The goal of the Inter-CFAR collaborative symposium entitled ?HIV and Women 2019? is to share cutting edge research, extend knowledge and foster action to address gaps toward understanding the complex clinical, biological and social aspects of HIV in women. In contrast to other conferences, HIV and Women 2019 focuses on all aspects of HIV in the context of women including structural and behavioral factors impacting their vulnerability while serving as a venue for highlighting the work of early stage investigators including underrepresented minorities. Very few national conferences feature representatives of these groups in such a prominent role, drawing together researchers who may not otherwise have such opportunities. The format of this meeting will enable considerable dialogue among the stakeholders to maximize the effectiveness of strategies to advance the field and promote mentoring and development of early stage and under-represented investigators. HIV and Women 2019 will continue to provide major support to provide for scholarships, networking support and opportunities early stage investigators and underrepresented minorities to attend as participants through travel early stage investigator focused oral and poster presentations, mentoring activities, and sessions with senior leaders in the field. Women and HIV 2019is hosted by the Chicago-based Third Coast CFAR (TC-CFAR), which is located at Northwestern University and the University of Chicago. The 3 research themes of HIV and Women 2019 will focus on 1) acquisition; transgender The impact of hormonal contraceptive on HIV 2) Sex differences in long-acting ART formulations; and 3) Optimizing PrEP for men, women, and populations.All sessions will integrate areas of basic, clinical and social and behavioral sciences in invited talks. Panel discussions will be held at the end of the invited talks (30 minutes) and selected abstracts (15 minutes). To keep the sessions on track and guide the panel discussions, a senior investigator will be paired with a junior level investigator and a community representative to lead each session. The panels will clarify key questions and develop future research strategies that will advance the field. Opportunities for informal networking between junior and senior investigators in the field will be provided throughout the meeting including networking and mentoring lunch with breakout topics, a networking mixer/dinner with the poster session on the first evening. These networking opportunities will be complemented by a mentoring focused session that will highlight grant preparation advice, current NIH funding priorities and opportunities, and CFAR- related resources available to facilitate women's focused research. Outcomes from past conferences include new collaborations and innovative approaches, faculty appointments/promotions and funded grant applications. This is the 6th version of this successful symposia organized by the Inter-CFAR Collaboration on HIV Research in Women working group that will guide women new strategies for future research on HIV-related issues unique to while promoting career development among early career investigators.
Despite the prevalence of HIV in women and the challenges of successful treatment and prevention programs in this population, significant barriers remain to understanding the gender specific aspects of the impact of HIV in women. The goal of the 2019 Inter-CFAR collaborative symposium entitled ?HIV and Women 2019:? is to share cutting edge research, extend knowledge and foster mentoring and career development toward understanding the complex clinical, biological and social aspects of HIV in women.
