Notable Quote

"By valuing community knowledge alongside academic expertise, we are developing strategies that are informed by lived experiences, strengthen partnerships, and elevate the capacity of communities to lead change."

-Kneeshe Parkinson, Scientific Working Group Coordinator, reflecting on the Partner Pilot Award.

The Midwest D-CFAR will provide pilot funding of up to $20,000 for innovative HIV proposals that have the potential for extramural funding upon completion of the study. Early-stage investigators are encouraged to apply!

Principal Investigators (PIs) must be early-stage investigators or established investigators transitioning to HIV research. PIs must also be affiliated with WashU, SLU, or HSSU.

Temitope Ojo, Assistant Professor at the WashU School of Medicine and Whitney Irie, Associate Professor at the WashU School of Public Health, were recently awarded administrative supplements by the National Institutes of Health. These supplements support the aims of the parent Midwest D-CFAR grant and align directly with the national Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) initiative. Read more.

Congratulations to Developmental Core Co-Director, Richard Grucza, on receiving the inaugural Outstanding Mentor Award, recognizing his exemplary scientific and career mentorship to early-career HIV investigators across our partner institutions. Read more.

Radhika Sundararajan has joined WashU and will join the Midwest D-CFAR as Co-Director of the Developmental Core. As an emergency physician and anthropologist, Dr. Sundararajan brings a unique perspective to HIV research, focusing on building trust with communities and improving access to care. Learn more.

Arnezsia Kimbrough reflects on her time in the Harris Stowe State University (HSSU)-St. Louis Department of Health (STLDOH)-Stimulating Training and Access to HIV Research Experiences (STAR)-Midwest D-CFAR internship program and what it taught her about HIV, community health, and program development. Read more.

D-CFAR Publication: L Madeline McCrary, Megan R Curtis, Jeannie C Kelly, Jessica Elrod-Gallegos, Patrick Kojima, Patricia Werner, Jennifer L Mullersman, Tracey Habrock-Bach, Michael J Durkin, Laura R Marks, Real-World Experience of Hepatitis C Treatment With Glecaprevir-Pibrentasvir During Pregnancy, Clinical Infectious Diseases, 2026; ciag422, https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciag422

Samuel Kizito, Fred M. Ssewamala, … Proscovia Nabunya, … Torsten B. Neilands. Comparing Self-Reports, Pill Counts, and Electronic Devices in Assessing Antiretroviral Therapy Adherence and its Association With Viral Suppression in Adolescents Living With HIV, Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, 2026; 1049-1056. PMID: 42091096

Anita Kabarambi, Abel Zemedkun Girma, Portia Nartey, Imelda Nabbosa, Samiri Jamiru, Proscovia Nabunya, Fred M. Ssewamala. Correlates of Willingness to Use Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Among Young People Impacted by HIV in Uganda, AIDS Care. 2026; 1874-1886. PMID: 41782078

Gloria Aidoo-Frimpong, … Temitope Ojo, Juliet Iwelunmor, … Zhao Ni; YFIT GH Study Team, Strategies to Promote HIV Self-Testing and Long-Acting Injectable PrEP Among Ghanaian Youth: Results from the Y-FIT GH National Crowdsourcing Open Call, AIDS and Behavior, 2026, Online ahead of print, PMID: 42700353

The general abstract deadline for CROI 2027 is October 1 at 5pm Pacific Time.

There is also a late-breaking abstract opportunity, with submissions open December 1 through January 19.

Please email the Admin Core if you are planning to submit an abstract.

The K Grant Writing Institute is a four-day grant writing workshop designed to teach essential strategies for crafting successful grants that support K43, K01, K23 or K99/R00 awards. This program is for those eligible for and working toward a K grant in 2026/2027.

Apply by October 9 at 5pm CT to be considered.

Registration is now open for the annual Mentoring the Mentors Workshop for HIV Researchers, to be held January 19-20 in San Francisco.

The two-day workshop is an intensive and interactive meeting designed to provide faculty engaged in HIV research with tools for more effective mentoring.

This topic encourages dissemination and implementation (D&I) science designed to improve the adoption, integration, scalability, and sustainability of evidence-based interventions within low-resource clinical settings and the broader communities they serve, with the goal of optimizing health outcomes, reducing health disparities, and strengthening health care delivery across the life course.

Dissemination and Implementation (D&I) Proposal Bootcamp | October 8 | St. Louis, Missouri

Fast-Track Cities 2026 | October 11-13 | Berlin, Germany

HVTN Translational HIV Vaccine Early Stage Investigator (ESI) Conference | October 19-20 | San Antonio, Texas

IDWeek 2026 | October 21-24 | Washington, DC

Have news, events, or opportunities to share? Email admin@midwestdcfar.org to include it in a future issue of HIV HAPPENINGS!

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