Happy October from the Midwest D-CFAR team! We’re excited to share new funding opportunities, events, and community highlights from across our region.

Get those study proposals ready! WashU, SLU, and Harris-Stowe faculty who are early-stage investigators (or others who are new to HIV/AIDS research) are eligible to apply for our pilot funding opportunities. Applications open on Monday, October 13 for the 2025-2026 funding cycle, which provides up to $20,000 in direct costs. Full details will be available on our website.

We are launching a new monthly digest email highlighting groundbreaking HIV research from our investigators and collaborators. Each issue will summarize recent peer-reviewed findings in accessible language. The first edition will come out later this month. If you would like to see your research featured, contact April Houston, Midwest D-CFAR communications director. You can also update your subscription preferences at any time.

For the second year, the Midwest D-CFAR is supporting an internship for undergraduate Harris-Stowe State University students with the St. Louis Department of Health. Interns will explore the epidemiological dynamics of HIV in St. Louis, conducting data analysis and formulating public health policies. They will also participate in seminars and receive training and mentorship from public health professionals and researchers. Full details and a link to the online application can be found on our website, and interested students should apply by November 29.

WashU and the Midwest D-CFAR recently hosted Elizabeth Bukusi, PhD, an esteemed researcher from Kenya, for a few different events, including an insightful discussion on global HIV research and collaboration. Dr. Bukusi’s visit highlighted the importance of international partnerships in advancing HIV prevention and treatment efforts. Read about some key takeaways from her St. Louis talks.

Kneeshe Parkinson, PhD, coordinator of the Midwest D-CFAR’s Scientific Working Group, played an important role at the 2025 US Conference on HIV/AIDS in Washington, DC last month, contributing to the crucial dialogue on the unique needs of older adults living with HIV. Learn about the session she facilitated and other inspiring moments from this year’s conference on our website.

Burel Goodin receives new NIH R01 award

Burel Goodin, PhD, Midwest D-CFAR investigator and professor of anesthesiology at WashU, received a grant from the NIH to fund an innovative study that he is calling Healthy Behaviors for Insomnia Prevention in People with HIV and Ongoing Pain (HIP HOP). Beau Ances, MD, PhD, and Rachel Presti, MD, PhD, director and co-director of the D-CFAR’s Clinical Science Core, will serve as co-investigators.

Julia López selected for JHU's HIV Implementation Science Fellowship

Midwest D-CFAR member Julia López, PhD, has been accepted into the seventh cohort of the HIV Implementation Science Fellowship hosted by Johns Hopkins University. Fellows are selected from across the CFAR network and US universities to participate in the program, which includes both didactic and online small group training in implementation science methodology.

Dima Dandachi honored for excellence in research mentorship

Dima Dandachi, MD, co-director of the Midwest D-CFAR’s Scientific Working Group, was selected as the recipient of the 2025 University of Missouri School of Medicine Excellence in Research Mentoring Award. Congratulations, Dr. Dandachi!

(all events listed in central time)

Statistics drop-in office hours with Andrew Atkinson
11am-1pm | Virtual (Zoom)

Clear Path PrEP mixer
3:30-4:30pm | In-person (St. Louis)

Part of PrEP Week with the St. Louis Department of Health. Advance registration requested.

WashU Medicine Grand Rounds
8-9am | In-person (St. Louis)

Glocal – Connecting research in global and local contexts - Elvin Geng, MD, director of the Midwest D-CFAR

Merck Investigator Studies Program info session
12-1pm | In-person (St. Louis)

Research Community Collaborative monthly meeting
12-1pm | Virtual (Zoom)

Speaker: Lindsey Filiatreau, PhD

HIV Works-in-Progress Seminar
2-3:15pm | Virtual (Zoom)

Mentorship: Growing from a single mentee to a group-based model - Anne Sebert Kuhlmann, PhD, Professor, SLU

HIV and seizures: Understanding the scope of the problem in vulnerable communities - Jonathan Williams, MD, MSCR,
Assistant Professor, WashU

See full listing of events on midwestdcfar.org

UCSF Mentoring the Mentors Workshop
This annual workshop helps HIV researchers to enhance their mentoring skills through interactive sessions on leadership, funding strategies, career planning, and guiding mentees’ professional growth. The next session will be held in San Francisco, January 13-14, 2026, and registration is now open. A limited number of travel and lodging scholarships are available to support airfare/hotel for selected applicants. The registration deadline is October 31, but apply by October 24 to be considered for a travel scholarship. More information and an application can be found on the UCSF-Bay Area CFAR website.

AcademyHealth virtual course: Communicating to Build Trust
With credibility under attack and distrust and politicization running rampant, today’s researchers must learn how to navigate this landscape to become a credible force for facts and evidence. AcademyHealth's Communicating to Build Trust course was designed to meet this need, empowering researchers not to shy away from public communication, but to confidently step up to make a meaningful impact with their work. The course starts on October 30 and meets weekly through November 20. Registration is open now.

Call for manuscripts: Critical Public Health Journal collection on gaps in HIV prevention/care
A new collection of articles aims to showcase interventions and programs developed by underrepresented investigators to confront the challenges of HIV prevention and care among underserved populations. Researchers are invited to submit original articles, short reports, reviews, case studies, short communications, and/or commentary articles for consideration by November 30.

ID Week 2025 | October 19-22 | Atlanta, Georgia

International Workshop on Aging and HIV | October 23-24 | Hybrid format, Washington, DC, USA

International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA) | December 3-8 | Accra, Ghana

Regional Conference on Advancing Public Health Through Implementation Science | December 6-7 | Doha, Qatar

Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) | February 22-25, 2026 | Denver, Colorado, USA 

AIDSWatch | March 16-18, 2026 | Washington, DC, USA
** Organizers are accepting workshop proposals now (through October 31) **

Consortium of Universities in Global Health Annual Conference | April 9-12 | Washington, DC, USA
** Organizers are accepting abstracts now (through October 15) **

Have news, events, or opportunities to share? Email April Houston to include it in next month’s issue!

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Photo credits for "What's New?" section (top to bottom):  Alexander Schimmeck on Unsplash,  Brett Jordan on Unsplash, courtesy Dejanae Chapman, April Houston (WashU/Midwest D-CFAR), courtesy Kneeshe Parkinson (WashU/Midwest D-CFAR)