The Center for Telehealth Research and Policy (C-TRaP), which opened this month, will conduct interrelated studies with the goal of integrating machine learning, federated data science, and implementation research to develop predictive, secure, and generalizable tools for evaluating and optimizing rural telehealth delivery. Dima Dandachi, co-director of the Midwest D-CFAR's Scientific Working Group is deputy director of the new center, alongside primary investigator Mirna Becevic.

With the new academic year comes some staff transitions at our Center! While we bid farewell to Samuel Kizito, Liang Shan, and Fred Ssewamala as they pursue new opportunities, we are pleased to share that Patricia Cavazos-Rehg has assumed the role of director of the Developmental Core, having previously served as co-director. Additionally, George Kyei is now leading the Advanced Technology Core as director, stepping up from his former position as co-director. We extend our heartfelt thanks to those departing for their invaluable contributions and warmly welcome our new directors in their expanded roles.

These guidelines provide new and updated recommendations to support long-term health needs for people living with HIV over the life course, paying attention to detecting and managing noncommunicable diseases (especially diabetes and hypertension) and providing support for mental health and alcohol and substance use disorders.

Michael Durkin takes on leadership role at the St. Louis VA

Michael Durkin, director of the Midwest D-CFAR’s Scientific Working Group and associate professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at WashU was selected as the new Section Chief of Infectious Diseases at the John J. Cochran Veterans Medical Center.

Midwest D-CFAR investigator joins AIDS Malignancy Consortium 

Dorothy Mangale, a postdoctoral research associate at WashU, has been selected to participate in the AIDS Malignancy Consortium (AMC)’s prestigious Career Enhancement Program as an AMC Scholar for the 2025-2026 term. The AMC is a national clinical trials group that aims to reduce the incidence, morbidity, and mortality of cancers occurring in people living with HIV. Congratulations, Dorothy!

Lindsey Filiatreau discusses her work expanding on HIV and mental health

Midwest D-CFAR member Lindsey Filiatreau, PhD, was featured on the WashU School of Public Health website recently in a Q&A focused on her career journey.

Read it here.

BACH2 promotes seeding and establishment of long-lived HIV-1 reservoir in memory CD4+ T cells. Cell Reports. 

Even with antiretroviral therapy, HIV persists in long-lived memory CD4+ T cells, seeded early during infection. A recent study shows that the transcription factor BACH2 plays a critical role in this process by reversing terminal differentiation in CCR5+ T cells, making them more susceptible to becoming viral reservoirs. In mouse models, knocking out BACH2 reduced reservoir formation and prevented viral rebound after treatment interruption. These findings position BACH2 as a key driver of HIV reservoir establishment—and a promising target for strategies aimed at achieving a functional cure. Authors include Rachel Presti and Liang Shan.

Drug-drug interaction between dolutegravir and artemether-lumefantrine in HIV and malaria mono- and co-infections: a pharmacogenetic analysis from Ghana. AIDS Research and Therapy. 

This study from Ghana highlights important drug–drug interactions in people with HIV–malaria co-infection. Researchers found that co-administration of artemether-lumefantrine and dolutegravir (DTG) led to reduced plasma concentrations of both drugs, influenced by genetic variations in key metabolizing enzymes. While malaria clearance was achieved by day 7, lower DTG and lumefantrine levels raise concerns about long-term treatment effectiveness and the risk of sub-optimal outcomes. These findings emphasize the need to consider pharmacogenetics and potential drug interactions when managing co-infected patients in sub-Saharan Africa. Authors include George Kyei.

Identifying care gaps along the HIV treatment failure cascade: A multistate analysis of viral load monitoring, re-suppression, and regimen switches in Zambia. PLOS Medicine. 

A recent analysis of Zambia’s national HIV health records highlights persistent delays in responding to treatment failure, which is critical for achieving viral re-suppression. Among over 7,900 adults with treatment failure, most returned for follow-up within six months, but many experienced interruptions, missed repeat viral load (VL) tests, or delayed switches to second-line therapy. Encouragingly, patients on the dolutegravir-based regimen (TLD) had much higher rates of re-suppression compared to those on efavirenz-based therapy (TLE). However, systemic and client-level barriers—such as delayed VL monitoring and gaps in adherence support—remain major challenges. The findings underscore the urgent need for strategies that strengthen both patient engagement and health system responsiveness to improve HIV outcomes in the TLD era. Authors include Elvin Geng and Aaloke Mody.

From Crisis to Connection: HIV Care Telehealth as an Antidote to Loneliness During the COVID-19 Stay-at-Home Era. AIDS and Behavior. 

Researchers found that retention rates for HIV care improved during the pandemic, and people visited the clinic more frequently. The study shows that the clinic's HIV care model helped patients improve their health during the stay-at-home period. Patients who actively participated in their care felt empowered to take charge of their health and personal goals. Their good relationships with the clinic staff led to better understanding and adoption of COVID-19 precautions. However, these precautions also caused feelings of isolation, anxiety, and other issues. Authors include Julia López.

(all events listed in central time)

SWG/SAC potluck and social
4-8pm | In-person (St. Louis)

Now open to all!

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

24 Hours to Save AIDS Research livestream
starting at 11am | Virtual (YouTube)

Merck Investigator Studies Program info session
2-3pm | In-person (St. Louis)

Special seminar: Communication planning for researchers
2-3pm | Virtual (Zoom)

Conversation with distinguished visiting scholar, Elizabeth Bukusi: The future of HIV prevention
12-1pm | In-person (St. Louis)

Lunch will be provided.

See full listing of events on midwestdcfar.org

NIH OAR workshop for early career investigators in HIV
This workshop, held on Friday, September 26, will give attendees the opportunity to learn about the NIH HIV research program, understand recent changes to NIH funding opportunities and the grant application process, discover NIH resources to support the independence of early career investigators, network with fellow HIV researchers, and engage with NIH staff. Learn more and register in advance on the OAR website.

Grant-o-thon grant writing workshop
UNC, in co-sponsorship with the INSPIRE Center, is hosting an eight-week interactive training series focused on NIH R-type grants October 7-November 25. The workshop features expert lectures from NIH investigators (including our Center co-director, Juliet Iwelunmor!) and small group mentoring with hands-on feedback. Participants will refine their specific aims into strong proposals while building collaboration and mentorship skills. Register by September 15.

WashU D&I Bootcamp
Researchers – do you have a dissemination and implementation science proposal or aim of a proposal in the works? Or do you have an idea for one? Get feedback from experts at WashU’s annual D&I Bootcamp! WashU-led research teams can submit a concept paper, including those with external collaborators. Submit your concept paper for consideration by September 22.

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
** The call for abstracts is now open (through October 1) **

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

Share your wisdom and help out your colleagues! This month, we are crowd-sourcing answers to this question:

What strategies should I use to ensure meaningful participation of community members in my research studies?

Submit your answers by responding to our posts on LinkedIn, X, or BlueSky, or email them to admin@midwestdcfar.org for your chance to be featured in next month’s newsletter!  

Find answers to our previous question (how do I build a solid professional network within the HIV research community?) here.