Experts available to comment: Newswise — Wafaa El-Sadr, MD, MPH – A global leader in infectious diseases and public health and director of ICAP. More than 2.5 million people have received vital HIV care through ICAP and more than 1.4 million have received life-saving antiretroviral therapy through ICAP-supported programs. Dr. El-Sadr has led numerous studies that have furthered the understanding of the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and other infectious diseases. Here is the latest paper by Dr. El-Sadr and Dr. Miriam Rabkin: Addressing chronic diseases in protracted emergencies: Lessons from HIV for a new health imperative
At the conference, Dr. El-Sadr will be speaking on: strategies to address HIV infection among women, implementation science, and the use of prevention cascades to improve programs. Read more about Dr. El-Sadr.
Elaine Abrams, MD – Professor of epidemiology and pediatrics at Columbia and senior director for research at ICAP. Dr. Abrams leads a large research portfolio and is responsible for development and implementation of pediatric and perinatal prevention initiatives for ICAP programs in sub-Saharan Africa. She led the planning for the pre-meeting International Workshop on HIV Pediatrics. View full program Read more about Dr. Abrams. Jessica Justman, MD – Leading researcher on both domestic and international HIV prevention. Dr. Justman is the senior technical director at ICAP and focuses on population-based HIV impact assessment, as well as clinical trials of vaginal microbicides and other investigational agents for HIV prevention. Read more about Dr. Justman. Miriam Rabkin, MD, MPH – Associate professor of epidemiology and director for health systems strategies at ICAP. Dr. Rabkin focuses on HIV/AIDS care and health systems, quality improvement, and access to services in resource-limited settings. In Durban, Dr. Rabkin is speaking on two panels about differentiated care for HIV. Read more about Dr. Rabkin. Susan Michaels-Strasser, PhD, MPH, MSc — Senior implementation director & associate director for nursing programs at ICAP. Dr. Michaels-Strasser serves as principal investigator for a HRSA-funded, multi-country initiative to strengthen and expand nursing’s role as provider of frontline HIV care. She has served at senior management and training levels throughout Southern Africa. Her areas of expertise include pediatric care and support, nurse training, and use of point of care diagnostics. At Durban, Dr. Michaels-Strasser will present on expanding the role of nurses for achieving 90-90-90. Read more about Dr. Michaels-Strasser. Lisa Metsch, PhD – Internationally recognized leader in the prevention of HIV among substance abusers. Dr. Metsch brings a social science perspective to HIV prevention, including barriers to HIV testing among minorities, substance abusers, and gay men. A paper by Dr. Metsch published July 12th in JAMA’s themed issue on HIV/AIDS found that interventions including financial incentives to improve the health of HIV-positive people with substance use disorders did no better than usual treatment. Results showed no difference in rates of HIV viral suppression versus non-suppression in the 12 months following the trial. Read more about Dr. Metsch. Claude Mellins, PhD — Clinical psychologist with research and expertise in the psychosocial aspects of HIV. Dr. Mellins examines the neurodevelopment, mental health, and sexual and drug risk behavior in those affected by HIV. At Durban, she will be presenting her research on long-term treatment success for adolescents and young adults, and co-leading workshops on measuring antiretroviral therapy adherence, the long-term effects of living with HIV, and the affect of HIV exposure on children. Read more about Dr. Mellins. Richard Parker, PhD – Expert on the social and political aspects of HIV/AIDS. Dr. Parker is well known for his work on the politics of global health and on the role of social movements and community mobilization. At Durban, Dr. Parker will talk on HIV prevention literacy and the damaging effects of a narrowing HIV-prevention agenda. Read more about Dr. Parker. Patrick Wilson, PhD – Leading researcher on HIV risk and prevention, mental health, and substance use among men who have sex with men. Dr. Wilson also focuses on HIV treatment and adherence among HIV-positive youth and MSM. Read more about Dr. Wilson. Theo Sandfort, PhD – Leading international researcher with over 30 years of experience in quantitative and qualitative social science research in sexuality and HIV. Dr. Sandfort has conducted studies in Africa, Europe, and the U.S. on determinants of HIV risk in gay and bisexual men, sexual risk and health status in HIV-infected persons, and HIV prevention in the general population. In addition, he studied sexual orientation and mental health, sexual orientation and gender-role identity, and gay and lesbian stigma and discrimination. He is protocol chair of HPTN 075. Read more about Dr. Sandfort. Robert Fullilove, EdD – Expert on minority health. Dr. Fullilove is known for his work on HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections, substance abuse, and addiction and has been at the forefront of the charge to abolish the stigma, discrimination and criminalization of HIV. Read more about Dr. Fullilove. Ronald Bayer, PhD – Co-director of the Center for the History and Ethics of Public Health. Dr. Bayer is an expert on issues of social justice and ethical matters related to AIDS. Dr. Bayer has served on Institute of Medicine committees dealing with the social impact of AIDS, the Ryan White Care Act, tuberculosis elimination, and vaccine safety. Read more about Dr. Bayer. To schedule an interview before or during the conference, contact: Stephanie Berger, Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, 212-305-4372 or 917-734-8973, [email protected]
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