World AIDS Day Symposium to Feature Emerging Investigators

Art For AIDS Raises $200K to Benefit San Francisco's HIV/AIDS Population

Emerging investigators working in different areas to combat HIV/AIDS will share the latest on their research at a sympsosium marking World AIDS Day on Monday, Dec. 3.

As one of the preeminent health sciences research and education institutions in the world, UCSF emerged early as a pioneer in the fight against AIDS. Three decades later, UCSF and its affiliate,  the J. David Gladstone Institutes, are working on multiple fronts to prevent, treat and stop the spread of the disease.

The World AIDS Day symposium will be held in the auditorium at the J. David Gladstone Institutes, 1650 Owens Street, in Mission Bay. Here is the schedule:

 

 

1:30 p.m. Welcome and Introduction – Paul Volberding, MD, and Warner Greene, MD, PhD 

1:45 p.m. "Heme Oxygenase-1 Modulates Immune Activation and Immunopathogenesis During SIV Infection via the Type-I Interferon Response," Trevor Burt, MD 

2:00 p.m. "Effects of Interferon-α Treatment on Anti-HIV-1 Intrinsic Immunity in Vivo," Satish Pillai, PhD 

2:15 p.m. "New Insights into How CD4 T Cells Die During HIV Infection: A Surprising Role for Innate Immunity," Gilad Doitsh, PhD, MSc 

2:30 p.m. "Cytokine Responses in HIV Elite Controllers," Evan Jacobs, PhD 

2:45 p.m. "Addressing Loss to Follow-Up in Clinic-Based Cohorts of HIV Patients in Africa: A Measurement Strategy for Implementation Science Research," Elvin Geng, MD, MPH 

3:00 p.m. "A Pilot Study to Engage HIV-Positive African American Youth via Telehealth Technology," Parya Saberi, PharmD, MAS 

Art For AIDS Supports UCSF Health Project

In related news, the annual Art For AIDS auction, which has become one of San Francisco’s premier events supporting health services for the local LGBTQ population and people living with HIV and AIDS, raised more than $200,000 for the UCSF Alliance Health Project, one of the nation’s leading AIDS prevention and care organizations.

The 16th annual auction, held on Sept. 14, brought together 700 people for an evening of hors d’oeurves, cocktails and 140 modern and contemporary art pieces at City View at downtown’s Metreon.

The event included a juried silent and live auction, with one of the evening’s top-selling lots – a collage, acrylic and oil on wood panel by Catherine Mackey titled Pier Module #16” – going for $3,600. 

Art for AIDS started in 1996 when several local artists got together in a Noe Valley kitchen and decided to sell their art to help friends living with HIV and AIDS. Over the years, the event has grown, attracting artists such as Ryan Reynolds, Deborah Oropallo, Jock Sturges, Pamela Merory Derhnam, Rex Ray and Ross Bleckner, along with works from prominent Bay Area galleries and collectors.

The UCSF Alliance Health Project, formerly known as the AIDS Health Project, combines the real-world knowledge of a community-based organization with the academic, research and support strengths of a leading health sciences university. Among the services it provides are HIV testing and counseling, LGBTQ-focused mental health services, and substance abuse counseling.

Slideshow photos by Susan Merrell