Category Archives: Past Events

January 25, 2019 – The 2019 HIV Next Generation Conference, hosted by CHIPTS welcomed 121 attendees to the UCLA Campus for a day of discussion, learning, and networking. Drs. Steve Shoptaw and Norweeta Milburn gave compelling opening remarks to start the day and was followed by an inspiring and dynamic plenary by USC’s Dr. Ricky N. Bluthenthal, who spoke on his work in the community over the last 25 years.

The day’s agenda featured seven trainees who gave oral presentations of their research projects and received thought provoking questions from the audience, which ranged from researchers, community providers, faculty members, and other students. In addition, seven trainees presented their work through the poster session, lending to many lively conversations that engaged undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral researchers with faculty and the community.

In addition, the conference featured a policy impact panel lead by our Policy Core director Dr. Arleen Leibowitz and included Dr. Ninez Ponce, Ricky Rosales, Craig Pulsipher, and Dr. Nina Harawa. The panel was diverse in background with panelists from the city, state, and various levels of educational institutions which created a stimulating conversation on the impact of policy on research and, likewise, research on policy.

Ms. Wendy Garland of the Los Angeles County Division on HIV and STD Programs (DHSP) gave the afternoon plenary presentation.  She provided an update on the Los Angeles County HIV/AIDS Strategy for 2020 and Beyond initiative (https://www.lacounty.hiv/) as well as some key collaborations with CHIPTS. In addition to sharing the priorities for HIV and STD prevention and treatment for Los Angeles County, she highlighted a number of collaborations in the works, which received excitement from many conference attendees.

Dr. Steve Shoptaw presented the closing plenary on Methamphetamine and HIV Treatment and Prevention that gave insight into the current state of the opioid crisis and it’s impact on those living with HIV and those at risk. Dr. Norweeta Milburn‘s left everyone inspired and hopeful for the future with her closing statements, proving the conference to be a full day of science, networking, and learning.

You can download all of the presentations (individually or in one pdf) and the full program below! We’ve also posted our Gallery on Facebook so make sure to check out all of the photos from the conference.

Next Generation Program: 2019 HIV Next Generation Conference - Agenda
All Presentations: Health Disparities in HIV-Positive Incarcerated and Post-Incarcerated Populations - Slides

Welcome and Opening Remarks

Steve Shoptaw, PhD
Director, UCLA CHIPTS
Professor, UCLA Departments of Family Medicine and Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science
Vice Chair, Research in Family Medicine

Norweeta Milburn, PhD
Professor-in-Residence, UCLA Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences
Co-Director, UCLA HIV/AIDS, Substance Abuse, and Trauma Training Program (HA-STTP)
Director, UCLA Center For AIDS Research Health Disparities Core
Director, Development Core, UCLA CHIPTS

Opening Plenary

Morning Plenary: Lessons learned from 25 years of combatting HIV among people who inject drugs (PWID) - Slides
Ricky N. Bluthenthal, PhD
Professor, Department of Preventive Medicine, USC Keck School of Medicine
Professor, Institute for Prevention Research, USC Keck School of Medicine

People Who Inject Drugs (PWID)

Discussant, Ricky N. Bluthenthal, PhD
Professor, Department of Preventive Medicine, USC Keck School of Medicine
Professor, Institute for Prevention Research, USC Keck School of Medicine

Kelsey Simpson, MA
Correlates of mental health disorders in people who inject drugs (PWID) - Slides

Wei Cao, MS
Challenges facing HIV-positive clients in methadone maintenance treatment in China - Slides

Policy Impact for HIV/AIDS Research Panel

Policy Continuum: Condoms in California Prisons - Slides

Arleen Leibowitz , PhD
UCLA, CHIPTS Policy Core
Professor Emeritus, Department of Public Policy, UCLA School of Public Affairs

Ninez Ponce, MPP, PhD
Professor, Department of Health Policy and Management, UCLA FSPH
UCLA California Health Interview Survey (CHIS)

Ricky Rosales, BA
LA City AIDS Coordinator

Craig Pulsipher, MPP, MSW
State Affairs Specialist, APLA

Nina Harawa, PhD, MPH
UCLA, CHIPTS Policy Core
Professor, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA

Adolescent (HIV) Trials Network (ATN)

Discussant, Dallas Swendeman, PhD, MPH
Co-Director, Development Core, UCLA CHIPTS
Associate Professor, UCLA Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences
Co-Director, UCGHI Center of Expertise on Women’s Health, Gender and Empowerment

Anne E. Fehrenbacher, PhD, MPH
Gender disparities in prevalence, frequency, and baseline correlates of transactional sex among high-risk adolescents - Slides

Drew Wood-Palmer, BS
Prevalence of Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, and Syphilis Antibody Among High-risk Adolescents in Los Angeles and New Orleans - Slides

Afternoon Plenary

Afternoon Plenary: Update on HIV in Los Angeles County and the Los Angeles County HIV/AIDS Strategy - Slides
Wendy Garland, MPH
Chief Epidemiologist, Division of HIV and STD Programs, LAC DPH

Underserved Populations

Discussant, Cathy Reback, PhD
Senior Research Scientist, Friends Research Institute, Inc.
Executive Director, Friends Community Center
Core Director, Combination Prevention Core, UCLA CHIPTS

Michael Li, PhD, MPH
Stimulant use, housing instability, and depressive symptoms comorbid conditions and viral trajectories in the context of coordinated HIV care in Los Angeles County - Slides

Sabrina Smiley, PhD
Jackd dating application motivation, experiences, and sexual risk behaviors a qualitative study - Slides

Siddharth Raich, MPH
Health Disparities in HIV-Positive Incarcerated and Post-Incarcerated Populations - Slides

Closing Plenary

Methamphetamine and HIV Treatment and Prevention
Steve Shoptaw, PhD
Director, UCLA CHIPTS
Professor, UCLA Departments of Family Medicine and Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science
Vice Chair, Research in Family Medicine

Closing Remarks

Norweeta Milburn, PhD
Professor-in-Residence, UCLA Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences
Co-Director, UCLA HIV/AIDS, Substance Abuse, and Trauma Training Program (HA-STTP)
Director, UCLA Center For AIDS Research Health Disparities Core
Director, Development Core, UCLA CHIPTS

Steve Shoptaw, PhD
Director, UCLA CHIPTS
Professor, UCLA Departments of Family Medicine and Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science
Vice Chair, Research in Family Medicine

Poster Presentations

Benjamin Jones, BA
What’s missing? Investigating the gaps between PrEP knowledge, eligibility, and utilization among at-risk youth - Slides

Carla Del Cid, BS
Incorporating dating application strategies to recruit youth at risk or youth living with HIV (ATN CARES Project) - Slides

Diep Nguyen, MD
Perceived occupational risk and negative attitude towards people who use drugs among community health workers in Vietnam - Slides

Jesse Goldshear, MPH
Nutritional differences among people who use drugs from a multi-site study in California - Slides

Joan Christodoulou, PhD
Crystal clear with the Medication Adherence Trainer (MAT): An interactive educational demonstration to increase knowledge and adherence to antiretroviral therapy among youth living with HIV

Loc Pham, MS
Social support and motivation to change among people who use drugs in Vietnam - Slides

Melissa Medich, PhD, MPH
The pull of soccer and the push of Xhosa boys in an HIV and drug abuse intervention in the Western Cape, South Africa - Slides

Special Thanks

We would like to thank the members of the Conference Planning Committee for their countless hours in planning and organizing this conference including: Isabelle Chu, Damilola Jolayemi, Uyen Kao, Norweeta Milburn, and Dallas Swendeman.

Also, we would like to thank the generous volunteers who helped with today’s event: Jennifer Baughman and Sandra Cuevas.

Our Center Director Dr. Steve Shoptaw moderated an event by the Los Angeles World Affairs Council titled “The American Opioid Crisis: A Discussion with Chris McGreal, Author of American Overdose” in Culver City on November 28th. Check out the summary from the event below!

This article originally appeared on the Los Angeles World Affairs Council (LAWAC) website. You can see the original article here. 

Last year, thousands of Americans died from overdosing on prescription painkillers. The issue, says Guardian journalist and author Chris McGreal, is not just misuse, but over-prescription by doctors and a lack of proper regulation by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). McGreal was joined in conversation by UCLA professor and psychologist Steven Shoptaw.

The prescription epidemic started when big pharmaceutical companies successfully convinced medical boards and hospitals to include pain as a vital sign and that it had to be treated as a primary issue, opening the door for over-prescribing. Doctors are now pressured by hospital ethics committees to over-prescribe since being pain free is seen as a human right. On top of that, doctors often learn how to prescribe for a drug from the instructions that come with it, which are written by the marketing departments of drug companies, not by physicians. “Opioids are now the default treatment for pain no matter how weak or strong it is.”

When addicts are no longer able to get what they need from a doctor, they often turn to the black market, where the drugs are often provided by the cartels. The cartels realized they could acquire fentanyl from China, where it is manufactured legally, much cheaper than growing poppies to produce heroin and other opioids. As expected, there is little quality control and batches often contain a mixture of fentanyl cut in with other dangerous drugs, creating extremely lethal concoctions.

Another major influence on the opioid epidemic is the relationship between the FDA and big pharmaceutical companies. “Nearly 60 percent of the FDA’s funding comes from drug companies.” This financial reliance has fundamentally changed the way the FDA regulates medications, and they have frequently approved drugs that their physician and scientist advisory board has denied in the name of an open and fair market.

In October 2017, the Trump administration declared the opioid crisis a Public Health Emergency under federal law. Last month, President Trump signed the Support for Patients and Community Act with wide support from Congress and advocacy groups. The legislation takes aim at the crisis in a variety of ways including curbing shipments of opioids like fentanyl from entering the country, expanding Medicare coverage for treatment and freeing up the National Institutes of Health to conduct more research into non-addictive painkillers.

To read more about the opioid crisis, you can purchase a copy of McGreal’s new book American Overdose by clicking here.

The 2018 HIV Research for Prevention Conference (HIVR4P) was held in Madrid, Spain from October 21-25, 2018. The conference supports the exchange of research on HIV vaccines, microbicides, PrEP, treatment as prevention, and other biomedical prevention approaches through a range of engaging plenary sessions, oral/poster sessions, symposia and roundtables, and pre-conference satellite sessions.  To view the full conference program, please click here.

CHIPTS hosted a pre-conference satellite session at HIV R4P, entitled “It Only Hurts a Little: Long-Acting Injectables (LAI) for Prevention and Treatment,” that drew an audience of over 150 researchers, policy makers, community advocates, and other key stakeholders. The session included two moderated panels aimed at examining the clinical, behavioral, policy and community considerations associated with the implementation of long-acting injectable antiretrovirals for prevention and treatment. The panels featured leading experts from around the world, including Drs. Linda-Gail Bekker, Beatriz Grinsztejn, Giang Minh Le, Nyaradzo Mgodi, Santiago Moreno, Omar Sued, Ms. Elizabeth Gardiner and Mr. Jonathan Lucas, and moderated by Drs. Raphael Landovitz and Aadia Rana.  The satellite session was successful in engaging both panelists and audience in a productive discussion that provided insight into the preparation and considerations for future implementation of LAIs among key populations within different resource settings. To see the agenda, click here.  To view photos from the event, click here.

Our Center Co-Director, Dr. Raphael Landovitz, also delivered an exciting plenary presentation on, “Beyond TDF/FTC: The Future of Systemic Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis.”  In the U.S., vulnerable populations with minimal adherence and uptake still exist due to social, structural and access obstacles asserting that more choices are important in order to address adherence.  Dr. Landovitz discussed the role of maraviroc in HIV therapeutics, citing HPTN 069 as well as the current view of TAF/FTC as a favorable treatment therapy, though its role in prevention is still unclear.  He also highlighted the long-acting agents rilpivirine and cabotegravir, stating its efficacy as reported in recent studies.

Our CHIPTS faculty were also involved in a number of scientific presentations at the conference, as listed below:

• Dr. Cathy Reback – “Providing PrEP Navigation to High-risk Populations With Multiple Health Disparities in Los Angeles, CA, USA: A Comparison of MSM and Trans Women”
• Dr. Pamina Gorbach – “Intimate Partner Violence and Engagement in the HIV Care Continuum Among Women in sub-Saharan Africa: A Prospective Cohort Study”
• Dr. Pamina Gorbach – “Online Survey about Reasons for Stopping PrEP is an Opportunity to Re-engage Inactive PrEP Clients”
• Dr. Raphael Landovitz – “Cabotegravir Long-Acting Phase 3 PrEP Dose Selection Based on Population Pharmacokinetics in Healthy and HIV-Infected Adults”
• Dr. Raphael Landovitz – “Shortened Time to ART Initiation in MSM Reduces Risk of HIV-1 Sexual Transmission”
• Dr. Raphael Landovitz – “Tail-Phase Safety, Tolerability and Pharmacokinetics of Long-Acting Injectable Cabotegravir in HIV-Uninfected Individuals: HPTN 077 Final Results”
• Dr. Raphael Landovitz -“Sexual Risk and Study Drug Detection in MSM Participants in a Phase II Study of Maraviroc (MVC) +/- Tenofovir DF (TDF) or FTC versus TDF/FTC for PrEP”
• Drs. Steve Shoptaw and Jesse Clark –  “Never Have I Ever: Factors Associated With Never Testing for HIV and With Testing Positive for HIV at First HIV Test in Peruvian MSM and TW”

CHIPTS was proud to be a part of HIVR4P 2018 in a meaningful and impactful way and to contribute to the important data sharing and discussions that occurred at the conference.

 

We’ll be uploading more photos from the conference in addition to the satellite session photos so make sure to follow us on Facebook or Twitter and don’t forget to subscribe to our listserv to hear about more events like this! 

We held our pre-conference satellite session, “It Only Hurts a Little: Long-Acting Injectables for HIV Prevention and Treatment,” at the HIV Research For Prevention (HIVR4P) Conference in Madrid, Spain on Monday, October 22, 2018. With a full house, we had great conversations on both of our moderated panels discussing the clinical, behavioral, policy, and community considerations associated with the implementation of long-acting injectable antiretrovirals for both HIV prevention and treatment.

We, at the Center for HIV Identification, Prevention, and Treatment Services (CHIPTS), were thrilled to hold this satellite session in collaboration with the HIV Prevention Trials Network, AIDS Clinical Trials Group, and UCLA Center for AIDS Research.

Photos from the event will be up soon so make sure to like our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter for the latest updates! To learn more about future events such as this one, make sure to subscribe to our listserv.

Agenda

11:30   Lunch and Registration

12:00   Welcome

12:10   Opening Remarks – Steve Shoptaw, PhD

12:20   Panel 1: Preparing for Long Acting Injectable for Prevention

• Raphael Landovitz, MD, MSc (Moderator)
  CHIPTS, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
• Beatriz Grinsztejn, MD, PhD
  Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas-Fiocruz, Brazil
• Nyaradzo M. Mgodi, MBChB, MMed
  University of Zimbabwe –University of California, San Francisco, USA
• Giang Minh Le, MD, PhD
  Hanoi Medical University, Vietnam
• Elizabeth Gardiner
  AVAC, USA

1:30     Break

1:40     Panel 2: Preparing for Long Acting Injectable for Treatment

• Aadia Rana, MD (Moderator)
  University of Alabama-Birmingham, USA
• Linda-Gail Bekker, MBChB, DTMH, DCH, FCP(SA), PhD
  Desmond Tutu HIV Centre, University of Cape Town, South Africa
• Santiago Moreno, PhD
  University of Alcala de Henares, Spain
• Omar Sued, MD, MSc, PhD
  Fundación Huésped, Buenos Aires, Argentina
• Jonathan Lucas, MPH
  HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN)

2:50     Closing Remarks

3:00     Adjourn

Download the PDF flyer here: Long-Acting Injectables for HIV Prev and Treatment - Flyer
Download the PDF agenda here:  Long-Acting Injectables for HIV Prev and Treatment - Agenda
Download the PDF panelist bios here:  Long-Acting Injectables for HIV Prevention and Treatment - Panelist Biographies

The event on “Opioid and HIV in Los Angeles: Getting the Word Out to Communities and Providers” took place at St. Anne’s on September 24, 2018 from 9 AM – 12:30 PM. The purpose of this event is to increase awareness and to provide information for service providers, community members and clients about the current opioid crisis and its associated link to HIV. Speakers include Steve Shoptaw, Gary Tsai, Shoshanna Scholar, Michael Marquesen, Jose Salazar, Ayako Miyashita Ochoa, Ward Carpenter, Wendy Garland and more.

The event is to provide training and to increase awareness among clinical providers (RNs, MDs), HIV service providers, mental health specialists (MFTs, LCSW), substance abuse counselors, case managers, and community advocates about the national and local opioid epidemic and its impact on HIV infections. The training will provide attendees with the necessary information and skills needed to engage and to discuss with their clients about the risks of opioid misuse, dangers of fentanyl, and various harm reduction/overdose prevention strategies.

Objectives of this meeting are to: increase participants’ awareness of the national opioid epidemic, its associated HIV risks, and upcoming opioid-related research initiatives; increase participants’ knowledge of the opioid crisis in Los Angeles County and the various county-wide initiatives that are being implemented to address the opioid problem; increase participants’ knowledge regarding medication for addiction treatment programs, fentanyl screening, overdose prevention strategies, and other referral resources.

You can find our event gallery on our Facebook page!

Download the agenda, flyer, and the speakers’ biographies below:

Opioid and HIV in Los Angeles: Getting the Word Out to Communities and Providers - Flyer
Opioid and HIV in Los Angeles: Getting the Word Out to Communities and Providers - Agenda
Opioid and HIV in Los Angeles: Getting the Word Out to Communities and Providers Speakers - Biographies

Slides for each presentation are available for download below:

National Overview of the Opioid Crisis: Intersection with HIV - Slides
The Opioid Crisis in Los Angeles County - Slides
Medication for Addiction Treatment (MAT) Expansion Project - Slides
Overdose Prevention Programs in LAC Jails - Slides
AB 196: Safer Drug Consumption Sites - Slides
Substance Use Among Persons at Risk for and Living with HIV in LA County - Slides

Dr. Chris Beyrer from Johns Hopkins University and Dr. Jane Simoni from the University of Washington gave a special guest lecture on June 1, 2018 at UCLA on the current top challenges in biobehavioral HIV prevention. You can watch a webinar of the recording below and on Youtube. 

Please click here for Dr. Beyrer’s slides: CHIPTS UCLA Getting to 2020: Top Challenges to Biomedical Prevention Talk - Slides

Please click here for Dr. Simoni’s slides: Dr. Jane Simoni - CHIPTS UCLA Getting to 2020: Top Challenges to Biomedical Prevention Talk - Slides

May 31, 2018 –CHIPTS held its annual retreat and strategic planning meeting on Thursday, May 31, 2018 in Los Angeles. The theme of the meeting was “Getting to 2020: Planning for the Future for Biobehavioral HIV Prevention.” The meeting was successful in bringing over 70 core faculty members, staff, scientific and community stakeholders to engage in a strategic planning process.

Dr. Steve Shoptaw, CHIPTS Director, led and moderated the day. The meeting began with opening remarks by Dr. Kelsey Martin, Dean of the David Geffen School of Medicine, and Dr. Patrick Dowling, Chair of UCLA Department of Family Medicine, which set the stage for a productive day of planning, networking, and exchanging ideas. In addition to our core faculty, staff, and trainees, the meeting was attended by members of the CHIPTS’ community and scientific advisory boards, who gave valuable feedback and guidance regarding the center’s scientific direction, community engagement, and dissemination efforts.

Mr. Mario Perez, Director of the Los Angeles County Division on HIV and STD Programs (DHSP), presented on the local HIV/AIDS Strategy. Dr. Lynn Gordon, Senior Associate Dean of Diversity Affairs at UCLA also delivered an important presentation on the topic of workplace diversity and shared efforts that were being implemented within the David Geffen School of Medicine to address this topic. The meeting proved to be a productive day, filled with stimulating conversations that generated many new research ideas, collaborations, and action steps to advance CHIPTS’ overall mission.

You can download the agenda for the day here: CHIPTS Annual Strategic Planning Meeting (2018) - Agenda

Check out highlights from the day in our photo gallery posted on Facebook and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter for more announcements!

 

May 4, 2018 – On Friday, members of the community from across Los Angeles County gathered for the Stigma and HIV event at St. Anne’s in downtown Los Angeles. The day started energetically with the keynote presentation by Dr. Andrew Spieldenner, Chair of the US People Living with HIV Caucus, who delved into the definition of stigma, its different forms, and the stigma index. After the keynote presentation, Mr. Tim Vincent gave an engaging, interactive presentation on how stigma is manifested in different settings and described ways in which stigma can be addressed at the client, provider, community, and policy level. Dr. Laura Bogart, a Senior Behavioral Scientist at RAND Corporation and a Core Scientist at CHIPTS, wrapped up the day with a presentation on her current research which aims to create a new intervention that takes into account stigma surrounding HIV care, medical mistrust, and structural barriers to accessing and staying in care, specifically among HIV-positive Black and Latino sexual minority men.

Special thanks to the City of Los Angeles AIDS Coordinator’s Office, the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, the East Los Angeles Women’s Center, Los Angeles County Commission on HIV, Los Angeles Center for Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Next-Level Consulting, Los Angeles Region Pacific AIDS Education and Training Center, and CHIPTS for hosting this successful event.

You can find all of the presentations in the download links below. We also created a short highlight reel of the day to recap the amazing discussions and presentations of the day and the photo gallery on our Facebook page!

Stigma and HIV: It Leaves a Mark - Slides
Responding to the Complex Characteristics of STIGMA - Slides
An Intervention to Enhance Coping with Discrimination among HIV-Positive Black and Latino Sexual Minority Men - Slides

April 5, 2018 – Dr. Giang Minh Le of Hanoi Medical University presented on “Addressing Opioid Addiction in Vietnam: Successes and Challenges,” a special guest lecture hosted by CHIPTS.  The event was in partnership with the UCLA Center for AIDS Research (CFAR), UCLA AIDS Institute, and the Center for World Health. His presentation covered the history of addressing opioid addiction in Vietnam, juxtaposing the infrastructure that was available ten years ago to the current available options for treating opioid addiction. Dr. Le described their experience in expanding and integrating antiretroviral therapy (ART) and methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) services in Vietnam and discussed the positive impact these services have had on controlling the HIV epidemic among people who inject drugs within the country.  Despite these successes, Dr. Le highlighted key challenges, including treatment dropouts, concurrent heroin use, and the increase use of amphetamine-type stimulants among their MMT patients.

Dr. Le is currently the Chair of the Department of Global Health and Head of the Office of Science and Technology at Hanoi Medical University in Vietnam. Dr. Le also holds an adjunct faculty appointment in the Department of Sociomedical Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health of Columbia University where he is an alumnus.

You will find his lecture slides and flyer below.

Addressing Opioid Addiction in Vietnam - Slides

 

Addressing Opioid Addiction in Vietnam - Flyer

January 26, 2018 – Last Friday, the Center for HIV Identification, Prevention, and Treatment Services (CHIPTS) hosted its 2018 HIV Next Generation Conference (Next Gen) on UCLA campus.  Opening remarks from Drs. Steve Shoptaw and Dallas Swendeman energized the 128 attendees that filled the room, followed by a dynamic plenary presentation given by Dr. Raphael Landovitz, who presented on the state of the science and future direction of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).

Throughout the day, six trainees gave oral presentations of their research projects and received thought provoking questions from the audience, which ranged from researchers, community providers, faculty members, and other students.  Additionally, thirteen trainees showcased their work during the poster session which lend to many lively conversations allowing undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral researchers to network with faculty and the community.

In addition, the conference featured a community panel that included Ms. Natalie Sanchez,  Dr. Hilda Sandoval, and Mr. Ramon Garcia from AltaMed, who presented on the telenovela series, Sin Vergüenza Season 3.  In their presentation, they discussed the impact of using visual media to educate and address stigma, homophobia, transphobia, and addiction among those living with HIV and their communities.

Ms. Wendy Garland of the Los Angeles County Division on HIV and STD Programs (DHSP) gave the afternoon plenary presentation.  She provided an overview of the Los Angeles County HIV/AIDS Strategy for 2020 and Beyond initiative (https://www.lacounty.hiv/) as well as other key programs led by DHSP. In addition to sharing the priorities for HIV and STD prevention and treatment for Los Angeles County, she highlighted a number of opportunities for collaboration, which received excitement from many conference attendees.

Later in the afternoon, members of the UCLA Center For AIDS Research Health Disparities Core, which included Drs. Lee Klosinski, Eric Rice, Ian Holloway, and Ayako Miyashita, tackled the theme of health disparities.  Dr. Klosinski provided context and background in establishing the Core and emphasized the importance of addressing health disparities in key populations impacted by HIV.  Dr. Rice from the University of Southern California presented on the use of artificial intelligence to enhance HIV prevention programs targeting homeless adolescents, while Dr. Holloway and Ms. Miyashita presented on their mobile-based HIV intervention aimed at increasing linkages to HIV, social work, and legal services for HIV-positive African American young men who have sex with men.

At the end of the day, attendees voted for the best scientific oral and poster presentations. Doctoral student, Sid Jordan, won the best scientific oral presentation with his work on “Gender Diversity in Prevention: Findings Transmasculine Sexual Health and Reproductive Justice Survey” and undergraduate researcher, Joshua Cohen, received the best poster award for “Relationships Between Substance Use, Nicotine Use, and HIV in Ethnic Men Who Have Sex with Men.” The conference proved to be a full day of science, networking, and learning.

 

Below are PDF version of the event program and presentation slides. You can find our highlight gallery from the day on our Facebook page.

2018 CHIPTS Next Generation Conference - Program

 

Opening Remarks

Steve Shoptaw, PhD
Director, CHIPTS
Professor, UCLA Departments of Family Medicine and Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science
Vice Chair, Research in Family Medicine

Dallas Swendeman, PhD, MPH
Associate Professor, UCLA Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences
Development Core Director, CHIPTS

Morning Plenary

Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis for Prevention: State of the Art, State of the Science, and the Future - Slides
Raphael Landovitz, MD, MSc
Co-Director, CHIPTS
Associate Professor of Medicine, UCLA Division of Infectious Diseases
Associate Director, UCLA Center for Clinical AIDS Research & Education (CARE)

PrEP and HIV Stigma

Moderated by Thomas Coates, PhD
Distinguished Professor of Medicine, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine
Michael and Sue Steinberg Professor of Global AIDS Research
Director, UCLA Center for World Health
Global HIV Director, CHIPTS

Oliver Refugio, MPH
PrEPTECH: A Kick-Start Telehealth HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Program for Young Men of Color Who Have Sex with Men - Slides

Shu Farmer, PhD
HIV Stigma, Racism, Discrimination and Adherence to HIV Care Among African Americans in Los Angeles County - Slides

Community Plenary

Familia, Hope, Resilience: A Cultural Approach to Reduce Stigma, Homophobia, Transphobia, and Addiction - Slides
Moderated by Ron Brooks, PhD
Assistant Professor, UCLA
Department of Family Medicine, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine
Core Scientist, CHIPTS

Natalie Sanchez, MPH, Hilda Sandoval, PhD, and
Ramon Garcia, MBA
AltaMed Services

To watch Sin Vergüenza, visit http://svseries.com/episodes/

MSM and Substance Use

Moderated by Cathy Reback, PhD
Senior Research Scientist, Friends Research Institute, Inc.
Executive Director, Friends Community Center
Combination Prevention Core Director, CHIPTS

Michael J. Li, PhD, MPH
Homophobic Victimization and Methamphetamine Use in a Cohort of Men Who Have Sex with Men of Color in Los Angeles - Slides

Kodi Arfer, PhD
Dose-Response Relationships of Binge Drinking, Cannabis, Inhaled Nitrites (Poppers), and Methamphetamine with Risky Sex and Viral Load Among Men Who Have Sex with Men in Los Angeles - Slides

Roundtable Discussions

Keshav Tyagi, MPH
Aging, Minority Health, Social Determinants of Health, and Advocacy

Shanna Livermore, MPH, MCHES
Health Disparities in HIV-Positive Incarcerated and Post-Incarcerated Populations

Janine Trevillyan, MBBS, FRACP, PhD
Understanding and Preventing HIV-Associated Co-Morbidities

Anne E. Fehrenbacher, PhD, MPH
HIV and Sex Work

Nestor Rogel, AA
HIV Stigma, Criminalization, Racial Disparities, and Ageism

Afternoon Plenary

HIV/STD Prevention and Treatment Priorities in Los Angeles County Presentation - Slides
Wendy Garland, MPH
Chief of Research and Innovation, LAC Department of Public Health, Division of HIV and STD Programs

Health Disparities Core Panel

Moderated by Sung-Jae Lee, PhD
Associate Professor-in-Residence, UCLA
Department of Psychiatry and Epidemiology
Associate Director, CHIPTS

Health Disparities Presentation - Lee E Klosinski, PhD
Lee Klosinski, PhD
Senior Associate Director, UCLA Nathanson Family Resilience Center

Using Artificial Intelligence to Enhance HIV Prevention Programs - Slides
Eric Rice, PhD, MA
Associate Professor, USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work

LINX LA Study - Slides
Ayako Miyashita, JD
Assistant Adjunct Professor, Luskin School of Public Affairs, Department of Social Welfare
Associate Director, UCLA California HIV/AIDS Policy Research Center

Ian Holloway, PhD, MSW, MPH
Assistant Professor, UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, Department of Social Welfare

Prevention

Moderated by Norweeta Milburn, PhD
Professor-in-Residence, UCLA
Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences
Director, UCLA Center For AIDS Research Health Disparities Core
Core Scientist, CHIPTS

Sid Jordan, JD
Gender Diversity in Prevention: Findings Transmasculine Sexual Health and Reproductive Justice Survey

Chrysovalantis Stafylis, MD, MPH
A Prevention Program Utilizing Vending Machines in Commercial Sex Venues to Increase HIV Testing Among Men Who Have Sex with Men: Initial Results - Slides

Closing Remarks

Steve Shoptaw, PhD
Director, CHIPTS
Professor, UCLA Departments of Family Medicine and Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science
Vice Chair, Research in Family Medicine

Dallas Swendeman, PhD, MPH
Associate Professor, UCLA Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences
Development Core Director, CHIPTS

Poster Presentations

Jun Chen, MS
Associations Between Job Satisfaction and Negative Attitudes Towards Clients Among Service Providers from Methadone Maintenance Therapy Clinics in China - Slides

Joan Christodoulou, PhD
Testing an Educational Visual Aid to Increase Knowledge and Adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy - Slides

Joshua Cohen, BS
Relationships Between Substance Use, Nicotine Use, and HIV in Ethnic Men Who Have Sex with Men - Slides

Ryan Cook, MSPH
Redefining High-Risk by Clustering Multiple Factors Associated with HIV Acquisition

Anne E. Fehrenbacher, PhD, MPH
Gender Differences in Depression Among People Living with HIV/AIDS in India - Slides

Heather Frank, MPH, MA
Utilizing Cultural and Ecological Models for HIV Interventions among Black Men in Los Angeles with Histories of Incarceration and Sex with Both Men and Women (MSMW) - Slides

Julie Hsieh, PhD
Perceived Caregiver Burden Among Various Family Members of People Who Use Drugs in Vietnam - Slides

Chiao-Wen Lan, MPH
HIV Stigma and Access to Care Among People Living with HIV in Rural China - Slides

Emeka Okafor, PhD
Applying the Syndemic Framework to Explore Association Between Psychosocial and Structural Problems with HIV Sexual Risk Behaviors - Slides

Collin Price, BS
Trichomonas Vaginalis in HIV-Infected Pregnant Women: Prevalence, Detention, and Application of PCR Cycle - Threshold Values - Slides

Panteha Rezvan, PhD
Comparison of Multiple Imputation Strategies in the Analysis of Clustered Longitudinal Data with Missing Data

Chrysovalantis Stafylis, MD, MPH
Performance Evaluation of a Dual HIV/Syphilis Rapid Test in a Community-Based Clinic, Los Angeles - Slides

Keshav Tyagi, MPH
The Healthy Living Project: Exploring the Mental Health and Social Service Needs of Older Gay and Bisexual Men and Transgender Women Living with HIV in Los Angeles County (LAC) - Slides

Special Thanks

We would like to thank the members of the Conference Planning Committee for their countless hours in planning and organizing this conference including: Ron Brooks, Isabelle Chu, Roger Detels, Nina Harawa, Uyen Kao, Raphael Landovitz, Sung-Jae Lee, Norweeta Milburn, Steve Shoptaw, Stephanie Sumstine, and Dallas Swendeman.

Also, we would like to thank the generous volunteers who helped with today’s event including: Jennifer Baughman, Sandra Cuevas, Marcos Garcilazo-Figueroa, and Diane Tan.