Welcome to the Penn Center for AIDS Research
The Penn Center for AIDS Research (Penn CFAR) is one of 20 NIH-funded CFARs and includes HIV and AIDS investigators at the University of Pennsylvania, the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), and the Wistar Institute.
The Penn CFAR's mission is to support, encourage and facilitate research in all areas of HIV/AIDS on the Penn/CHOP/Wistar campus by (a) facilitating communication and interdisciplinary collaborations through workshops, working groups, strategic planning efforts, and a seminar series covering all topics in the field; (b) support innovative pilot research in HIV/AIDS through developmental pilot grant programs including nonhuman primate-based research; (c) mentoring and support of junior investigators; (d) services and training in support of HIV research through Shared Cores: Clinical, Viral/Molecular, Immunology, Biostatistics & Data Management; Behavioral and Social Sciences; International; Nonhuman Primate.
Announcements
Data Science and Research Opportunities with the Penn CFAR/PDPH Collaborative
Friday, September 6th, 2019
8:00 am - 12:30 pm
251 BRB II/III
421 Curie Boulevard
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA 19104
The Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH) is now a formal partner in the Penn Center for AIDS Research (CFAR), with the goal of catalyzing research collaborations. The PDPH has a wealth of surveillance and programmatic data that supports research on HIV, HCV and the opioid epidemic. This includes interesting epidemiological and methodological research, and important questions that can inform policy. There are opportunities for both faculty and students to analyze data, be involved in research on HIV-related topics at the PDPH, or initiate collaborations on questions of mutual interest. To facilitate this, we have a shared biostatistician positioned part-time within PDPH to help with this research.
The Penn CFAR will be holding a workshop to highlight past collaborations between the CFAR and PDPH, share information about resources and key questions, and to provide an opportunity for attendees to discuss opportunities for new collaborations.
Questions?
Kathleen A. Brady, MD
Medical Director/Medical Epidemiologist
AIDS Activities Coordinating Office
Philadelphia Department of Public Health
E-mail: Kathleen.A.Brady@phila.gov
Joint ACC/CFAR Pilot Grant Opportunity in AIDS Malignancies
Release Date: July 15, 2019
Due Date: September 1, 2019
Funding Start Date: November 1, 2019
Funding Level: $80,000 for one year*. We expect to award one project.
HIV-infected individuals have an increased incidence of both AIDS-defining cancers (ADC) and non-AIDS defining cancers (NADC). Some ADC such as Kaposi’s sarcoma have decreased significantly in the antiretroviral therapy (ART) era, while others including B cell lymphomas and HPV-associated malignancies (cervical and anal cancer) remain markedly higher than in the HIV-uninfected population despite ART treatment. Similarly, the incidences of NADC (including but not limited to lung cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, and Hodgkin’s lymphoma) are also increased compared with non-HIV-infected populations even in the setting of ART. Malignancies now account for nearly 30% of deaths in HIV+ people, and this excess burden affects both high-income and resource-limited regions of the world. The reason(s) for and best approach to this HIV/Cancer syndemic are poorly understood. Because of its clinical importance, the NCI has a keen interest in funding for this area of research.
The Abramson Cancer Center (ACC) and the Penn Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) are requesting applications for pilot studies that will address the mechanisms, pathogenesis, epidemiology, treatment, outcomes, and/or other topics relevant to AIDS Malignancies. The goal is to provide pilot funding that will serve as a basis for further investigations and grant applications in the topic. The focus may be basic, epidemiology, clinical or translational, may target ADC and/or NADC, and if clinical can focus on either domestic or international populations. Importantly, applications must address the overlapping area of malignancies and HIV infection; proposals that focus on one aspect without integration with the other will not be considered. Collaborations between members of the ACC and Penn CFAR are strongly encouraged.
Complete details can be found here.
Join us for pizza as the CFAR presents
An Overview of the Clinical and Immunology Cores
Wednesday, September 18th, 2019
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
251 BRB II/III
Come for the pizza, and learn more about the CFAR Cores! The Clinical Core and Immunology Core will present an overview of their services.
RSVP to Amy Onorato at aonorato@pennmedicine.upenn.eduto make sure we have enough pizza for all!
NEW CFAR Microgrant Program
The Penn Center for AIDS Research is happy to announce a new funding mechanism available to junior faculty CFAR investigators (Instructor and Assistant Professor or equivalent) to obtain targeted data needed for resubmission of a scored grant, or other critical needs that will result in a stronger HIV research grant or related goals. This should be limited to key essential resources for which no other support is available. These grants will be implemented in FY2019, and will be subject to rigorous evaluation and review by the Developmental and Administrative Cores.
Please see the Microgrant Program page for more details.
News
- Bauermeister Selected for Aspen Institute Health Innovators Fellowship.
7/15/2019
Twenty one senior health care leaders were chosen to join the Aspen Institute Health Innovators Fellowship’s fifth class and the program’s network of health care entrepreneurs and innovators from across the United States. These leaders – including Penn Nursing’s José Bauermeister, PhD, Presidential Professor, and Director of the Penn Program on Sexuality, Technology & Action Research (PSTAR) – will embark on a two-year Fellowship that will strengthen their leadership and challenge them to develop new approaches to improve the health and wellbeing of Americans. Full article HERE
José Bauermeister, Presidential Professor of Nursing and Director of the CFAR Technologies to Reduce HIV Disparities Scientific Working Group, has developed an online tool designed to decrease sexual risk-taking and promote HIV/STI prevention behaviors among young gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (YGBMSM), many of whom frequently meet their partners online.
Dr. Drew Weissman, who has developed nucleoside-modified mRNA-lipid nanoparticle (LNP) as a novel platform for vaccines, showed that the vaccine and LNPs specifically induce high levels of T follicular helper cells (Tfh). Tfh cells form germinal centers (GC) and drive GC B cells to proliferate, somatically mutate, class switch, and form long-term memory, which are critical for HIV vaccine development. In addition to HIV, the vaccine platform has applications to many different viral, bacterial, and parasitic pathogens.
Dr. Mohamed Abdel-Mohsen and a multidisciplinary team from Wistar, Penn and several other institutions, found that CD32, previously implicated as a marker of the HIV latent reservoir, is actually expressed preferentially on a subset of activated CD4+ T cells enriched for transcriptionally active HIV. This has important implications for identifying and targeting HIV latency in infected people.
Events
- HIV Grand Rounds
Every Thursday
12:00- 1:00 pm, Class of '62 Auditorium, John Morgan Building (unless otherwise posted) - HIV / Pathogenesis CURE Journal Club
Every Other Thursday (starting again 9/20/18)
1:30- 3:00 pm, Room 501, Johnson Pavilion
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