During the IAS AIDS conference held in Munich in July, UNC had over 15 faculty members and trainees attend to showcase the important work that is being done on HIV/AIDS within our university.
Here are some of the highlights from our UNC team in Munich:
Recent research has provided new insights into managing HIV-related comorbidities. Dr. Prema Menezes’ team discovered high rates of multimorbidity among older adults with HIV, noting that the types of comorbidities vary by gender. The TASKPEN study team, led by Dr. Jake Pry, Dr. Michael Herce, and Dr. Wilbroad Mutale, investigated how task-shifting and integration can enhance treatment for HIV, hypertension, and diabetes in Zambia.
Research also focused on the implementation and ethics of HIV interventions. Dr. Ramya Kumar, under the mentorship of Dr. Michael Herce and Dr. Maurice Musheke, examined female sex workers’ views on long-acting injectable PrEP in Zambia. Hadas Baron, from the PREPARE team led by Dr. Suzanne Day, presented research on adolescent perspectives from Botswana and Malawi regarding participation in clinical HIV studies during pregnancy, aiming to guide ethical research practices.
Social innovations in HIV research were highlighted by the SESH collaboration between UNC Project-China and Southern Medical University. Zhuoheng Yin showcased a project on PrEP distribution using a hybrid clinic-community model. Liyuan Zhang and Dorian Ho presented findings on improving integrated HIV/STI testing and service delivery through co-creation and mutual aid approaches. The SESH team also hosted a designathon in the Global Village, featuring a WHO/TDR guide on participatory health research.
We are looking forward to appreciating all the hard work our faculty and staff here at UNC will contribute to again next year! We are proud of the strong UNC contributions to the IAS 2024 conference.
To read more or see the full post by IGHID, click here.