The upcoming in-person Grand Rounds entitled, “An Innovative intervention for Sustainable HIV/AIDS Epidemic control in Zambia, in a quest to end the pandemic in Africa by 2030” will take place at CHS 13-105 (UCLA) on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, from 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM PT.

The event will feature Dr. Henry Fomundam:

• Associate Professor, Howard University Department of Clinical and Administrative Pharmacy Sciences

Description: 

The presentation is on the Howard University’s differentiated service delivery (DSD- Plus) model which is an innovative approach that seeks to contribute to the national 2030 HIV epidemic control in Zambia. The DSD -Plus Model is a treatment quality assurance program that ensures adherence ,continuity in care (retention) and viral load suppression. Through such interventions, Zambia is among the six countries to have reached the UNAIDS95-95-95 targets for 2025.

In-person Registration or Zoom Registration 

If you have any questions about the event or the Grand Round series, please contact Damilola Jolayemi at ojolayemi@mednet.ucla.edu.

A copy of the slides and recording will be posted after the event here: https://chipts.ucla.edu/training/hiv-grand-rounds/ 

———-

The upcoming in-person Grand Rounds entitled, “HIV-specific antibody responses after early ART initiation: obstacles and opportunities” will take place at CHS 13-105 (UCLA) on Tuesday, January 14, 2025, from 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM PT.

The event will feature Katharine J Bar, MD:

• Director, Penn CFAR Virus and Reservoirs Core, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania

Description: 

HIV-1 has evolved to be uniquely resistant to antibody neutralization, such that antibody responses fail to clear or control the virus. Early initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) limits HIV reservoir size and diversity and preserves immunity. We characterized the impact of acute and early ART initiation on the development of HIV-specific antibody responses. We found that acute ART initiation (prior to 60 days) prevented autologous neutralizing antibodies from developing before or on ART. Early ART initiation (60-120 days) allowed neutralizing antibody development prior to ART, which continued to expand in breadth and potency over years of suppressive ART. We found similar antibody kinetics in a nonhuman primate (NHP) model of early ART initiation. Together, results provide optimism that we could use new vaccine techniques to boost autologous antibodies to cover the unique diversity of viruses within early treated NHP and humans.

In-person Registration or Zoom Registration 

If you have any questions about the event or the Grand Round series, please contact Damilola Jolayemi at ojolayemi@mednet.ucla.edu.

A copy of the slides and recording will be posted after the event here: https://chipts.ucla.edu/training/hiv-grand-rounds/ 

———-

The upcoming in-person Grand Rounds entitled, “Addiction Medicine is Medicine: Integrating Care to End the HIV Epidemic” will take place at BSRB 154 (UCLA) on Tuesday, November 12, 2024, from 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM, PT.

The event will feature Ellen F Eaton MD, MSPH, FIDSA:

• Associate Professor of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham

Description: 

Dr. Eaton will highlight addiction medicine as integral to comprehensive medical care. Attendees will be able to understand stigma as a barrier to health equity and strategies to create an inclusive HIV treatment environment.
Attendees will be able to identify opportunities to integrate substance use and Infection prevention and treatment in both acute and community settings.

Register here or Copy and paste link: https://uclahs.zoom.us/j/95745228613

If you have any questions about the event or the Grand Round series, please contact Damilola Jolayemi at ojolayemi@mednet.ucla.edu.

A copy of the slides and recording will be posted after the event.

———-

Event Title: A Two Decade Journey with People who Inject Drugs: Lessons from Back to the Future

Event Description: Dr. Solomon will share his journey working with PWID in India. He will focus on the evolution of his research from a single cross-sectional study in one city to several multicity cluster randomized trials. He will also describe the lessons learned along the way and how it impacted his own career.

Presenter: Sunil Suhas Solomon, MBBS, PhD, MPH, Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Time: Tuesday, September 10, 2024, 11am to 12pm PT

In-Person Venue: CHS 13-105 (UCLA)

Virtual registration

If you have any questions contact chipts@mednet.ucla.edu
——————–

The Grand Rounds monthly lectures are delivered by renowned researchers/scientists, clinicians, community members and leaders in the HIV prevention and treatment field, and aim to:

A. Share latest research findings on HIV prevention, care, and treatment, and highlight important developments in HIV-related research.

B. Encourage scientific collaborations and networking between UCLA investigators and invited speakers.

C. Excite an interest in HIV/AIDS research for early career investigators, and provide resources about new research findings, funding and career opportunities.

The in-person Grand Rounds entitled, “Bridging the Gap: Cell and Gene Therapies for Latent HIV Infection and Other Low-Antigen Diseases” will take place at CHS 13-105 (UCLA) on Tuesday, February 13, 2024 from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., PST.

The event will feature Christopher W. Peterson, PhD:

• Assistant Professor, Translational Science and Therapeutics Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center

Event Summary:

Over the past decade, Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cells have emerged as a potent therapy for B cell malignancies. Applying analogous antigen-specific approaches for diseases such as antiretroviral therapy (ART)-suppressed HIV-1 infection poses additional challenges. This presentation will outline our efforts to deliver supplemental antigen and enhance the potency of anti-HIV cell and gene therapies.

In-Person Registration

Virtual Registration

———–

The in-person Grand Rounds entitled, “Reaching people who inject drugs with ART for HIV Prevention” will take place at CHS 13-105 (UCLA) on Tuesday, January 16, 2024 from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., PST.

The event will feature Katie Biello, PhD, MPH,

• Professor and Interim Chair of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Professor of Epidemiology, Brown School of Public Health
• Co-Director of the Developmental Core, Providence/Boston CFAR Affiliated Faculty, The Fenway Institute, Fenway Health

Event Summary:

People who inject drugs (PWID) remain at risk for HIV through both injection and sexual behaviors. While antiretrovirals for HIV prevention (PrEP) are highly effective at preventing HIV acquisition and have been available for over a decade, PrEP remains overwhelmingly inaccessible to PWID. In this presentation, Dr. Biello will present a program of research aiming to increase PrEP use and adherence among PWID in the US Northeast, where outbreaks among PWID have occurred.

In-Person Registration

Virtual Registration

———–

REGISTER TODAY! The UCLA CHIPTS HIV Ground Round entitled, “Identification of Cellular Immune Vulnerabilities of AIDS Causing Lentiviruses in Rhesus Macaques” will take place on Tuesday, October 17, 2023, from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., PST. The event will feature Louis J Picker, M.D., Professor and Associate Director, Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute at Oregon Health & Science University

This talk will present an overview of our work defining CD8+ T cell-mediated control of highly pathogenic simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) in Rhesus monkeys, including both conventional and unconventionally-restricted CD8+ T cell responses.

In-person Details:
Venue: CHS 13-105 (UCLA)
A light lunch will be provided with RSVP

In-Person Registration

———–

REGISTER TODAY! The UCLA CHIPTS HIV Ground Round entitled, “Using Intensive Longitudinal Measurement to Identify Intervention Targets to Improve Mental and Sexual Health and Reduce Substance Use in Vulnerable Populations” will take place on Tuesday, September 19, from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., PST. The event will feature Patrick A. Wilson, PhD, Professor of Psychology Department of Psychology, UCLA

Event Flyer: [Download not found]

The interrelationships among mental health, substance use, and sex have long interested behavioral scientists and researchers and practitioners working on substance abuse and HIV. This presentation will review findings from weekly and daily structured diaries implemented over periods of up to 60 days. Findings reveal common situational factors tied substance use and risky sexual experiences. Implications for future clinical and behavioral interventions will be provided.

———–

REGISTER TODAY! The UCLA Ground Round entitled, “Optimizing PrEP Uptake Among Youth in Los Angeles and New Orleans via Telehealth Coaching, Online Peer Support and Automated Texting: Results from ATN 149“ will take place on Tuesday, August 15, from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., PST. The event will feature Dr. Dallas Swendeman, Professor-in-Residence, UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior

Event Flyer: [Download not found]

This lecture will present results from ATN 149 randomized controlled factorial trial demonstrating improved PrEP uptake and sustained engagement in support services utilization over 24 months follow-up in a cohort of 895 sexual and gender minority youth. Status neutral evidence-based intervention elements designed to be adaptable and implementable by frontline HIV prevention organizations and staff will be described. Presentation will also describe social determinants of health and PrEP barriers over time.

———–