
Emory CFAR at CROI 2023
Incredible Showing by Emory University at CROI 2023
Emory University is well-represented at this year’s Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) with 57 presentations — 19 talks (four of which are invited) and 38 posters — featuring Emory faculty, students, and staff. Please use the spreadsheet below as a guide to support your fellow Emory CFAR Members by attending their sessions and Q&A. We also invite you to follow along with us on Twitter (@EmoryCFAR) for daily tweets featuring Emory CFAR Member presentations!
We are pleased to highlight the following Emory CFAR Member who received a prestigious New Investigator Scholarship this year. Join us in congratulating: Bhrugu Yagnik.
On behalf of the Emory CFAR, congratulations to all of you who are representing Emory University at #CROI2023!

Call for Concept Proposals for 2023 NIH CFAR Ending the HIV Epidemic Supplement-Funded Research Projects
NOTICE OF SPECIAL INTEREST (NOSI): 2023 NIH CFAR Ending the HIV Epidemic Supplements
The Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) at Emory University is soliciting concept proposals for supplemental grant applications in response to the 2023 NIH CFAR Ending the HIV Epidemic Funding Opportunity. CFAR Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) Supplements are up to $150,000 (direct cost) per year for up to two years. Proposals must be in response to one of the following four topics:
EHE Scientific Topics for 2023:
1. Syndemic Approaches to HIV Prevention, Treatment or Care:
- using syndemic theory and approaches to (a) increase focus on intersecting diseases and social conditions that exacerbate health inequities, and (b) enhance the evidence base for effective successful approaches to assess, monitor, and intervene with respect to these intersections for optimal outcomes in HIV prevention or treatment
2. Leveraging Pharmacies to Advance HIV Testing, Prevention, and Care:
- research projects designed to further capacitate, field, and scale the routine delivery of HIV testing, prevention, and care services through pharmacists and pharmacy settings in the U.S.
3. Strategies to Improve Linkage to HIV Care and Services Post-Incarceration:
- improving linkage and connection to mental health, substance use, social services, housing, job services, HIV care, and any other community resources post-incarceration; The goals are to optimize timely linkage to HIV care, retention, and viral suppression among people living with HIV (PLWH) re-entering their communities.
4. Cluster Detection and Response Strategies:
- using cluster detection and response strategies to address identified service gaps, reduce HIV-related health disparities, and contain outbreaks
MORE INFORMATION ON THESE TOPICS CAN BE FOUND IN THE NIH CFAR NOSI LINKED AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE.
Applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria.
ELIGIBILITY:
- Faculty or faculty-equivalent position with a full-time appointment at Emory University as of award start date (anticipated June 1, 2023);
- And, eligibility to be PI on an NIH R-level grant
IMPLEMENTING PARTNER REQUIREMENT:
Applicants must collaborate with an implementing partner(s) located in one of 57 priority jurisdictions for EHE. Implementing partners can include community, local, county and state health departments, community-based organizations, and clinics receiving funds from the CDC, HRSA, SAMHSA, or IHS. NIH CFAR EHE Supplement reserach projects should be developed by a team of CFAR investigators, community partners, implementing partners, and people with lived experience to support the local ending the HIV epidemic plans.
DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION: February 3, 2023 by MIDNIGHT EST
APPLICATION PROCESS
Interested applicants must complete THIS ONLINE FORM to submit their one-page concept proposals as a single PDF document by midnight EST on Friday, February 3, 2023.
Concept proposal PDFs must include the following:
1. brief scientific rationale
2. proposed specific aims
3. relevance to the CFAR EHE Supplement scientific topic selected (see 1-4 above)
4. proposal’s potential to impact local EHE efforts
The CFAR Leadership will review submitted applications to select those which will be invited to submit a full application to NIH. A member of the Emory CFAR Administrative Core will contact all applicants by February 10th regarding the review outcome and to support those who were seelected to move forward in the appication process.
Please contact Shelle Bryant (sbryant@emory.edu) with any questions regarding this process.

Emory CFAR at ID Week 2022
Emory University at ID Week 2022
Emory University is well-represented at the ID Week 2022 conference with 47 presentations — 24 talks or panels and 23 posters — featuring Emory faculty, students, and staff. Please use the full spreadsheet of presentations below as a guide to support your fellow Emory CFAR Members by tuning in for their sessions and Q&A. We also invite you to follow along with us on Twitter (@EmoryCFAR) for daily tweets featuring Emory CFAR Member-led and/or HIV-related presentations!
Kudos to the conference planning committee, including Emory CFAR Members, Carlos del Rio, Colleen Kelley, and Nadine Rouphael on an exciting line-up.
On behalf of the Emory CFAR, congratulations to all of you who are representing Emory at #IDWeek2022!

Emory CFAR Members Receive R01 from NIH NIDCR to Accelerate Search for Novel Biomarkers for Oral HPV Infection Among People Living with HIV
Emory University is awarded 3.9 million ($3,930,416 from 2022 to 2027) from the National Institutes of Health (NIH, NIDCR) for a new R01 to accelerate the search for novel biomarkers for oral human papillomavirus (HPV) infection among people living with HIV. The principal investigators, Canhua Xiao, PhD, RN, FAAN is an Associate professor in the School of Nursing, and Lisa Flowers, MD, MPH is a Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Emory University School of Medicine.
HPV infection has been identified as a definite human carcinogen for oropharyngeal cancer. People living with HIV (PLWH) have a much higher rate of oral HPV infection and oropharyngeal cancer than the general population. Yet, the etiology and pathophysiology of oral HPV infection in PWH are not well-documented. Therefore, the collaboratory team will examine the associations among oral microbiome, periodontal diseases, and oral HPV infection. In addition, the team to identify and harness the unique immunological underpinnings of oral HPV infection in people with HIV. The immunological analysis of this study will be conducted by the study Co-investigator Vijayakumar Velu, PhD an immunologist, Assistant Professor from Emory Vaccine Center and Emory National Primate Center. Other Co-investigators are Drs. David Reznik, Deborah Bruner, Sudeshna Paul, Timonthy D. Read, Minh Ly T. Nguyen, Terryl Hartman, Elizabeth Unger, and Gypsyamber D’Souza. The findings may indicate new biomarkers and novel therapeutic targets for preventing and managing oral HPV infection.

The study leaders are (left to right) Canhua Xiao, PhD, RN, FAAN; Lisa Flowers, MD, MPH; and Vijayakumar Velu, PhD.