MEET THE AWARD WINNERS
The HIVR4P // Virtual awards programme recognizes outstanding HIV prevention research, compelling advocacy to curtail the epidemic and exceptional commitments to safeguarding the human rights of people impacted by HIV.
Prof Michel Kazatchkine
Recipient of the Desmond Tutu Award for HIV Prevention and Human Rights
Across more than 35 years of work, this year’s Desmond Tutu award recipient, Prof Michel Kazatchkine, has been an unparalleled champion for efforts to ensure that respect for human rights is central to global responses to the epidemic. Professor Kazatchkine has served as Director of the ANRS in France and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, Director of Research at INSERM, the UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy on HIV/AIDS in Eastern Europe and Central Asia and in critical roles at UNAIDS, WHO and the Global Commission on Drug Policy. In each of these, he has consistently placed at the forefront of his efforts the needs of people affected by the epidemic – including people who use drugs, migrants, survivors of conflict and humanitarian crises and others too often stigmatized and shunned by governments, healthcare systems and law enforcement.
Prof Nelly Mugo
Recipient of the Gita Ramjee Prize co-presented by IAS and The Aurum Institute
The inaugural Gita Ramjee Prize is awarded to Prof Nelly Mugo of the University of Washington, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Centre For Clinical Research, Kenya. Professor Mugo is a reproductive health specialist with more than 27 years’ experience, focusing on HIV, sexually transmitted infection and cervical cancer prevention. She was selected for her HVR4P presentation, “Randomized, placebo-controlled trial of safety, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of 90-day intravaginal rings (IVRs) releasing tenofovir (TFV) with and without levonorgestrel (LNG) among women in Western Kenya.”
Winifred Ikilai
Recipient of the Omololu Falobi Award for Excellence in HIV Prevention Research Community Advocacy presented by JAAIDS, AVAC, IRMA and NHVMAS
The recipient of the Omololu Falobi Award is Winifred Ikilai of the National Forum of People Living with HIV and AIDS Networks in Uganda (NAFOPHANU). Despite the unique challenges presented by COVID-19, this courageous and inspiring young advocate developed creative messages and used multiple mediums and online platforms to engage civil society in Uganda and regionally in important conversations about the dapivirine vaginal ring, HIV vaccines, injectable PrEP and the urgent need to maintain a focus on HIV prevention. Winifred helped develop the “Beyond My Pill Campaign” to advocate for effective implementation of test and treat, and was an effective and outspoken advocate for three-month refills and access to food support for people living with HIV.
New Investigator Awards
The recipients of New Investigator Awards at HIVR4P // Virtual are:
- Luis Romero of IrsiCaixa, Spain for the abstract, “Role of HLA-E antigen presentation on NK control of HIV infection”
- Annabell Dollah of KEMRI/RCTP, Kenya for the abstract, “I just decided to stop:” Understanding PrEP discontinuation among individuals initiating PrEP in HIV care centers in Kenya and its implications for a public health approach to prevention”
- Jacob Files of University of Alabama at Birmingham, United States for the abstract, “Impact of HLA-II associated HIV-1 adaptations on vaccine-induced CD4 T-cell immune responses”
- Nathifa Moyo of the University of Oxford, United Kingdom for the abstract, “Tetravalent immunogen assembled from conserved regions of HIV-1 and delivered as mRNA demonstrates potent preclinical T-cell immunogenicity and breadth”
- Alexandra Hauser of University of Regensburg, Germany for the abstract, “In vitro and in vivo analyses of HIV-1 clade C Envelope trimers highlight optimal antigenic profiles of novel HIV-1 Env-based vaccine candidates”
- Michael Traeger of the Burnet Institute, Australia for the abstract, “Trends in incidence of bacterial sexually transmitted infections among gay and bisexual men using PrEP in Australia.”
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