Early-Stage Investigator Groups

Clinical and Comorbidity Research Core
Leaders:  Heidi Crane, MD, MPH, Joseph Delaney, PhD, MPH, Lydia Drumright, PhD, MPH, and Mari Kitahata, MD, MPH

• Audience – Investigators (any discipline) conducting research in HIV and comorbidities through the Comorbidity Research Collaborations (CRCs) focused on early-stage investigators (ESI) including students, post-doctoral fellows and faculty
• Goals – Provide research support including study planning, analytic planning, manuscript planning, presentation practice particularly for ESI
• Process for new members – Open participation, no application
• Length of commitment – No minimum commitment
• Process – Meetings Thursday afternoons, including trainee presentations of works in progress, monthly or bimonthly depending on ESI needs (typically more sessions before CROI)
• Contact for questions – Heidi Crane (hcrane@uw.edu) or Bridget Whitney (bmw05@uw.edu)

*Note we also lead bimonthly CNICS-wide scientific working groups (SWGs) focused on cardiovascular disease (CVD) in PWH (focus of meetings alternate between epidemiology and inflammatory markers). These are open to all.

Developmental Core
Leaders: Alison Roxby, MD, MSc; Andrew Mujugira, MBChB, PhD; Irene Njuguna, MBChB, MSc, PhD

• Audience – Postdoctoral fellows and early-stage faculty (K-awards or first R-level grant) in medicine and public health, living and/or working in East and Southern Africa.
• Goals – Peer mentoring and career development
• Process for new members – Open to new members annually in September. Candidates are selected through nomination by CFAR faculty, and referrals are actively sought from CFAR faculty members working in the respective countries by emailing mentors and listservs of CFAR and specific research groups. General advertising by CFAR also aids in the referral process.
• Length of commitment – At least one year; may stay for an additional 1-3 years.
• Process – Approximately 8-14 participants meet monthly by Zoom. Meetings are divided between a trainee presentation of a work in progress and a brief faculty talk on a professional development topic.
• Contact for questions – Alison Roxby (aroxby@uw.edu)

Health Equity Scientific Working Group
Leaders:  Jane Lee, PhD, Roberto Orellana, PhD, David Katz, PhD, MPH

• Audience – Investigators (any discipline) conducting research in HIV and health equity
• Goals – Share projects related to health equity, grant and manuscript development, peer mentorship, networking
• Process for new members – Open participation, no application
• Length of commitment – No minimum commitment
• Process – Meetings by Zoom every 1-3 months focused on a specific investigator’s research
• Contact for questions – David Katz (dkatz7@uw.edu)

Immunology, Retrovirology, and Cure Core
Leaders: Florian Hladik, MD, PhD and Keith Jerome, MD, PhD

• Audience – ESIs (before or during first R01) with plan to submit a new or renewal R01 application whose research focuses on HIV cure, comorbidities, or vaccine design and has a bench-side laboratory component
• Goals – Peer mentoring, career development, grant support and training, learning technical knowledge
• Process for new members – Potential participants submit an application describing their background, research idea, and target date of grant submission. Applications solicited yearly.
• Length of commitment – Approximately 18 months (flexible)
• Process – Up to 10 members meet every 1-2 months for 1.5-2 hours (in-person or by Zoom). Meetings include review of mentee milestone, skills-building work, and grant-writing topics.
• Contact for questions – Tom Andrus (tandrus@fredhutch.org)

Implementation Science Core
Leaders: Matthew Golden, MD, MPH, Arianna Rubin Means, PhD, MPH, Christine Khosropour, PhD, MPH, and Kenneth Sherr, PhD, MPH

• Audience – Post-doctoral fellows and early stage faculty in any discipline conducting implementation science research who are planning to submit an implementation science grant
• Goals – Didactic IS training, grantsmanship training, grant development, peer mentorship & networking
• Process for new members – Potential participants submit an application describing their background, research idea, and target date of grant submission. Applications solicited approximately once every two years.
• Length of commitment – 18 months with cohort, optional continued engagement thereafter
• Process – Approximately 10 members meet monthly by Zoom. Meetings include trainee presentations of works in progress and teaching.
• Contact for questions – Emma Murphy (emm234@uw.edu)

Substance Use Scientific Working Group
Leaders:  Judith Tsui, MD, MPH and Sara Glick, PhD, MPH

• Audience – Investigators (any discipline) conducting research in HIV and substance use. Focus is on students, fellows, and ESIs.
• Goals – Grant and manuscript development, peer mentorship, networking
• Process for new members – Open participation, no application
• Length of commitment – No minimum commitment
• Process – Monthly meetings by Zoom focused on a specific investigator’s research (audience of approximately 12 people)
• Contact for questions – Sara Glick (snglick@uw.edu)