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).

CHIPTS faculty Drs. Li Li and Dallas Swendeman engaging with poster presenter Chiao-Wen Lan.

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.

(L to R) Natalie Sanchez, Hilda Sandoval, and Ramon Garcia of AltaMed Services respond to questions from the audience regarding Sin Vergüenza Season 3.

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.

Wendy Garland from LAC DHSP talking about LA County’s new HIV strategy and other programs by DHSP.

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.

Dr. Eric Rice of USC speaks on artificial intelligence to enhance HIV prevention.

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.

The winners of Best Oral Presentation, Sid Jordan, and Best Poster Presentation, Joshua Cohen, holding their certificates.

 

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.