The mission of the UAB CFAR is to stimulate and support multidisciplinary basic, behavioral, clinical and translational AIDS research so as to hasten the development of effective treatments and prevention strategies for AIDS. For 20 years, the Center has played a vital role in supporting cutting edge research activities of its members that have led to paradigm-shifting discoveries, including: the discovery of HIV-1 quasispecies diversity (Nature 1988), detection of HIV-1 RNA in plasma (Science 1993), viral dynamics in acute and chronic infection (NEJM 1991;Nature 1995), HIV-1 escape from cytotoxic T-cells (Nat Medicine 1997) and neutralizing antibodies (Nature 2003), first-in-human phase 1 clinical studies of 7 currently approved therapies (NEJM 1993;Nat Medicine 1998;JAMA 2006), the zoonotic origins of HIV-1 (Nature 1999;Nature 2006;Science 2006), and the identification of the transmitted HIV-1 envelope and complete genome/proteome responsible for HIV infection (PNAS 2008). A common thread connecting all of these discoveries is the proactive participation of the CFAR in facilitating basic, translational and clinical research through effective collaboration between basic and clinical investigators. The objectives of the CFAR reflect this continuing commitment to innovative, multidisciplinary AIDS research and include: 1. To provide a central institutional focus for HIV/AIDS research activities that emphasize effective communication and collaboration among CFAR members and the wider HIV/AIDS research community. 2. To enhance productivity of ongoing research programs by encouraging interdisciplinary research and by providing critical shared resource facilities and administrative and fiscal management support to Center investigators. 3. To use robust strategic planning methods to identify new research opportunities and priorities, to align them with existing CFAR programs, and to foster new research programs where none are in existence but where faculty interest and University capacity is evident. 4. To stimulate the entry of junior and established faculty into HIV/AIDS research programs. This is accomplished through mentoring young investigators and by a peer-reviewed Developmental Grants Program. 5. To stimulate faculty recruitment and program development in areas that reflect the ongoing evolution of HIV/AIDS research and the global epidemic. The Center is comprised of 163 Center members from 35 Divisions and Departments within UAB funded by current AIDS-related grants and contracts totaling more than $87.2 million. Nine Core Facilities are proposed that provide vital support for the Center's principal thematic areas of viral pathogenesis, experimental therapeutics, global health, prevention and vaccine development. The success of the UAB CFAR in stimulating HIV/AIDS research is reflected in the growth in NIH extramural funding for AIDS-related research from $6.0 million in NIH funding in 1988 to over $26 million currently, in over 2500 research publications over the past six year grant period, in the recruitment of more than 21 HIV/AIDS investigators since 2QQ2, and in the garnering of strong Institutional support.

Public Health Relevance

The UAB CFAR will stimulate and facilitate HIV/AIDS research that has high national and international impact and in so doing will promote the NIH priorities of innovation and effectiveness iin AIDS research, treatment and prevention.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Type
Center Core Grants (P30)
Project #
5P30AI027767-22
Application #
7874510
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZAI1-SV-A (J3))
Program Officer
Namkung, Ann S
Project Start
1997-03-01
Project End
2014-05-31
Budget Start
2010-06-01
Budget End
2011-05-31
Support Year
22
Fiscal Year
2010
Total Cost
$3,936,683
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Alabama Birmingham
Department
Internal Medicine/Medicine
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
063690705
City
Birmingham
State
AL
Country
United States
Zip Code
35294
Peng, Binghao J; Carlson, Jonathan M; Liu, Michael K P et al. (2018) Antisense-Derived HIV-1 Cryptic Epitopes Are Not Major Drivers of Viral Evolution during the Acute Phase of Infection. J Virol 92:
Shi, Bi; Geng, Jianlin; Wang, Yin-Hu et al. (2018) Foxp1 Negatively Regulates T Follicular Helper Cell Differentiation and Germinal Center Responses by Controlling Cell Migration and CTLA-4. J Immunol 200:586-594
Moshiri, Niema; Mirarab, Siavash (2018) A Two-State Model of Tree Evolution and Its Applications to Alu Retrotransposition. Syst Biol 67:475-489
Crockett, Kaylee B; Rice, Whitney S; Turan, Bulent (2018) Associations Between Multiple Forms of Discrimination and Tobacco Use Among People Living With HIV: The Mediating Role of Avoidance Coping. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 78:9-15
Mai, Uyen; Mirarab, Siavash (2018) TreeShrink: fast and accurate detection of outlier long branches in collections of phylogenetic trees. BMC Genomics 19:272
Tomalka, Amanda G; Resto-Garay, Ivelisse; Campbell, Kerry S et al. (2018) In vitro Evidence That Combination Therapy With CD16-Bearing NK-92 Cells and FDA-Approved Alefacept Can Selectively Target the Latent HIV Reservoir in CD4+ CD2hi Memory T Cells. Front Immunol 9:2552
Ram, Daniel R; Manickam, Cordelia; Hueber, Brady et al. (2018) Tracking KLRC2 (NKG2C)+ memory-like NK cells in SIV+ and rhCMV+ rhesus macaques. PLoS Pathog 14:e1007104
AIDS-defining Cancer Project Working Group of IeDEA, COHERE in EuroCoord (2018) Non-Hodgkin lymphoma risk in adults living with HIV across five continents. AIDS 32:2777-2786
Rice, Whitney S; Logie, Carmen H; Napoles, Tessa M et al. (2018) Perceptions of intersectional stigma among diverse women living with HIV in the United States. Soc Sci Med 208:9-17
Elion, Richard A; Althoff, Keri N; Zhang, Jinbing et al. (2018) Recent Abacavir Use Increases Risk of Type 1 and Type 2 Myocardial Infarctions Among Adults With HIV. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 78:62-72

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