2012 Joint Symposium on HIV Research in Women

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Lifespan/Tufts/Brown CFAR

The 2012 Joint Symposium on HIV Research in Women was hosted by the Lifespan/Tufts/Brown Center for AIDS Research. The goal of the symposium was to identify gaps in knowledge in research on HIV and women and to develop strategies that will move the field forward. The specific aims of the conference were to:

Identify gaps in knowledge in research related to HIV and women and develop strategies that will move the field forward
Generate collaborative activity between the different CFARs and with other research networks highlighting cutting edge science
Promote and emphasize opportunities for young investigators

The symposium consisted of three sessions:

HIV Prevention: Special Issues in Women The Prevention session targeted issues related to biomedical prevention opportunities, rollout of efficacy trials, ART for prevention and HIV treatment during a woman’s lifespan (presenter bios)

Dr. Ashley Haase, The anatomy of the humoral immune response to a SIV Vaccine in the female reproductive tract at 1 cm resolution
Dr. Connie Celum, STIs/Inflammation and HIV Transmission and Acquisition
Dr. Julie Overbaugh, The role of neutralizing antibodies in blocking HIV-infection
Niall Buckley, BS, HPV-Associated Changes in the Mucosal immune Environment in HIV-infected Women
Jenell Coleman, MD, MPH, Method of hormonal contraception is associated with lower tenofovir concentration in health women (MTN-001): implications for pre-exposure prophylaxis
Velda Mushangwe-Mtisi, MB, CHB, MMed, Analysis of HIV sero-conversion among women survivors of sexual assault at a sexual assault clinic in Zimbabwe
Marta Rodriquez-Garcia, MD, PhD, Estradiol reduces HIV-infection in CD4+T cells and macrophages

HIV and Reproductive Health The Reproductive Health session targeted fertility issues, contraception issues, HIV transmission in discordant couples and issues related to periconception pre-exposure prophylaxis (presenter bios)

Dr. Mardge Cohen, Women, Gender Based Violence and HIV: Resisting "Legitimate" Rape
Dr. Charles Wira, Genitoanal Trauma and Mucosal Immunology as it relates to HIV transmission
Dr. Nelly Mugo, HIV Risk in Pregnancy
Dr. Mulindi Mwanahamuntu, Developing Cervical Cancer Screening Programe Using HIV/ART Care and Treatment Structure
Laura Dainton, MSci, Young Women's perceptions of contraception and pregnancy in South Africa: Implications for HIV Prevention
Roksana Karim, MBBS, PhD, Association of Gonadotropin and sex steroid levels with subclinical atherosclerosis in HIV-infected and uninfected women in the Women's Interagency HIV study (WIHS)
Rebecca Pellett Madan, MD, MS, Bactericidal E. coli activity in female genital tract secretions as a biomarker of HIV progression and acquisition risk
Daniel Westreich, PhD, Incident pregnancy and time to death or AIDS among HIV-positive women receiving antiretroviral therapy

Health Disparities & Social Vulnerabilities of Women The Health Disparities session targeted community engagement, access to and retention in care, adherence to therapy, gender disparities, HIV in older women, adolescents, minority women, social & structural issues – participation in clinical trials, food security, nutrition, and behavioral issues/change (presenter bios)

Dr. Gloria Heresi, Issues in adolescent women living with perinatal HIV infection
Dr. Alice Tang, Food Insecurity and HIV Outcomes in HIV infected Women
Dr. Sally Hodder, Health disparities in the ISIS cohort
Claire Farel, MD, MPH, Hit, kicked, slapped, bit, raped: Trauma, Violence, and HIV risk among incarcerated African-American Women in NC
Gloria Gakii, MA, Empowering sex workers to control spread of HIV in Nairobi: The Sex Worker Outreach Program (SWOP) Model
Kathleen Krause, BA, MSC, Current practice of HIV post-exposure prophylaxis treatment for sexual assault patients in an Emergency Department
Allison McFall, BA, MHS, Understanding the Disparity: Predictors of virologic failure in women using highly active antiretroviral therapy vary by race and ethnicity

Each session integrated areas of basic, clinical and social behavioral sciences and consisted of invited speakers and presentations by junior investigators. The intent of this symposium was not only to discuss the state of the science in each field but to critically review the issues for their relevance to women, to identify gaps, and to develop recommendations on how to fill in these gaps. It was also the intent of the CFAR investigators to help inform funding agencies as to the most relevant issues affecting HIV infected women.