Avac Event

Community Breakfast Club at CROI 2024

The Community Breakfast Clubs are virtual webinars coordinated by the CROI Community Liaisons, the European AIDS Treatment Group, AVAC, and their global collaborators. They featured researchers and advocates discussing some of the most consequential science being presented at CROI.

This year, they will took place on March 4, 5, and 6 from 7AM MT to 8AM MT. For further information, you may reach out to CROI Community Liaison Jim Pickett at [email protected].

Monday March 4

Spotlight on Social and Behavioural Science at CROI 2024
Moderator:
Nicoletta Policek, European AIDS Treatment Group
Speakers:
Dr. LaRon Nelson, Yale School of Nursing, CROI Scientific Program Committee
Dr. Sari Reisner, University of Michigan, CROI Scientific Program Committee

Recording / Chat / Audio Transcript

Tuesday, March 5

Living with HIV for a Lifetime – It’s Complicated
Moderator:
Dr. Annette Sohn, amfAR, UCSF, CROI Scientific Program Committee
Speakers:
Dr. Allison Agwu, Johns Hopkins University
Dr. Judith Currier, UCLA, CROI Scientific Program Committee

Recording / Chat / Audio Transcript

Wednesday, March 6

Research Roundup: Scientists and Advocates Offer Fresh Perspectives and Seasoned Analyses of CROI 2024 Research
Moderator:
Grace Kumwenda, CROI Community Liaison

Speakers:
Dr. Carlos del Rio, Emory, CROI Scientific Program Committee
Dr. Christina Farr, Case Western Reserve University
Natasha Mwila, CROI Community Educator Scholar
Moses Supercharger, CROI Community Educator Scholar Mentor

Recording / Chat / Audio Transcript

Avac Event

CROI 2024

The 31st annual Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI)  took place from March 3-6 in Denver, Colorado. CROI is the go-to forum for groundbreaking science in the HIV field, and this years’ program was full of exciting new research.

AVAC Daily Dispatches

AVAC sent out daily dispatches summarizing each day’s news out of CROI:

Community Breakfast Clubs

The CROI Community Liaisons, AVAC, the European AIDS Treatment Group, and partners for daily Community Breakfast Clubs organized the daily Community Breakfast Club. These virtual webinars featured researchers and advocates discussing some of the most consequential science being presented at CROI.

Recordings and transcripts available here.

Avac Event

The New Public Health Order: Strengthening Pandemic Preparedness in Africa

WACI Health, RANA and The Choice Agenda hosted a webinar on Thursday, February 29 called, “The New Public Health Order: Strengthening Pandemic Preparedness in Africa”

This webinar introduced key initiatives for the coming year from Africa CDC and the African Union and illuminate roles for civil society and community engagement. We heard from both Africa CDC representatives and key advocates on the development of these initiatives and what goals they intend to achieve.

Speakers: 

  • Jens Pedersen – Senior Advisor for Africa CDC 
  • Dr. Fifa Rahman – Pandemic Negotiations Consultant for Africa CDC
  • Dr. Landry Tsague – Senior Advisor for Africa CDC

Moderator:

  • Samantha Rick – AVAC

Recording / Resources / Transcript

Avac Event

Black Gay Men in the US

Global Black Gay Men Connect (GMBMC) hosted a town hall discussion focusing on Black Gay Men and HIV in the US featuring influential figures in the Black Gay community, including Ace Robinson, Dr. Daniel D. Driffin, and GBGMC board member Kenyon Farrow.

Avac Event

Advocacy Navigator Info Session – Mentors

This session is intended for any AVAC alumni interested in applying to become a mentor for the Advocacy Navigator program. The session will provide an overview of the program, expectations, eligibility, and application process, followed by Q&A with the AVAC team.

Avac Event

Advocacy Navigator Info Session – Navigators

This session was intended for anyone interested in applying to the Advocacy Navigator program. The session provided an overview of the program, expectations, eligibility, and application process, followed by Q&A with the AVAC team.

Avac Event

HIV Cure and the Environment: How location informs cure research

AVAC and REACH for the Cure hosted a webinar to discuss how the environment may impact HIV cure strategies. During this webinar, both organizations explored how clades, co-infections, early treatment, and other factors can help inform existing approaches to HIV cure research. Dr. Adam Ward of Weill Cornell Medicine shared the latest data followed by an informal conversation.  

Recording / Dr. Adam Ward Slides

Avac Event

AVAC in Conversation with NIAID’s Jeanne Marrazzo

The new director of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo joined AVAC Executive Director in conversation.

Avac Event

The Adolescent Medicine Trials Network (ATN): Research addressing HIV health inequities among US adolescents and young adults

Join us for an overview of the newest cycle of the Adolescent Medicine Trials Network! This webinar will highlight ATN 165: Linking Youth to PrEP Services (LYPS) which tests an innovative mobile delivery and mHealth intervention to optimize PrEP adherence and persistence among sexual minority men, ATN 167: Legal, Economic, and Affirming Peer Support (LEAP) for transgender and gender diverse youth, and how the network prioritizes and amplifies the voices of youth directly impacted by the ATN’s pivotal research.

Speakers Include:

  • Dr. Lisa Hightow-Weidman, ATN Principal Investigator, College of Nursing Florida State University
  • Dr. Sybil Hosek, ATN Principal Investigator, University of Illinois-Chicago
  • Dr. Sari Reisner, University of Michigan School of Public Health
  • Dr. Kristi Gamarel, University of Michigan School of Public Health
  • Dr. Kate Muessig, Florida State University
  • Dr. Audrey Pettifor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • Zoe Njemanze, ATN Subject Matter Research Consultant
  • Kendrick Forte, ATN Subject Matter Research Consultant
  • Rodrigo Cabrera, ATN National Community Advisory Board

Recording / Slides / Resources

Avac Event

Cervical Cancer Awareness Month Webinar Series (Jan 11 to Feb 1)

Webinar 1: Cervical Cancer: What, where, and prevention and treatment options

Thursday January 11, 8:00AM/4:00PM EAT

This webinar provided an overview of cervical cancer including what cervical cancer is, who is impacted, and prevention and treatment options.

Speakers included: Helen Kelly, Shona Dala, and Maribel Almonte Pacheco, WHO and Michelle Chevalier, US Department of State—Bureau of Global Health Security & Diplomacy/PEPFAR

Recording / Helen Kelly Slides

Webinar 2: Advocacy and Cervical Cancer: Voices that are creating change

Thursday January 18, 8:00AM/4:00PM EAT

During this webinar, we heard from advocates on how they have used their voice to bring more attention to cervical cancer and its impact on communities.

Speakers include: Tamika Felder, Cervivor and Karen Nakawala, Teal Sisters Foundation Zambia

Recording / Tamika Felder Slides / Karen Nakawala Slides

Webinar 3: Screening and Treating Cervical Cancer

Thursday January 25, 8:00AM/4:00PM EAT

During this webinar, speakers discussed options for screening and treating cervical cancer along with ongoing research.

Speakers include: Fred Wyand, American Sexual Health Association/National Cervical Cancer Coalition and Bothwell Guzha, University of Zimbabwe

Recording / Fred Wyand Slides / Bothwell Guzha Slides

Webinar 4: Cervical Cancer Among Key Populations

Thursday February 1, 8:00AM/4:00PM EAT

This webinar explored how cervical cancer impacts key populations and those vulnerable to HIV infections.

Speakers include: Samiya Mahmoud, Association for the Prevention of Septic Abortion, Bangladesh (BAPSA) and Shona Dalal, Helen Kelly, WHO

Recording / Samiya Mahmoud Slides / Helen Kelly Slides