Looking back on HIVR4P 2016

During the HIVR4P 2016 Conference, a biennial meeting dedicated to biomedical HIV prevention research held on October 17th to 21st, ACO hosted and facilitated two collaborative sessions.

Over 60 participants attended the satellite session, Beyond Viral Neutralization which featured experts who discussed the latest developments in the field of non-neutralizing effector function competent (nNeFC) anti-HIV-1 antibodies. We also hosted a Canadian Networking Breakfast which was well attended by HIV vaccine researchers.

ACO would like to thank all the people who participated in our events, and the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise for organizing a great conference. Webcasts and rapporteur daily summaries from the conference are now available on the HIVR4P website, visit www.hivr4p.org.

Researcher in Focus

ACO continues to feature Canadian researchers who are making an impact in HIV vaccine research and development. At the CAHR Conference held in Winnipeg, Manitoba (May 2016), HIV researcher John Heath, talked to us about his research on immunosenescence, inflammation, and chronic viral infections. John works in the lab of Dr. Michael Grant at Memorial University.

Watch the Video

Upcoming Event

Early- to Mid-Career Level Researcher Workshop: Navigating the New HIV Funding Landscape
Sunday, January 15 to Tuesday, January 17, 2017

The Canadian Association for HIV Research (CAHR) is pleased to announce that registration is now open for the Early- to Mid-Career Level HIV Researcher Workshop, which will focus on Navigating the New HIV Funding Landscape. This workshop will aim to enable researchers to succeed in the new Canadian research funding schemes, provide strategies for developing successful grant proposals, and explore research funding alternatives. This workshop will be held in partnership with the CHVI R&D ACO, CIHR, and Canfar.

More Information

In the News

Under collaboration, TSRI to test Yisheing’s adjuvant in HIV vaccines
fiercepharma.com, 07 November 2016

Seeking to address a top public health priority, The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) has teamed with China’s Yisheng Biopharma with hopes of advancing vaccine research against HIV. Through the deal, Scripps will test its vaccine technology in conjunction with Yisheng’s PIKA adjuvant. The biotech says its adjuvant has undergone Phase II testing in rabies and Phase I testing in hepatitis B with positive results thus far.

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Antibody VRC01 Safe, Only Modest Effect in Controlling HIV Without Antiretroviral Therapy
niaid.nih.gov, 09 November 2016

Infusions of an anti-HIV antibody known as VRC01 were shown to be safe and maintained intended antibody concentrations in the blood of people living with HIV, according to two related studies by scientists at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG).

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Announcements

IAS 2017 Abstract Mentor Programme (AMP)

The IAS Abstract Mentor Programme connects young and early career researchers with experienced researchers in the field of HIV, giving them a rare opportunity to receive constructive feedback on their abstracts before submitting them for the 9th IAS Conference on HIV Science (IAS 2017).

• Submit your abstract for mentoring
Want to showcase your work at the world’s largest open scientific conference on HIV and AIDS related issues? The International AIDS Society (IAS) wants to help. Draft abstracts can be submitted from 21 November 2016 until 10 January 2017. For more information visit the IAS website.

• Calling for Abstract Mentors
Help build the next generation of researchers and scientists. The AMP was introduced at the 15th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2004) with the objective to help young or less experienced researchers improve their abstracts before submitting them, in order to increase the chance of their work being presented at conferences. Learn more about the Abstract Mentor Programme and sign up to become a mentor.

Trans Priorities Project: Cross-Country Trans Women and HIV Research Priority Setting

Are you a researcher who conducts research about trans women’s health and/or HIV, or a service provider who works with trans women affected by HIV? The Trans Priorities Project would like to hear your thoughts about research priorities and information needs around trans women and HIV. Participate in the survey OR read more information on the Trans Priorities Project here.

New Research

IDS. 2016 Nov 9. [Epub ahead of print]
Modulation of innate and adaptive cellular immunity relevant to HIV-1 vaccine design by seminal plasma.
Selva KJ, Kent SK, Parsons MS.

J Empir Res Hum Res Ethics. 2016 Nov 8. Pii: 1556264616675202. [Epub ahead of print]
"...I’ve Gone Through This My Own Self, So I Practice What I Preach...": Strategies to Enhance Understanding and Other Valued Outcomes in HIV Vaccine Trials in South Africa.
Slack C, Thabethe S, Lindegger G, Matandika L, Newman PA, Kerr P, Wassenaar D, Roux S, Bekker LG.

J Virol. 2016 Oct 28;90(22):10065-10073. Print 2016 Nov 15.
Lineage-Specific Differences between the gp120 Inner Domain Layer 3 of Human Immunodeficiency Virus and That of Simian Immunodeficiency Virus.
Ding S, Medjahed H, Prévost J, Coutu M, Xiang SH, Finzi A.

Grants and Funding Opportunities

Canadian Institutes of Health Research
• CIHR-IAVI Research Partnership: Optimizing the VSV Vector towards an HIV Vaccine
APPLICATION DEADLINE: 2017-02-07

• Collaborative Centres of HIV/AIDS Community-Based Research
APPLICATION DEADLINE: 2017-02-07

• Master’s Award: 2016-2017 (Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarships)
APPLICATION DEADLINE: 2016-12-01

CIHR Canadian HIV Trials Network (CTN)
The CTN Postdoctoral Fellowship Awards Program facilitates research in HIV and related health conditions by providing funding to candidates who wish to write a trial protocol, research program, and develop and run their own trial. For more information and to download the application form, please visit the CTN website.

CAHR 2017 Red Ribbon Award
CAHR is pleased to announce that they are now accepting nominations for the 2017 Red Ribbon Award. Nomination deadline is December 12, 2016. For information, visit www.cahr-acrv.ca/red-ribbon-award.

Conferences

December 3 - 4, 2016
National HIV PrEP Summit
San Francisco, USA

December 6 - 8, 2016
12th Canadian Immunization Conference (CIC 2016)
Ottawa, CA

December 11-15, 2016
Antibody Engineering & Therapeutics
San Diego, USA

February 13 – 16, 2017
Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2017)
Seatlle, USA

March 26 – 30, 2017
Keystone Symposia: HIV Vaccines (C9)
Colorado, USA

May 1 – 4, 2017
Keystone Symposia: Modeling Viral Infections and Immunity (E1)
Colorado, USA
View list of Keystone Symposia meetings

See full list of conferences