August 17, 2026
AVAC is pleased to announce the 2026 Alumni Fellows from the HIV Cure Academy Program. This year, five alumni are putting what they gained through the Academies into action—strengthening community engagement, informing policy and advancing HIV cure research in diverse settings across Africa and the US. These grants build on a growing network of Cure Academy alumni who are translating what they learn into meaningful advocacy and action in their communities.
Each year, AVAC convenes a global HIV Cure Academy in collaboration with the International AIDS Society (IAS) and a US Academy organized through the Martin Delaney Collaboratories (MDCs) community engagement program under REACH, PAVE and I4C, equipping advocates with the skills and connections to champion HIV cure research, strengthen supportive research environments and promote ethical community engagement in clinical research. Following the Academy, participants can apply for an alumni grant to design and implement a year-long project that advances HIV cure research in their communities.
The HIV Cure Academy Alumni Fellowship is one component of AVAC’s broader HIV cure advocacy portfolio, which strengthens civil society engagement, advances meaningful community participation and ensures the development of HIV cure strategies is guided by affected communities. AVAC supports stakeholders with the information, connections and tools needed to engage in critical conversations about the future of HIV cure research.
Read on to learn more about the 2026 Cure Fellows and their projects and check back throughout the year for updates on their work to advance HIV cure research.
Global HIV Cure Academy Alumni Fellows in Partnership with the Africa HIV Cure Consortium (AHCC)
Charles Brown: High-Level Stakeholders Dialogue on Advancing and Sustaining HIV Cure Research and Advocacy in Uganda
Charles Brown is the Founder and Executive Director of Preventive Care International, a civil society organization based in Uganda. He is a 2014 AVAC Fellow alum, coordinator for the Africa HIV Cure Advocacy Coalition, member of the Uganda PrEP technical working group, the Uganda communicable and non-communicable diseases technical working group, the Uganda civil society advocates network and a steering committee member of the Uganda HIV Prevention Coalition. The High-Level Stakeholders Dialogue on Advancing and Sustaining HIV Cure Research and Advocacy in Uganda aims to strengthen and advance stakeholder involvement in HIV cure research through the creation of a platform for HIV cure researchers, policymakers, funders and advocates to dialogue on advancing and sustaining HIV cure research and the formation of an African Hub for HIV cure advocacy.
Laurel Kevine Tchmada Tayo: TheImpactVoices
Laurel Kevine Tchamda Tayo is an early-career researcher at the Centre for Research on Emerging and Re-emerging Diseases (CREMER) in Cameroon. She holds a Master’s degree in Public Health Biotechnology and is a field investigator for HIV research, with a specific focus on HIV cure-related studies. TheImpactVoices initiative aims to bridge the gap between HIV research and the community to improve awareness and community engagement around HIV prevention, care and cure research through accessible and contextualized research dissemination, youth-centered communication and digital storytelling. TheImpactVoices hopes to empower young people and people living with HIV to actively contribute to advocacy, education and sustainable health solutions in Cameroon.
Mandisa Tyadi Dukashe: SA HIV Cure Knowledge Hub Project
Mandisa Tyadi Dukashe is a public health expert, HIV specialist and PhD candidate with over 25 years of experience delivering health systems strengthening, multi-disease management and patient-centered care in South Africa (SA). She has been living with HIV openly for over 23 years. Mandisa is a founding member of the HIV Survivors and Partners Network, a co-founder of the U=U Africa Forum, a pioneer for the South African HIV Cure Knowledge and Innovation Hub, a 2020 AVAC Fellow alumni and served as a PAVE Collaboratory and CureRoar Community Advisory Board member. The SA HIV Cure Knowledge and Innovation Hub aims to strengthen collaboration among researchers, policymakers, advocacy partners and communities to advance equitable and community-centered HIV cure research and implementation. Ultimately, the Hub aims to translate collaboration and innovation into sustainable health outcomes and improved quality of life for people affected by HIV.
US HIV Cure Academy Alumni Fellows
Amelia Poulin: SPEAK: HIV Cure
Amelia Poulin, MPH, PMP, CPH is the Assistant Director for Emerging Infectious Disease at the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, where she supports state and territorial health departments prepare for, and respond to, infectious diseases. Amelia is a Doctor of Public Health student at the University of Illinois – Chicago and was named a 2025 de Beaumont 40 Under 40 in Public Health honoree for her dedication, creativity and innovation in working towards healthier communities. SPEAK: HIV Cures is a novel dialogue academy that aims to strengthen system readiness to implement HIV cure research by bringing together alumni from the 2026 US HIV Cure Academy, leading HIV cure researchers and university students for a structured training series on dialogue and rhetoric, HIV cure science, lived experience and health policy. The project will explore how community-centered dialogue and reasoned persuasion can strengthen public health system readiness for policy implementation around HIV cure research.
Kennedy Walker: The CLEAR (Communication, Literacy, Education and Research) Toolkit
Kennedy Walker is a Psychology and Human Development & Family Studies student at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where he is an Honors College and Guarantee Scholar. Kennedy has worked across community engagement, advocacy and research through organizations including the Florida State University Adult Trials Network, Charlotte Pride and the Office of Intercultural Engagement at UNCG. The CLEAR Toolkit is a community-informed communication and health literacy initiative designed to strengthen conversations between people living with HIV, healthcare providers, researchers and community advocates. Through stakeholder listening sessions and collaborative development, the project will create practical resources to improve communication, shared decision-making and understanding of HIV treatment and cure research. The CLEAR Toolkit aims to build trust, increase health literacy and create a scalable resource that can be adapted across HIV care, research and community settings.