The Inter-CFAR Collaboration on HIV Research in Women Working Group is a network of CFAR investigators dedicated to promoting cutting-edge science in HIV research and women, developing new strategies for future research to address HIV-related issues unique to women, and promoting career development and professional growth among junior investigators interested in this field. We are interested in addressing issues relevant to HIV and women at both a domestic and international level.
The working group has identified the following areas of interest:
- Networking among investigators with similar research interests
- Developing collaborative grant proposals
- Merging existing research cohorts
- Mentoring and reviewing grant proposals in development
- Meeting biennial at research symposia
- External review for CFAR Developmental Awards related to women and HIV
Membership
An executive committee representing each of the CFARs meets regularly to guide the direction and activities of the working group.
Membership of the working group is available to all investigators at CFAR institutions. Members of the working group are able to participate in annual symposia, access collaborators and cohorts within the network, participate or access external reviews for developmental proposals and pursue collaborative initiatives with other members of the working group.
As a member, you will become part of a community that is committed to working collectively towards the goals. The goal of this community is to facilitate collaboration and mentorship between the members. We have divided our membership into two categories:
- Members: Experienced researchers who will find other members in the community with whom they can collaborate. Members will also benefit from partnerships with scholars who are looking for positions assisting with projects. We will also capitalize on the expertise of our members by asking them to participate in grant reviews, mentoring, or helping to develop programs.
- Scholars: Students or members of the greater community interested in mentorship, projects that will further their studies or careers, and improve engagement.
If you are interested in applying for membership, please complete our membership form (please be prepared to send in a biosketch in either .doc or .pdf format):
News & Events
Highlights from CROI 2025
Members of the Inter-CFAR Collaboration on HIV Research in Women Working Group who were attending CROI joined in poster walks on the first two days of CROI, visiting posters of other Working Group members. New connections were formed, creating opportunities for collaborations. It also provided an opportunity for early career investigators to present their posters in detail to an attentive audience and answer questions. Look for a similar event at the 13th IAS Conference on HIV Science to be held in Kigali, Rwanda in July 2025. Additionally, don’t miss the opportunity to watch Rebecca Denison’s amazing talk from the opening session.
CROI 2025 Information for Working Group Members
For those of you attending in person or virtually, we wanted to share with you days and times when some of our working group members will be giving oral presentations or presenting their posters. Oral presentations will occur at 10 am PT on the days indicated below, whereas posters will be staffed by the author team between 2:30 pm and 4:00 pm PT on the days indicated below (see pdf).
A key goal of the working group is to provide networking opportunities. Therefore, if you are interested, we will conduct poster walks on Monday and Tuesday, starting at poster 1015 on Monday and at poster 659 on Tuesday. If you are interested in joining the poster walk on either day, please email Kate Powis (kpowis@mgh.harvard.edu).
Working Group Webinars
- MARCH 13, 2024: Featured two talks “HPV Elimination – Let’s not let inequity stand in our way” by Nelly Mugo & “InSTI Switch During Menopause Is Associated With Accelerated Body Composition Change” by Rebecca Abelman. The recording can be found on the HU CFAR YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/4ReBFlDNRfY or you can view it below.
- JUNE 12, 2024: Featured two talks “US Perinatal HIV Guidelines key updates” by Andrea Ciaranello, MD, MPH & “Pregnancy considerations and the OI guidelines” by Sylvia LaCourse, MD, MPH. The recording can be found on the HU CFAR YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/kYCP_c_Qkw4?si=0ANudT_ndouhYZ0N or you can view it below.
- September 11, 2024: Featured two talks “Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risks and Mechanisms among Women with HIV” by Markella Zanni, MD & “Anal cancer prevention in women with HIV” by Joel Palefsky, MD, C.M., F.R.C.P.(C). The recording can be found on the HU CFAR YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/RCsiVoW-XHw or you can view it below.
- December 11, 2024: Featured two talks “Implementation of long-acting cabotegravir PrEP on the maternity ward in Botswana: preliminary results of uptake and acceptance” by Dr. Rebecca Zash & “Everything & Nothing: Making the Case for Centering Women & Girls in HIV Prevention” by Dazon Dixon Diallo. The recording can be found on the HU CFAR YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/RCsiVoW-XHw or you can view it below.
- April 9, 2025: Featured a talk from Dr. Lynne M. Mofenson titled “CROI 2025 Selected Pediatric, Pregnancy- and PMTCT-Related Abstracts.” The recording and can be found on the HU CFAR YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nmn-at0nws or you can view it below with the slides presented.
Women and HIV Symposium
A sub-committee of the Inter-CFAR Collaboration on HIV Research in Women, comprised of National Institutes of Health (NIH) members and representatives from the individual CFARs, is responsible for organization and implementation of the CFAR Symposium on HIV Research in Women. The goal of the program is to identify gaps in knowledge in HIV and women’s research and generate collaborative activity between CFARs and other research networks. The Symposium features opportunities for early career investigators including travel scholarships, oral and poster presentations, mentoring meetings, and networking sessions.