UCSF to Host Forum on Next Generation of HIV Research

By Philip Campbell and Carrie Clark Walsh The UCSF-Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology (GIVI) Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) is offering Bay Area researchers a glimpse into the future of HIV research with a two-day symposium focused on current research from the next generation of HIV researchers. The ninth annual CFAR research symposium, held at the historic Presidio Officers' Club in San Francisco's Presidio, is scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, Feb. 6 and 7, starting at 8 a.m. Researchers from UCSF, GIVI, and other San Francisco-based research organizations such as the Blood Systems Research Institute and the San Francisco Department of Public Health will present their work in a variety of areas, including international and domestic clinical research, translational research and basic science. UCSF-GIVI CFAR Co-Directors Warner C. Greene, MD, PhD, and Paul A. Volberding, MD, sought to provide a venue for promoting the work of the future leaders in HIV research. "Leadership development is an academic buzzword now," says Greene, "but you don't often see an event like this, where an organization like CFAR provides a high-profile venue to let these future scientific leaders tell their own story and share their own brilliant research vision. We want to continue to support these young investigators as they work to establish themselves in their fields." Volberding adds, "It's an unusual event in that it's almost a preview of the people who will go on to be the foremost scientists in HIV research while they're still somewhat unknown outside of the local community." Each of the segments will be moderated by senior CFAR-affiliated researchers, including Steve Morin, PhD, Nancy Padian, PhD, Matija Peterlin, MD, and Phil Rosenthal, MD. These distinguished faculty members will help lead a lively discussion following each presentation. Details of the full program can be found online. Tuesday's program will feature illuminating research on such topics as HIV and malaria, new diagnostics for pulmonary infections in resource-limited settings, immune response in HIV elite controllers, HIV and atherosclerosis, human papillomavirus in men, and many others. Wednesday's program will include presentations on APOBEC3G, regulation of HIV transcription by tat post-translational modifications, primary HIV infection involvement in the nervous system, and racial differences in renal disease rates among veterans, as well as many others. Registration is required for this event, although admission is free. Those interested in attending the symposium should complete the registration form (PDF) and fax it to 415/379-5547. The program begins at 8 a.m. on both Feb. 6 and 7, and check in and continental breakfast will begin at 7 a.m. UCSF-GIVI CFAR is a multi-disciplinary, multi-campus program focused on translational HIV/AIDS research. CFAR's mission is to support a multidisciplinary environment that promotes basic, clinical, epidemiologic, behavioral and translational research in the prevention, detection and treatment of HIV infection and AIDS, while expanding the intersections of research between those scientific disciplines. Related Links: Center for AIDS Research Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology