HANC Newsletter | January 2024
|
|
The Office of HIV/AIDS Network Coordination (HANC) is located at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle, WA. We acknowledge the Coast Salish peoples of this land, the land which touches the shared waters of all tribes and bands within the Duwamish, Puyallup, Suquamish, Tulalip and Muckleshoot nations.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
HANC is Growing Its Team: Explore Our Two Newly Opened Positions!
|
|
|
|
HANC is currently looking for candidates for two positions: a HANC Project Coordinator position and a Project Manager role within the Legacy Project. More information and application instructions for each position are available via the links below.
+ HANC Project Coordinator: View details about this position here.
+ Legacy Project Manager: View details about this position here
.
|
|
|
|
|
HANC Honors Long-Serving Trailblazers Melissa Turner & Rona Siskind for Their Remarkable Contributions to HIV/AIDS Research and Advocacy
|
|
|
|
HANC’s mission is to support the science and operations of the HIV/AIDS Clinical Trials Networks by increasing efficiency and resource-sharing. Our coordination efforts across the networks and with other research and advocacy partners would not be possible without our amazing colleagues. We would like to spotlight two such amazing colleagues/icons who have decided that it’s time to transition:
|
|
|
|
Melissa Turner: After serving for more than a decade as an HPTN Executive Committee member and HPTN Community Working Group Co-chair, Melissa Turner departed both positions on November 30, 2023.
|
Rona Siskind: After 3 decades of amazing work, Rona Siskind retired from DAIDS at the end of December 2023.
|
|
|
|
We celebrate you both and thank you for all your decades of dedication. Thank you for doing your part to make this world a better, safer, and healthier place and for always centering community when it comes to HIV/AIDS clinical research. Collaborating with you and learning from you has been an honor and privilege. Your legacies will serve as inspiration for us to continue prioritizing individuals and communities who are disproportionately impacted by HIV/AIDS and other social determinants of health.
|
|
|
|
|
DAIDS Announces DART2024 Training Events in Southern Africa and Asia, Aiming to Enhance Quality and Compliance in HIV/AIDS Research
|
The Division of AIDS (DAIDS) has announced their upcoming DAIDS Applied Research Training (DART2024) event. The event is scheduled in the third quarter of 2024 for sites in the Southern Africa region and in the fourth quarter of 2024 for sites in the Asia region.
The DART2024 project team, which consists of DAIDS and two contractors, PPD and Lumina, will host in-person events focusing on topics that promote a culture of quality. Topics will be selected based on regional needs. This initiative aligns with DAIDS’s ongoing efforts to strengthen regulatory compliance and elevate quality across the HIV/AIDS Network enterprise.
|
|
Above: Attendees at the 2019 DAIDS Applied Research Training in Johannesburg, South Africa
|
To ensure an effective learning experience, overall event attendance will be limited to maintain a small group atmosphere. The DART2024 project team will reach out to potential participants shortly. For additional information, you can contact the DART team at DAIDS_CRSS_DART@mail.nih.gov.
|
|
|
|
|
ACTG Leadership Retreat at UCLA Features Over 25 Speakers Focusing on Progress and New Approaches in HIV, Hepatitis B, and Tuberculosis Research
|
|
This year's ACTG Leadership Retreat was hosted at UCLA in early December by Judith Currier, MD, MSc, and Joseph Eron, MD, Chair and Vice Chair of the ACTG respectively. The collaborative energy was palpable from session one at this two-day event that featured over 25 speakers and multiple discussion sessions. Nearly 60 attendees traveled from across the U.S. and from as far away as Mumbai to attend.
While
there were numerous high priority items on the event's agenda, some of the key topics included reviewing the latest scientific findings on targets for HIV treatment, identifying more streamlined approaches to studying viral and immune assays, novel approaches to HIV cure and functional cure, next steps in hepatitis B therapeutics, the tuberculosis agenda and discussing opportunities for advancing the integration of machine learning and AI-based bioinformatics into ACTG research. We are proud of the work of all ACTG leadership and look forward to continuing to support the network in its continued progress towards decreasing the burden of HIV and its comorbidities.
|
|
|
|
No updates from the HVTN in this month's HANC Newsletter; please check back for updates in next month's edition.
|
|
|
|
HPTN's Impactful 2023: A Year of Achievement Through Numbers
|
|
|
|
|
IMPAACT Reflects on a Monumental Year With Key Statistics
|
|
As we enter 2024, we reflect on a year of growth, challenges, and remarkable achievements for the IMPAACT Network. Your dedication to developing and implementing top-tier research has been the foundation of our progress, and we appreciate the collaborative spirit that drives our mission. Happy New Year!
|
|
|
|
Behavioral and Social Sciences
Greg Davis, HANC Project Manager
|
Behavioral Science Consultative Group: The BSCG has started looking at potential dates and locations for their annual face-to-face meeting. The group did not meet in December and will meet again in mid-January.
|
|
|
|
Community Coordination
Greg Davis
HANC Project Manager
Russell Campbell
HANC Director
|
Community Partners: Community Partners is reviewing an updated version of the Community Partners Organizational Guidelines and hopes to finalize the document on the January call. CP plans to launch its site mentorship program in early 2024 at a site in South Africa. The CP Executive Committee started discussing potential meeting dates for a face-to-face CP meeting in fall 2024.
TB Vaccine Community Engagement Strategy WG: The TB Vaccine Community Engagement Strategy Working Group has been busy finalizing a TB Prevention Toolbox graphic. The graphic will be finalized in early 2024. There are several other projects in the works that the group aims to complete in January/February including hosting a TB Vaccine 101 webinar. Be on the lookout for more information soon!
|
|
|
|
Cross-Network Coordination
Kathleen Pescasio, HANC Cross-Network Project Manager
|
|
The Cross-Network Evaluation Working Group (EWG) continues to discuss standardization for evaluation metrics and reporting within the networks.
The Communications Working Group (CWG) shared network engagements at the HVTN Conference and IMPAACT Annual meeting in October, and shared plans for upcoming conferences. The group continues to discuss experiences with graphic design and other communications tools.
The Subject Matter Research Consultants Working Group (SMRCWG) met in December to review current compensation models for community members who serve on protocol teams, scientific sub-committees, and special leadership positions. The group will continue to meet on a monthly basis to develop recommendations around compensation.
|
|
|
|
Laboratory Coordination
Tyler Brown, HANC Laboratory Project Manager
|
|
+ ACTG/IMPAACT Guidelines for Shipping & Receiving Biological Substance - Category B Specimens
+ ACTG/IMPAACT Specimen Shipment Notice
+ ACTG/IMPAACT Shipment Checklist
In December, the Lab Focus Group (LFG) convened to tackle issues related to lab supply shortages, the upcoming review and publication of the
Primary Network Laboratory Assignments List, and challenges related to laboratory storage and shipping.
The CPQA Cross-Network Clinical Pharmacology Forum (CNCPL Forum) held a meeting in December to discuss current and upcoming CPQA proficiency testing rounds, future network study compounds, and updates on the CPQA AVR/SOP Review Program.
|
|
|
|
The Legacy Project
Brian Minalga, HANC Deputy Director
Gabriella Olague, HANC Project Coordinator
|
The WHRC wrapped up 2023 by submitting a response to the NIH’s Request for Information regarding women and HIV research.
There are two new Legacy Project working groups starting in 2024, the Minority Serving institutes Working Group and the Addictophobia Working Group. If you are interested in joining either new group please reach out!
|
|
|
|
Biomedical HIV Prevention Summit (Seattle, USA)
|
|
|
|
HVTN Annual Network Meeting (Washington DC, USA)
|
|
|
|
ACTG Annual Network Meeting (Washington DC, USA)
|
|
|
|
HPTN Annual Network Meeting (Washington DC, USA)
|
|
|
|
IMPAACT Annual Network Meeting (Arlington, USA)
|
|
|
|
|