Report of This Weekend's HIV Cure Workshop in Seattle

A couple of months ago a rag tag group of activist--including Project Inform (represented by myself), the Treatment Action Group (TAG) and the AIDS Treatment Activists Coalition (ATAC)--reached out to some of the world's leading HIV researchers and companies working on HIV cure research and asked them to spend an entire day with us talking about potential barriers to moving such research forward at the fastest possible pace.

We also asked them to tell us the things that people like us--ordinary people with HIV and their allies--could do to boost research momentum and progress. At first, we were worried they might not be willing to add yet another day to an already long conference, the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI), taking place the following week. Would they see activists as worthy allies? Would they consider our goal--to map out an advocacy agenda to increase and hasten HIV cure research--something worth spending their time on?

More here: Seattle HIV Cure Meeting Report

HIV Reservoirs and Cure Research Lecture at CROI 2012

The first presentation in this link shows Dr John Mellors speaking at the Conference of Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Seattle on March  5, 2012.  He did a great job at an overview of where we are in HIV Cure Research.

HIV Reservoirs and Cure Research Lecture

The Cure of HIV is Possible- But We Need Your Help

After attending a meeting sponsored by several organizations (TAG, AMFAR, Project Inform, the AIDS Policy Project) in Baltimore on April 20-21 this year, I came to the realization that we needed a video that would wake people up to the challenges ahead of us to get to a cure of HIV that is accessible and practical.  As most of you know, the case of Timothy Brown (aka The Berlin patient), a person who got cured of HIV and leukemia 5 years ago, has jolted a new energy and hope in the search for the cure.  But most people with HIV, policy makers and potential funding sources are not fully aware of this case and what the new movement for a search for a cure are all about.  So, I decided to travel around the country to interview key players in advancing this field to make a short video that could serve as a catalyst for awareness and change. This short video, done with a very low budget with the help of my activist friend Greg Fowler, is only part of a longer, more detailed documentary to be finished before World AIDS Day this year, the 30 year anniversary of the first AIDS cases. Please watch it and forward it to your friends.  Please follow the suggestions made in that video and become part of the cure! Everyone can do something now to raise awareness and funds not only for research but also for advocacy and education in this important new and expanding area.  I hope I can count on you.

Must-See Lecture by Dr Paula Cannon on HIV Cure Research

I am happy to announce that the lecture given by Dr Paula Cannon in Houston sponsored by the Center for AIDS has been uploaded (6 parts since youtube has upload limits)

I highly recommend watching this great lecture that explains the current status and future challenges in this important field.  Dr Cannon, a charming speaker, was able to beautifully digest the information in layman's terms for all to understand.

http://www.youtube.com/user/ProgramforWellness?feature=mhee#p/u/0/Iql5eRcKreM

 

Will You Be a Hero for the Cure?

I wrote an article to raise awareness in the patient community about the challenges ahead. I hope it is effective at walking up people to the ethical issues we are approaching.

http://www.thebody.com/content/art61881.html