Category: News

As people living with HIV (PLWH) benefit from longer life expectancy due to antiretroviral therapy, a new threat is emerging—lung cancer is now one of the leading causes of death in this population. The reasons are complex: PLWH are twice as likely to smoke, face higher cancer risk at younger ages,...

CFAR OCE Manager Alicia Diggs attended the 6th HIV Is Not a Crime National Training Academy (HINAC) brought together advocates, policy leaders, and people living with HIV (PLHIV) to advance justice through decriminalization, healing, and empowerment. Held biennially, HINAC uplifts PLHIV leadership while addressing HIV criminalization, mass incarceration, racism, and...

National HIV Testing Day (NHTD) was first observed on June 27, 1995. This is a day to encourage people to get tested for HIV, know their status, and get linked to care and treatment. Testing whether in-person or through self-tests connects individuals to prevention or treatment options. The only way...

A recent qualitative study conducted by Carol Golin, Eunice Okumu, members of the CFAR’s Social, Behavioral, and Implementation Sciences (SBIS) Core, as well as Ann Dennis, the co-leader of the UNC CFAR Scientific Working Group explored key challenges and opportunities in implementing an enhanced Social Network Strategy (eSNS) to expand...

Dr. Kimberly Enders, who recently earned her Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) from the Gillings School of Global Public Health, was hooded by her father, Dr. Bert Peterson — a longtime faculty member at both Gillings and the UNC School of Medicine. Dr. Enders, now a senior research scientist in...

HIV Index Case Testing (ICT) is a critical strategy for identifying individuals living with HIV, offering testing to their contacts, and linking all who test positive to care. Yet, expanding ICT through traditional centralized training models poses logistical and financial challenges—especially in low-resource settings. A new formative qualitative study led...

UNC CFAR investigator Dr. Monica Maria Diaz recently published a study in The Journal of Gerontology revealing significant associations between internalized HIV stigma and cognitive decline in women aged 50 and older living with HIV. Some key findings of the study included:   760 participants (mean age: 54); 61% identified as...

In the latest episode of Excellence Unveiled, Dr. Angela Kashuba Dean of the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy and Director of the Center for AIDS Research Clinical Pharmacology/Analytical Chemistry Core shares insights into her groundbreaking research, leadership, and dedication to rural health. Since joining UNC in 1997, Dr. Kashuba has led...

Dr. Jeffrey Stringer, Clarke-Pearson Distinguished Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UNC-Chapel Hill and CFAR member, has received the prestigious 2025 Oliver Max Gardner Award—the highest faculty honor in the UNC System—for his global leadership in maternal health and innovation in low-resource settings. Since joining UNC in 2012, Dr. Stringer...

  On May 19, the UNC Center for AIDS Research will join communities across the country in recognizing National Asian & Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. This important observance—held annually since 2005—raises awareness about the impact of HIV, risk, and stigma in Asian and Pacific Islander (API) communities. It also...

Each year on May 18, we recognize HIV Vaccine Awareness Day (HVAD) — a time to honor the unwavering commitment of volunteers, community members, health professionals, and scientists working together to develop a safe and effective preventive HIV vaccine.  At the UNC Center for AIDS Research, we believe that progress...

Each year, the UNC Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) distributes a User Survey to gather input from our members on how we can better serve the HIV research community. The 2024 survey offered researchers and collaborators a chance to share their experiences with CFAR’s support systems, from Core services to...