Reminder: ACTION Lunch This Thursday

Please join us for the NOVEMBER ACTION Lunch. Tiffany West-Ojo, MPH, MSPH, will be presenting the DC 2001-2006 HIV Surveillance Report. Tiffany serves as the Interim Bureau Chief, Bureau of Surveillance and Epidemiology at the HIV/AIDS Administration. Tiffany will provide us with detailed look at this important new information about HIV and AIDS cases in the District of Columbia, and you'll have the opportunity to ask questions. This lunch takes place Thursday November 15th at 1:00 PM at the DC CARE Consortium, 1156 15th St, NW Suite 500. To RSVP for this presenation click here. To download the flyer for this event, click here.

November ACTION Newsletter Now Online

Just a quick note to let you know the ACTION November Newsletter is now online. See the November Newsletter as a PDF file right here. There is some great stuff in there, including an extensive list of local World AIDS Day events, and an overview of microbicide research. Also - three HIV/AIDS research CABS, Capital Area Vaccine Effort (Vaccine Research Center), Word Up CAB (National HIV Behavioral Surveillance), and Howard University Hospital Pediatric Clinic (IMPAACT Research Network) are meeting this month. If you're curious about getting involved in a CAB, please join us!. Remember, not everybody has regular internet access, so please print out a few copies of the newsletter and put them in your office, place of worship, school, or anywhere you think folks might read them. Our November ACTION lunch is a presentation of the much anticipated new HIV surveillance data. Find out more and RSVP here. And remember, if you want to stay up-to-date on what's happening with ACTION, you can subscribe to the ACTION Yahoo Group.

Meeting on Transgender Community and HIV/AIDS Research

Here's a quick update on what's happening with the Open Letter on Sex and Gender that many DC HIV/AIDS Research Community Advisory Boards (CABS) co-authored. As you may remember, Jessica Xavier and I had an opportunity to meet with members of the Community Partners on October 12th. The Community Partners is an overarching community advisory board for the Division of AIDS made up of representatives from all six international research networks. Jessica did an amazing job at the ACTION Lunch where we discussed this topic, and it was great to have her at this meeting with Community Partners. Community Partners has formed an adhoc committee to look at this issue. The picture included in this post is Jessica and I with members of that Adhoc Committee. I believe we did a good job addressing their concerns and questions, and I'm hopefull that the Community Partners will be addressing this issue with the Division of AIDS in the future. Thanks to all the CABS that signed on to the original letter for getting the ball rolling. I'll definitely keeping pushing this forward as best I can and keep you all posted as well.

Two Local Articles on HIV Vaccine Research

There are two great local articles about HIV vaccine research, be sure to check them out. First, Metro Weekly has an article about Monday Night's presentation on HIV Vaccine Research organized by The Center. If you missed the event, it was a great night of fun and discussion at one my favorite local hangouts, the Ramrod. One of the hot topics of the night was the recent closure of a Merck vaccine study, known as the Step Study. While the failure of this study is disappointing, it is important to remember was just one of many approaches to HIV Vaccine Research currently being researched. Which brings me to the Washington Blade Article on the Step Study. The article quotes one of many researchers involved in the study, Dr. Mark Mulligan from Atlanta's Hope Center: “While disappointment was my main reaction, the next step is, OK, this is science and we’ve gotten a clear and strong answer what direction not to take,” Mulligan added. “We knew it might work, that it might not work. And we learn from that experience, so in that sense, it has been successful. Now we can throw our energy and efforts into other candidate vaccines.”

HIV Vaccine Awareness Day: May 18th, 2008

About HIV Vaccine Awareness Day Scientists have been searching for a vaccine to prevent HIV infection since the virus was first identified in 1983. Each clinical trial brings us one step closer to finding an effective vaccine. More than 25,000 HIV-negative individuals have participated in both government- and privately sponsored HIV vaccine trials. May 18, 2008 marks the eleventh annual HIV Vaccine Awareness Day. It is a day to educate our communities about the efforts to find a preventive HIV vaccine and to recognize and thank the thousands of volunteers, health professionals and scientists who are conducting and participating in HIV vaccine research.

Investigación de Vacunas del VIH / HIV Vaccine Research

Investigación de Vacunas del VIH Una observación en la investigación de vacunas del VIH en Perú y el área metropolitana de Washington, DC Voceros Ofrecidos: -Pedro Goicochea, Impacta Perú (www.impactaperu.org) -Dr. Barney Graham, Centro De Investigación de Vacunas, NIAID, NIH (www.vrc.nih.gov) -Jeff Stanton, Academia Para el Desarrollo Educativo (www.aed.org) Acompañenos para una Observación a fondo acerca de la investigación de la vacuna del VIH. Jeff Stanton de la Academia para el Desarrollo Educativo proporcionará una descripción de la implicación en la comunidad en la investigación del VIH. Pedro Goicochea compartirá su experiencia con la investigación de la vacuna del VIH en Lima, Perú. El Dr. Barney Graham compartirá su experiencia trabajando con nuestra comunidad local. Refrigerios ligeros serán proveidos. La información será presentada en español directamente por los presentadores, o con la ayuda de traductores. Este acontecimiento honra el Día Nacional del Conocimiento del HIV/AIDS Latino, que ocurre el 15 de Octubre. Para aprender más sobre El Día Nacional del Conocimiento del HIV/AIDS Latino, por favor visite la pagina electronica del web: www.nlaad.org. Octubre 15, 2:30PM DC CARE Consortium 1156 15th Street, NW, Suite 500, Washington DC DC CARE está situado lo más cerca posible a la parada del metro de McPherson Square. Patrocinadores: DC CARE Consortium, Capital Area Vaccine Effort, Vaccine Research Center, Vineeta Foundation. HIV Vaccine Research A look at HIV Vaccine Research in Peru and the DC Metropolitan Area Featured Speakers: -Pedro Goicochea, Impacta Peru (www.impactaperu.org) -Dr. Barney Graham, Vaccine Research Center, NIH, NIAID (www.vrc.nih.gov) -Jeff Stanton, Academy for Educational Development (www.aed.org) Join us for an in-depth look at HIV Vaccine Research. Jeff Stanton from the Academy for Educational Development will provide an overview of community involvement in HIV Vaccine Research. Pedro Goicochea will share his experience with HIV Vaccine Research in Lima, Peru. Dr. Barney Graham will share his experience working in our local community. Light refreshments will be provided. Information will be presented in spanish either directly from the presenters, or with the assistance of translators. This event honors National Latino HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, which takes place October 15th. To learn more about National Latino HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, please visit: www.nlaad.org. October 15th, 2:30 PM DC CARE Consortium 1156 15th Street NW, Suite 500, Washington DC DC CARE is located closest to the McPerson Metro Stop. Sponsors: DC CARE Consortium, Capital Area Vaccine Effort, Vaccine Research Center, Vineeta Foundation.

ACTION October Newsletter Now Online

Just a quick note to let you know the ACTION October Newsletter is now online. See the October Newsletter as a PDF file right here. Please note, the October ACTION lunch has been postponed due to a delay in the release of DC HIV Surveillance Data.

ACTION September Newsletter Now Online

Just a quick note to let you know the ACTION September Newsletter is now online. See the September Newsletter as a PDF file right here. Please be sure to join us for the September ACTION Lunch where we will learn more about the DC Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). The YRBS helps us better understand young people in the District of Columbia including what behaviors may put them at risk for HIV. Join us for a preliminary look at the 2007 Youth Risk Behavior Survey data. Our presenter will be Marc D. Clark, Ph.D., Director of Health Operations for DC Public Schools. This event takes place Thursday, September 13th at the DC CARE Consortium, 1156 15th Street NW To RSVP online for this event: click here. This is one lunch in a three-part series entitled 'Understanding the HIV Epidemic in DC'. To download the flyer for this series, click here.

September 11th CAVE Meeting at Us Helping Us

Please join us for the next meeting of the Capital Area Vaccine Effort (CAVE). We will meet on September 11th at the offices of Us Helping Us at 6:30 PM. Us Helping Us is located at 3636 Georgia Avenue NW, very close to the Georgia Ave Petworth Station Metro Stop. CAVE is the community advisory board for both the Vaccine Research Center and the U.S. Military HIV Research Program.

Learning about the Word Up Study

Yesterday we had an ACTION lunch presentation on the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance (NHBS) Study. Dr. Manyas Magna, Anthony Rawls, and Dr. Irene Kuo (pictured left), from the George Washington School of Public Health, gave an overview of the study, known locally as the Word Up. See more pictures from the day here on our flickr page. The NHBS system conducts surveys in cities with high levels of HIV to determine risk behavior, testing behavior, and use of prevention services. In this cycle, the NHBS is looking specifically at heterosexuals at high risk for HIV. In other cycles, the NHBS looks at men who have sex with men (MSM) and injection drug users (IDUS). In the past the HIV/AID Administration (HAA) has tried to run the NHBS themselves, with quite poor outcomes. In this cycle, HAA contracted with George Washington University to conduct the survey, which seems to have been a good move. Dr. Magnus reported their study is exceeding their goals on recruitment, retention, and clean data (accuracy and consistency of data collected). Which means rather than bungling the survey as HAA has done in the past, we will actually have useful information about what's happening in DC to guide our efforts. We got a look at the preliminary data at the lunch, which is subject to change and can't really be disseminated yet. But when the final report comes out, you can be sure I'll do my best to get this information out to the community. The next cycle of the study will look at gay and bisexual men, and all men who have sex with men (MSM). The main survey is dicated by the CDC, but we can add local questions to the survey to get information of interest to our local community. Now is a GREAT time to start thinking about what questions we'd like to see included on this survey. I was really happy to see some members of the local Crystal Meth Task Force at the meeting, because I suspect there are some questions they might like to see included on the MSM survey. If you'd like to join the NHBS Community Advisory Board, call the Word Up team at 1-877-9WORDUP and let them know.

August ACTION Newsletter Now Online

Just a quick note to let you know the ACTION August Newsletter is now online. See the June Newsletter as a PDF file right here.

Understanding the HIV Epidemic in DC

This month we begin an exciting three-part ACTION Lunch Series on Understanding the HIV Epidemic in DC. Each month we will have an expert guest discussing different studies that help us better undertsand what is happening with HIV in the District. These studies help us understand who is at greatest risk for HIV in our city, where new infections are happening in the city, and what behaviors are leading to new infections. Armed with this information, we can focus our resources fight the epidemic more strategically. First, Dr. Manya Magnus will be discussing local data from National HIV Behavioral Surveillance (NHBS) on August 9th, known locally as the 'Word Up' Study, this year's NHBS focuses on heterosexuals at high risk for HIV. Next up, Dr. Marc Clark will discuss local Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data on September 13th. This survey of public and charter school students in middle schools and high schools helps us better understand young people and their risk for HIV in the District. Finally, the icing on the cake, Tiffany West will present the much anticipated DC 2001-2006 HIV Surveillance Report on October 11th. This is exciting because we haven't had accurate HIV surveillance data in several years now. I'm looking forward to all three presentations, because I believe this information will help us fight HIV in DC in a smarter, more strategic way. Please join us for all three lunches, and if you haven't already, please RSVP for the August 9th lunch. To RSVP online by click here. To download the flyer for this series, click here.

Howard University Hospital Community Advisory Board Meeting

The HIV/AIDS Community Advisory Board for the Howard University Hospital Pediatric Clinic will meet on Friday, July 27, at 10:30 AM. The Howard University Hospital Pediatric Clinic is part of the IMPAACT, the International Maternal, Pediatric, and Adolescent AIDS Clinical Trials Group, and has participated in numerous studies conducted through that network. If you're curious about Community Advisory Board (CAB) meetings, I encourage you to come and check out this one. CAB Members play an important role in the planning and development of research trials, representing the unique perspective of our community. To find out more about serving on a CAB, read this article about DC resident Willis Courtney and his experience getting involved in a CAB. To find out more about this meeting, contact Patty Yu at phouston@howard.edu.

Vaccine Research Center Begins Phase I Trial in DC

The latest edition of the IAVI Report includes an article about the Vaccine Research Center, which is located on the Bethesda Campus of the National Institutes of Health: The Vaccine Research Center (VRC) at the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in partnership with the US company GenVec recently began a Phase I clinical trial to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of a novel adenovirus serotype 35 (Ad35)-based AIDS vaccine candidate in 15 volunteers. Adenovirus can cause some forms of the common cold and there are several serotypes circulating worldwide. Another adenovirus serotype, known as Ad5, is already being used as a vector in other AIDS vaccine candidates to deliver pieces of HIV to the immune system (see September 2004 Primer on Understanding Viral Vectors). Ad5-based vaccine candidates are now being tested in a series of Phase II trials by the VRC and in two large Phase IIb trials by the US company Merck. However one possible drawback to candidates that use Ad5 as a vector is the high prevalence of the virus in certain parts of the world. People who have been previously exposed to Ad5 may have pre-existing immunity towards the viral vector, and that could hinder their immune responses to the AIDS vaccine candidate. The potential advantage of using Ad35 is that it has a much lower prevalence globally. This two-part trial is the first to test another serotype of adenovirus in clinical trials. The first part will evaluate the safety of an intramuscular injection of the vaccine candidate at three different doses. Once the safety data is reviewed researchers will evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of the candidate when administered in combination with the VRC's Ad5 candidate. The Ad35 vaccine candidate was developed by the VRC and GenVec.

July ACTION Newsletter Now Online

Just a quick note to let you know the ACTION July Newsletter is now online. See the June Newsletter as a PDF file right here. And please be sure to join us for the July ACTION Lunch. We will preview the film "Talk to Kids About AIDS" produced by the Vineeta Foundation. The lunch takes place on July 12th and begins at 1:00 PM at the DC CARE Consortium, 1156 15th Street NW, Suite 500. click here to download the flyer for this event. Lunch Provided. RSVP Required. To RSVP, click here.

Last Thursday's ACTION Lunch

We had one of the biggest turn-outs ever for last Thursday's ACTION lunch, where the topic was Transgender Community Involvement in HIV/AIDS Research. As many of you know, the DC Area HIV/AIDS Community Advisory has been working on changing the way the NIH collects data on sex and gender, and I think the lunch took us one-step closer (in a very long process) towards that goal. There were great presentations by Ben Singer, Karin Klingman, and Jessica Xavier (pictured left). To see more pictures from the event, click here. Jessica Xavier is a transgender health researcher who has worked in the HIV/AIDS epidemic since 1984. She earned her Master of Public Health degree at the University of Maryland, and her current interests are transgender epidemiology methods and program evaluation of interventions targeting transgender persons at risk. From 1998 to 2000, she was Principal Investigator for the bilingual Washington, DC Transgender Needs Assessment Survey. Currently she is a co-investigator of the Virginia Transgender Health Initiative Study, a statewide qualitative/quantitative survey of the transgender population of Virginia, implemented by the Community Health Research Initiative of Virginia Commonwealth University for the Virginia Department of Health and the Virginia HIV Community Planning Committee. click here to download Jessica's presentation Ben Singer is a PhD Candidate in English at Rutgers University working on an ethnographic dissertation: “On the Medical Margins: Transgender Risk Reduction in Public Health.” Since 1993, he has worked as a consultant and trainer in the public health sector, specializing in reducing health disparities through improving access to culturally competent care. He has consulted on local, state and national levels with the CDC, HRSA, Philadelphia Department of Health, AIDS Activities Coordinating Office, and other health and human service organizations. Ben has applied his knowledge to the successful design and implementation of government-funded projects that includes co-founding the Trans-health Information Project (TIP), a program of Prevention Point Philadelphia and the Gay and Lesbian Latino AIDS Education Initiative, with funding by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. From 2002-2004 he served as Director of TIP. In addition to presenting on transgender issues to government and community-based organizations across the country, Ben most recently taught “Transgender Queries in Medicine, Law, Politics and Culture” at Barnard College in New York City. click here to download Ben's presentation. Karin Klingman has been a Medical Officer in the Therapeutics Research Program in the Division of AIDS since 2000. Karin’s work includes protocol development and oversight. Her work has been primarily with the AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG), but has also included the CPCRA, the HPTN, and the PACTG which is now known as IMPAACT. This topic will be addressed at an upcoming Community Partners meeting, and I hope the Community Partners will submit a recommendation to the NIH so that we can continue to move forward.

November ACTION Lunch: DC 2001-2006 HIV Surveillance Report

This event was originally scheduled for October 11th. Due to a delay in the release of the surveillance data by the HIV/AIDS Administration, this lunch has been rescheduled for November 15th Please join us for the NOVEMBER ACTION Lunch. Tiffany West-Ojo, MPH, MSPH, will be presenting the DC 2001-2006 HIV Surveillance Report. Tiffany serves as the Interim Bureau Chief, Bureau of Surveillance and Epidemiology at the HIV/AIDS Administration. Tiffany will provide us with detailed look at this important new information about HIV and AIDS cases in the District of Columbia, and you'll have the opportunity to ask questions. This lunch takes place Thursday November 15th at 1:00 PM at the DC CARE Consortium, 1156 15th St, NW Suite 500. To RSVP for this presenation click here. To download the flyer for this event, click here.

August ACTION Lunch: National HIV Behavioral Surveillance

Join us for the August ACTION Lunch. Dr. Magnus Manya from the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services, will give a presentation on National HIV Behavioral Surveillance (NHBS). The current NHBS study is known locally as Word Up, Washington Outreach Research Drive to Understand Prevention. National HIV Behavioral Surveillance gathers information about individuals at high risk for HIV . This year, the Word Up study looks at heterosexuals at high risk for HIV. Other populations will be looked at in future studies. Join us to learn more. DC CARE Consortium, 1156 15th Street NW, Suite 500. The lunch takes place Thursday, August 9th at 1:00 PM at the DC CARE Consortium, 1156 15th Street NW, Suite 500. To RSVP online, click here. This is one lunch in a three-part series entitled 'Understanding the HIV Epidemic in DC'. To download the flyer for this series, click here.

July ACTION Lunch: Talk to Kids About AIDS

Join us for the July ACTION Lunch, where we will preview the film "Talk to Kids About AIDS" produced by the Vineeta Foundation. In the donor-fatigued, jargon-laden, taboo-filled world of HIV/AIDS, two innocent and innovative voices revive our understanding and compassion. By asking questions (“that only a child could ask”), two young girls get basic, honest, and fresh answers about the pandemic that defines our times. The result is a refreshing and thought-provoking documentary about our inability to make the epidemic understandable to all people because of our discomfort with issues of sex and sexuality. The fact that two kids can get to the bottom of it at the International AIDS Conference -- talking to experts, sex workers, cross-dressers and people living with AIDS-- is hilarious, hopeful and a little bit haunting . . . why have so many died because we can't talk about these subjects in an open and honest way? The lunch takes place Thursday, July 12th at 1:00 PM at the DC CARE Consortium, 1156 15th Street NW, Suite 500. To RSVP online, click here. To download the flyer for this event, click here.

Be the Generation

The Vaccine Research Center is currently looking for healthy, HIV negative individuals to volunteer for local HIV vaccine research studies. If you've ever thought about volunteering for an HIV Vaccine Trial, now is a great time. Call 1-866-833-LIFE (5433) or e-mail VRCforlife@mail.nih.gov to find out more. And check out the great video above, which was includes footage from our own local HIV Vaccine Awareness Day events, and the work of Us Helping Us.

September 13th ACTION Lunch: The DC Youth Risk Behavior Survey

Join us for the Septmber ACTION Lunch when we will learn more about the Youth Risk Behavior Survey. The Youth Risk Behavior Survey helps us better understand young people in the District of Columbia and what behaviors may put them at risk for HIV. Join us for a preliminary look at the 2007 Youth Risk Behavior Survey information, including never before asked questions about lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth in our city. Our presenter will be Marc D. Clark, Ph.D., Director of Health Operations for DC Public Schools. This event takes place Thursday, September 13th at the DC CARE Consortium, 1156 15th Street NW #6 To RSVP online for this event: click here. This is one lunch in a three-part series entitled 'Understanding the HIV Epidemic in DC'. To download the flyer for this series, click here.

Reminder: Join us Next Thursday for the ACTION Lunch

Please join us for the June ACTION (AIDS Clinical Trials Information & Orientation Lunch) on June 14th at 1:00 PM at the DC CARE Consortium. DC CARE is located at 1156 15th Street NW Sweet 500, closest to the McPherson Metro. We will have a panel discussion on Transgender Community Involvement in HIV/AIDS Clinical Research. What are the unique issues transgender trial participants face? How do researchers collect information about sex and gender in clinical studies? Join us for a panel presentation and discussion on transgender community involvement in HIV/AIDS Research. As many of you know, the several DC Community Advisory Boards wrote a joint open letter on Sex & Gender that can be read online at www.aidsvaccine.org . Our goal is to change the way the NIH collects data on sex and gender in HIV/AIDS research to accurately reflect transgender populations and to increase the cultural competency of NIH NIAID DAIDS funded researchers in working with transgender trial participants. I'm thrilled to say we have had a good response to our local DC letter from around the world. What once seemed an impossible goal has become a realistic and achievable goal, though there is still much work ahead. Of the six global networks funded by DAIDS, one (the HIV Vaccine Trials Network HVTN) has already expressed it's support. The Global CAB of the HVTN and the HVTN ethics working group has endorsed the letter. Two of the other six networks will be discussing the letter in the next two months, and the Community Partners (which is comprised of members of all six networks) will also be discussing the letter in the next month. This lunch is an important opportunity to continue the dialogue on sex and gender with the NIH NIAID Division of AIDS, and to learn and share information about transgender community participation in HIV/AIDS research. I hope you can be there! To RSVP for this event, click here. If that link doesn't work (idealist has been acting up lately) you can e-mail me or call 202 223 9550 ext 15.

Howard University Hospital CAB Meeting: June 22nd

The HIV/AIDS Community Advisory Board for the Howard University Hospital Pediatric Clinic will meet on Friday, June 22nd starting at 10:30 AM. The Howard University Hospital Pediatric Clinic is part of the IMPAACT, the International Maternal, Pediatric, and Adolescent AIDS Clinical Trials Group, and has participated in numerous studies conducted through that network. If you're curious about Community Advisory Board (CAB) meetings, I encourage you to come and check out this one. CAB Members play an important role in the planning and development of research trials, representing the unique perspective of our community. To find out more about serving on a CAB, read this article about DC resident Willis Courtney and his experience getting involved in a CAB. To find out more about this meeting, contact Patty Yu at phouston@howard.edu.

June ACTION Newsletter Now online

Just a quick note to let you know the ACTION June Newsletter is now online. See the June Newsletter as a PDF file right here. And please be sure to join us for the June ACTION Lunch. We will have a panel of experts discussing Transgender Community Participation in HIV/AIDS Research. The lunch takes place on June 14th and begins at 1:00 PM at the DC CARE Consortium, 1156 15th Street NW, Suite 500. click here to download the flyer for this event. Lunch Provided. RSVP Required. To RSVP, click here.

Today's HIV Vaccine Awareness Day Luncheon

Today's HIV Vaccine Awarness Day Lunch held at the Academy for Educational Development was a big success thanks to the efforts of the many people who contributed, including volunteers from City Year DC's project Hope Team. The lunch featured presentations by Brenda Larkin from the Vaccine Research Center, and Sterling Washington from Us Helping Us. To see pictures from this event, click here.

Today is HIV Vaccine Awareness Day

Today as most of you know is HIV Vaccine Awareness Day, an important opportunity to focus on the search for an HIV Vaccine and the trial participants and researchers who are making it happen. I don't know how the HIV/AIDS epidemic will end. And to be honest, sometimes I'm so wrapped up in the day-to-day struggle that even imagining the day when we can say there are no new HIV infections worldwide is virtually impossible. But today is the day we do dare to imagine exactly that. When that day comes we will have many people to thank including over 1,000 HIV negative volunteers our community who have stepped up to the plate and volunteered in studies to find a preventive HIV Vaccine. To our volunteers, let me say right now: THANK YOU. At the DC HIV/AIDS Reception tonight we will be honoring one organization and one individual who have contributed greatly to this effort. The organization is the amazing 19th Street Baptist Church, who have been partners in this effort for many, many years. Thge individual we are honoring is former CAVE chair Scott Simpson. To our honorees, let me say right now: THANK YOU. I hope you can join us at the wine & cheese reception tonight and find out how you can get involved in this effort. Here are some of the other things going on today: * Staff and volunteers from Us Helping Us are distributing information on HIV Vaccine Research to their partnering barbershops and beauty shops along Georgia Ave., N.W.; the Georgia Ave.-Petworth Metro station; and clubs patronized by Black gay men. * Our DC HIV Vaccine Awareness Day Lunch is taking place at 1:00 at the Academy for Educational Development. (sorry, no more RSVPs can be accepted). * Our HIV Vaccine Awareness Day Reception is going on tonight at the Academy for Educational devleopment: RSVP Here * Folks from IAVI just finished up a briefing on the Hill. click here to read the release. (I couldn't go, but I was just told Mitchell Warren kicked ass at this event) * Finally, the Bill and Melinda gates foundation just announced they will be contributing 9.7 million dollars for pediatric HIV Vaccine Research. I hope to report back on today's events tonight or over the weekend.

Join us for the ACTION Lunch Today

Hi all. There are still seats available, so it's not too late to join us TODAY (May 10th) at 1:00 PM for the monthly ACTION lunch presentation at the DC CARE Consortium, 1156 15th Street, Suite 500, Washington DC. DC CARE is located at the corner of 15th and M Streets, and is closest to the McPherson Metro Stop. When is it smart to start HIV Treatment? Dr. Fred Gordin will explore this issue looking at what we know, and what we don’t yet know, about when the best time is for newly diagnosed individuals to start HIV treatment. Dr. Gordin will be sharing some very interesting results from the international SMART Study, and discussing a future INSIGHT Network study.

Howard University Hospital CAB Meeting May 25th

The HIV/AIDS Community Advisory Board for the Howard University Hospital Pediatric Clinic will meet on Friday, May 25th starting at 10:30 AM. The Howard University Hospital Pediatric Clinic is part of the IMPAACT, the International Maternal, Pediatric, and Adolescent AIDS Clinical Trials Group, and has participated in numerous studies conducted through that network. If you're curious about Community Advisory Board (CAB) meetings, I encourage you to come and check out this one. CAB Members play an important role in the planning and development of research trials, representing the unique perspective of our community. To find out more about serving on a CAB, read this article about DC resident Willis Courtney and his experience getting involved in a CAB. To find out more about this meeting, contact Patty Yu at phouston@howard.edu.

May ACTION Lunch: When is it Smart to Start HIV Treatment?

Join us May 10th at 1:00 PM for the monthly ACTION lunch presentation at the DC CARE Consortium, 1156 15th Street, Suite 500, Washington DC. DC CARE is located at the corner of 15th and M Streets, and is closest to the McPherson Metro Stop. When is it smart to start HIV Treatment? Dr. Fred Gordin will explore this issue looking at what we know, and what we don’t yet know, about when the best time is for newly diagnosed individuals to start HIV treatment. To RSVP for this event, click here.

Meet Dr. Fred Gordin

DC is home to many talented and committed Doctors working on HIV/AIDS in DC. I will be introducing you to several of them here on the blog in the next couple months. I decided to start with Dr. Gordin since he is the featured speaker at the May ACTION lunch. If you have a local HIV/AIDS doctor you'd like to see featured on the blog, let me know. Dr Fred Gordin is chief of the Infectious Diseases section at the Washington VA Medical Center and Professor of Medicine at George Washington University. Since 1994, he has been the elected group leader of the CPCRA and overseen its expansion into an international consortium. In this capacity, he has been responsible for the day-to-day operations of the CPCRA’s multi-site, multi-study network, i.e., its financial management, regulatory compliance, site performance, protocol implementation, and scientific productivity. Dr Gordin has been the overall director of the SMART Study since its inception. Since the CPCRA’s beginning in 1986, Dr Gordin has also been the Principal Investigator for its clinical unit in Washington DC. Over the years, Dr. Gordin has been instrumental in leading the CPCRA in a diverse portfolio of HIV-related research. Dr Gordin has served on the FDA Antiviral Drug Advisory Committee for a 4-year term, as well as on the NIAID National Advisory Council for 9 years and the NIH Office of AIDS Research Advisory Council for 2 years. He currently serves on the U.S. Public Health Service treatment guidelines panel, which sets standards for antiretroviral treatment of HIV-infected persons in the United States.

May ACTION Newsletter Now Online

Just a quick note to let you know the ACTION May Newsletter is now online. See the May Newsletter as a PDF file right here. As far as I know this is the only local DC HIV/AIDS newsletter that is put out consistently each month. I'm not saying that to knock other groups. I simply believe it's really important to know what's happening in the city when it comes to HIV, and for folks who aren't online, this is the only game in town. So if you work for an HIV/AIDS service organization in DC, please be sure to print out copies to share with your clients. There are lot of great events in May that they may want to be part of. And please be sure to join us for the May ACTION Lunch. Dr. Fred Gordin from the Veterans Medical Center will give a presentation entitled "When is it SMART to Start HIV Treatment". The lunch takes place on May 10th and begins at 1:00 PM at the DC CARE Consortium, 1156 15th Street NW, Suite 500. click here to download the flyer for this event. Lunch Provided. RSVP Required. To RSVP, click here.

ACTION Lunch: The State of HIV Vaccine Research

Last Thursday was the monthly ACTION (AIDS Clinical Trials Information and Orientation Network Lunch). Dr. Barney Graham, from the Vaccine Research Center, gave a great over of the state of HIV Vaccine Development. I've included a few pictures above. It was a great way to lead up to HIV Vaccine Awareness Day, coming up on May 18th. I hope you'll join us for HIV Vaccine Awareness Day this year. To find out more, click here. And please join us for ACTION lunch next month. Dr. Fred Gordin will be giving a presentation entitled: "When is it SMART to Start HIV Treatment?". To find out more about this event, click here.

ACTION June Lunch: Transgender Community Involvement in HIV/AIDS Clinical Research

Please join us for the June ACTION (AIDS Clinical Trials Information & Orientation Lunch) on June 14th at 1:00 PM at the DC CARE Consortium. DC CARE is located at 1156 15th Street NW Sweet 500, closest to the McPherson Metro. We will have a panel discussion on Transgender Community Involvement in HIV/AIDS Clinical Research. What are the unique issues transgender trial participants face? How do researchers collect information about sex and gender in clinical studies? Join us for a panel presentation and discussion on transgender community involvement in HIV/AIDS Research. To RSVP for this event, click here. If that link doesn't work (idealist has been acting up lately) you can e-mail me or call 202 223 9550 ext 15.

April ACTION Newsletter Now Online