Co-Chairs announced for HIVR4P 2020, the world’s only scientific meeting dedicated exclusively to biomedical HIV prevention

21 February 2019 (Geneva, Switzerland) – The International AIDS Society (IAS), secretariat for the 4th biennial HIV Research for Prevention (HIVR4P 2020) conference, has announced the appointment of five international leaders in HIV prevention research, implementation and advocacy as Co-Chairs for the meeting.

The conference Co-Chairs will guide the development of HIVR4P 2020, to be held in Cape Town, South Africa, on 11-15 October 2020. The IAS assumes the role of HIVR4P conference secretariat as part of its collaboration with the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise, which organized the first three HIVR4P conferences.

“Since 2014, the biennial HIVR4P conference has brought together leaders in every field of biomedical HIV prevention – from vaccines to PrEP to emerging, long-acting strategies – to address both cross-cutting challenges in the field and the research, policy and implementation issues specific to each prevention approach,” IAS President Anton Pozniak said. “Guided by these outstanding Co-Chairs, HIVR4P 2020 will continue to be one of the most innovative, integrated and collaborative conferences in the field.”

The HIVR4P 2020 Co-Chairs announced today are:

Linda-Gail Bekker – Deputy Director of the Desmond Tutu HIV Centre at the Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, and Chief Operating Officer of the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation.

Pontiano Kaleebu – Director of the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) and Director of Medical Research Council (MRC)/UVRI and London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Uganda Research Unit.

Sheena McCormack – Senior Clinical Scientist at the MRC Clinical Trials Unit at University College London.

David O’Connor – Medical Foundation Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Chair of the Global Infectious Diseases division of the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center.

Mitchell Warren – Executive Director of AVAC: Global Advocacy for HIV Prevention.

Bios of the Co-Chairs are available here.

Together, the Co-Chairs will guide the HIVR4P 2020 Programme Organizing Committee to: develop the conference theme, vision and programme; review research abstracts and scholarship applications; select conference award winners; support the meeting’s outreach and fundraising efforts; and ensure that HIVR4P continues to move the global HIV prevention paradigm forward. “The IAS is excited to take on the role of secretariat for HIVR4P 2020 at this critical moment in HIV prevention research and implementation,” IAS Executive Director Kevin Osborne said. “These co-chairs represent expertise across prevention research, science, and community that will advance the evidence-informed, human rights-based approaches that can help make the enormous promise of biomedical HIV prevention available to all.”

About the International AIDS Society: The mission of the International AIDS Society (IAS) is to lead collective action on every front of the global HIV response through its membership base, scientific authority and convening power. Founded in 1988, the IAS is the world’s largest association of HIV professionals, with members from more than 160 countries working on all fronts of the global response to HIV. Together, we advocate and drive urgent action to reduce the global impact of HIV. The IAS is also the steward of the world’s two most prestigious HIV conferences: the International AIDS Conference and the IAS Conference on HIV Science. For more information, visit www.iasociety.org.