applied gender research, practice, and implementation, including new technology, gender-focused service delivery plans, evidence-based interventions, equalizing gender roles, education and economic empowerment activities
  • Form collaborative networks with skilled global gender scientists to share successes and challenges in implementation and sustainability of evidence-based programs for underserved key populations
  • Strategize solutions and innovative methods to reach key underserved populations, including but not limited to HIV affected populations, women who use substances, refugee women and children, adolescent girls and young women, and survivors of GBV

Conference Poster Abstracts Now Being Accepted

Key areas of interest: gender-based violence, economic empowerment, educating girls and women, health and wellbeing – such as substance use, HIV, family planning, sexual and reproductive health, and other areas focused on addressing gender inequality!

  • 09 February 2018: Submission deadline for those desiring mentorship with abstracts
  • 16 March 2018: Submission deadline for all abstracts
  • 16 March 2018: Travel Award application deadline
  • 30 April 2018: Abstract acceptance notifications and Travel Award notifications

Detailed abstract and submission information provided here:
ABSTRACT SUBMISSION SITE

For more information
contact us at gender@rti.org
www.rti.org/gender

Posted on Categories News

Study links gut-homing protein levels with HIV infection risk, disease progression

NIH clinical trial is testing antibody against the protein in people with HIV.

For the first time, scientists have shown a relationship between the proportion of key immune cells that display high levels of a gut-homing protein called alpha-4 beta-7 at the time of HIV infection and health outcomes. Previous research illustrated this relationship in monkeys infected with a simian form of HIV.

The new study found that women who had more CD4+ T cells displaying high levels of alpha-4 beta-7 on their surface were more likely to become infected with HIV, and the virus damaged their immune systems more rapidly, than women with fewer such cells. The National Institutes of Health co-funded the study with the South African Medical Research Council as part of the U.S.–South Africa Program for Collaborative Biomedical Research. In addition, NIH scientists collaborated on the study. The report appears online today in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

“Our findings suggest…”

(Full Article)

Posted on Categories News

NIH begins large HIV treatment study in pregnant women

Clinical trial will compare three antiretroviral drug regimens.

The National Institutes of Health has launched a large international study to compare the safety and efficacy of three antiretroviral treatment regimens for pregnant women living with HIV and the safety of these regimens for their infants. The study will evaluate the current preferred first-line regimen for pregnant women recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and two regimens containing newer antiretroviral drugs that are becoming more widely used. It will provide data on the use of these newer drugs during pregnancy, helping to ensure that women living with HIV and their infants receive the best available treatments.

Each year worldwide, an estimated 1.5 million women living with HIV give birth. Previous research has clearly demonstrated that antiretroviral therapy to suppress HIV prevents perinatal HIV transmission and benefits the health of both mother and child. In the new study, investigators will compare the virologic efficacy of the three regimens….

(Full Article)

Posted on Categories Feature, News

STOP STIGMA: A Performance by Chiao-Wen Lan

This Friday, Chiao Wen-Lan will be performing a dance, combining visual arts with her academic research in partial satisfaction of the requiremnts for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in Public Health at UCLA. Her dissertation is titled “HIV-Related Stigma, Social Support, and Access to Care aong People Living with HIV in Rural China.”

Join Ms. Lan for her performance “Stop Stigma.” at Kaufman Hall Room 208 at UCLA this Friday, January 26th from 12:30PM-1:30PM. A reception at the Rainbow Lounge will follow.

You can download her flyer below and details are also included on our events tab.

[Download not found]
Posted on Categories Feature

HIV Next Generation 2018 Information

► WHEN: January 19th, 2018, 9:00 AM-3:30 PM
► WHERE: UCLA Covel Commons

NEXT GEN 2018 is a free, one-day conference is to support the next generation of HIV researchers and service providers to work towards an end to AIDS through networking and sharing visions for future priorities. The conference will feature oral and poster presentations by students and emerging researchers from various institutions.

Below you will find the Agenda for the Conference as well as Parking Information and Directions:

2018 CHIPTS HIV Next Generation Conference - Agenda
[Download not found]
[Download not found]

Posted on Categories News

NIH study supports use of short-term HIV treatment interruption in clinical trials

A short-term pause in HIV treatment during a carefully monitored clinical trial does not lead to lasting expansion of the HIV reservoir nor cause irreversible damage to the immune system, new findings suggest.

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) benefits the health of people living with HIV, prolongs their lives and prevents transmission of the virus to others. If taken daily as directed, ART can reduce viral load — the amount of HIV in the blood — to levels that are undetectable with standard tests. However, the virus remains dormant in a small number of immune cells, and people living with HIV must take ART daily to keep the virus suppressed. If a person with ART-suppressed HIV stops taking medication, viral load will almost invariably rebound to high levels….

(Full Article)

Posted on Categories Feature, Spotlight

Feature Spotlight: Michael Li, PhD, MPH

Michael Li’s first introduction to public health was as a volunteer for a non-profit HIV services organization after completing his undergraduate education in molecular biology at the University of California, Irvine. His interest in the humanistic aspects of health grew from his involvement with vulnerable communities, eventually shifting his career to infectious disease case management and community health program management.  Throughout his studies, working towards a Master’s degree in Public Health at California State University, Fullerton and eventually his PhD in Preventive Medicine at the University of Southern California, Michael expanded upon his first-hand experiences to explore questions about how social and environmental factors impact health among sexual, gender-based, and racial minority communities.

After receiving his doctorate degree in 2017, Michael joined the Department of Family Medicine at UCLA as a postdoctoral scholar in addiction medicine under Dr. Steve Shoptaw.  His current research focus is in elucidating the effects of minority stress on stress biology and addiction, as well as their long-term implications for HIV infection and management of disease. He is investigating these research questions through an mSTUDY pilot and a large cohort study of patients in the Medical Care Coordination program in Los Angeles County. Michael has applied to the UCOP Fellowship and also plans to apply for an NIH K Award to advance his academic career in addiction medicine. In the near future, Michael hopes to work as an independent researcher in an academic setting where he can continue addressing the impact of society, human suffering, and biological systems on addiction.

Outside of work, Michael and his husband regularly attend dharma talks, practice meditation, and volunteer at their Jōdo Shinshū Buddhist temple in Orange County. On the side, they run a small woodworking business where they handcraft home décor and furnishings. They have two adorable dogs who love taking walks, receiving belly rubs, and eating peanut butter!

Each month, we’re featuring a member of our CHIPTS family and their work! To see past spotlights, check them out on the spotlights page and make sure to check back to see who we feature next!

Posted on Categories Feature, Colloquia

Colloquium: “Sin Vergüenza Season 3- A Strategy to Reduce Stigma, Homophobia, Transphobia, and Addiction in LA”

January 4, 2018 – AltaMed’s English and Spanish telenovela webseries Sin Vergüenza (Without Shame) was developed to address a range of topics surrounding HIV in the Latino community overcoming stigma, seeking STD testing, treatment, behavioral health services, and violence. Earlier seasons encouraged viewers to seek HIV testing, promoted HIV medical care, treatment and the use of prevention methods including PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) and the impact of HIV on a family. The third season returns to address themes that are also heavily stigmatized but with an HIV lens including alcoholism, homophobia, and transphobia.

Natalie Sanchez and Hilda Sandoval from AltaMed discussed the process of developing an HIV social marketing campaign that is relevant and accessible to Latinos across multiple generations. They also addressed how the telenovela can be a channel to address the social determinants which are identified in the Los Angeles County HIV/AIDS Strategy 2020 and Beyond.  Ramon Garcia also spoke on the social impact of the series, breaking down the metrics and the reach of the videos and their goals with this new season. With the success of season’s one and two, Sanchez talked more about the use of entertaining content to increase awareness on HIV-related issues such as the ones they focused on in Season 3.

The colloquium finished up with a panel featuring the AltaMed team as well as Actor J.M. Longoria who plays Enrique Salazar and Actress Joanna Zoella who plays Christina Salazar who gave an in depth look at what it was like to play these characters and to meet people who were have watched the series.

You can download the flyer and presentation power point below and watch the full Colloquium presentation on YouTube!

No Stigma, No Shade, No Shame! Addressing Life, Love, Sex, and HIV Through Digital Media - Flyer
No Stigma, No Shade, No Shame: Addressing Life, Love, Sex and HIV Through Digital Media - Slides

CHIPTS hosts a monthly HIV Research and Community Colloquia Series in collaboration with the Los Angeles County Commission on HIV to highlight current issues and conversations surrounding HIV. Click here for past lectures and check out the events page for more information on future Colloquia presentations!

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