More than 6,000 HIV professionals will be in Paris, July 23−26, for the 9th biennial IAS Conference on HIV Science (IAS 2017), the largest open scientific conference of its kind.
Forty-two amfAR-funded researchers will give talks on their recent findings, and another 49, including seven TREAT Asia investigators, will have abstract or poster presentations.
“We’re at a critical juncture in HIV research,” said Linda-Gail Bekker, conference chair and president of the International AIDS Society (IAS). “Despite the remarkable scientific progress made, there are many roadblocks slowing its implementation. Now is the time for science to drive our progress forward.”
Organized by IAS in partnership with the ANRS (the French National Agency for Research on AIDS and Viral Hepatitis), IAS 2017 will examine the latest scientific developments in HIV-related research, including therapeutic and preventive vaccines, immune-based therapies, and the eradication of the HIV reservoir, considered the main barrier to a cure. Several of the events will be live streamed on the conference site.
Among numerous events taking place with amfAR’s involvement, on July 23, amfAR’s Public Policy Office will be co-sponsoring a two-hour satellite session, with FHI 360/Linkages, USAID, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, titled “Better Data, Better Programmes: How Implementation Science is Transforming the HIV Response for Key Populations.”
On July 25, amfAR Chairman Kenneth Cole, founder of the newly launched End AIDS Coalition (EAC), will be moderating a high-level discussion with panelists including UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé, Marijke Wijnroks, the Global Fund’s interim executive director, and Ambassador Dr. Deborah Birx, U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator.
amfAR’s TREAT Asia network will also be well represented. Dr. Nittaya Phanuphak of the Thai Red Cross AIDS Research Centre in Bangkok is on the epidemiology and prevention research planning committee, and Dr. Adeeba Kamarulzaman of the University of Malaya is on the implementation research planning committee. TREAT Asia Director Dr. Annette Sohn will co-chair various sessions and facilitate workshops.
Click here to read more about TREAT Asia at IAS 2017.