Messages from NIAID

Next Steps on Refining the NIH HIV Clinical Research Enterprise

By Carl W. Dieffenbach, Director of the Division of AIDS, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health

March 1, 2018

As 2018 unfolds, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) continues to plan the future of HIV clinical trial research for the next decade. Every seven years, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) re-evaluates and competitively renews its funding for the HIV clinical research networks operating in the United States and internationally. By establishing a forward-looking agenda to guide this process, NIH is determining the focus and priorities of its HIV networks through 2027. 

Refining the Maternal and Pediatric Research Agenda: 2020 and Beyond

By Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; and Diana W. Bianchi, M.D., Director, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

November 14, 2017

As we refine the science-driven HIV clinical research enterprise, we find ourselves at a pivotal moment for the future of maternal and pediatric HIV/AIDS research. Last year, the NIH-supported IMPAACT Network presented research results demonstrating unequivocally that early antiretroviral treatment for women protects their health and prevents transmission of HIV to their babies in utero, during birth and while breastfeeding. This breakthrough sets the stage to tackle other pressing concerns for women and children.

Positioning Topical HIV Prevention for the Future

By Carl W. Dieffenbach, Ph.D., director, Division of AIDS, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health

October 2, 2017

Microbicides have been viewed as an important and potentially revolutionary way to protect women and men from sexual acquisition of HIV. Investigational preventive microbicides contain anti-HIV drugs, and are applied to the vagina via sponges, gels, creams, rings or suppositories, and the rectum via douches, gels or creams. These types of delivery mechanisms allow for the active ingredient to bathe the area, conceivably providing protection.

Focusing the Science-Driven HIV Research Enterprise

By Carl W. Dieffenbach, Ph.D., director, Division of AIDS, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health

September 11, 2017

Take a moment to imagine the future of the HIV pandemic, and how we as the research community can make that future better. Do you envision that 10 years from now, we have long-acting prevention and treatment strategies that are effective for at least 6 months, or an HIV vaccine with efficacy greater than 60 percent? Perhaps you see a functional cure in a large percentage of people living with HIV, a reduced burden of TB co-infection and non-infectious co-morbidities, or normal life expectancies for antiretroviral therapy (ART)-treated people.

Thought Starter: Filling the Gaps in HIV Prevention Research

By Carl W. Dieffenbach, Ph.D., director, Division of AIDS, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health

May 12, 2017

Since the previous round of renewals for the NIH clinical trials networks, the approach to global HIV prevention has been marked by dramatic change. The ambitious scale-up of treatment and new options for prevention have transformed the HIV landscape both for those at risk of acquiring the disease and for researchers investigating new ways to prevent HIV infection.

Conversation Starters: How to Turn the Corner on the HIV/AIDS Pandemic

By Carl W. Dieffenbach, Ph.D., director, Division of AIDS, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health

March 20, 2017

Refining the HIV/AIDS research enterprise requires that we plan for the future. Our thinking today about the focus and priorities of the NIH HIV clinical trial networks will shape the direction of NIH clinical research through the year 2027. Planning for the next decade offers an exciting opportunity to “think big” about new opportunities for innovation and discovery. On a more granular level, this period is also an opportunity to reevaluate some of the ways in which we do business, and to ensure that processes and policies best support safety, science, and the stewardship of public funds.

Turning the Corner on the HIV/AIDS Pandemic: Refining the Science-Driven HIV Clinical Research Enterprise

By Carl W. Dieffenbach, Ph.D., director, Division of AIDS, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health

February 7, 2017

Since the beginning of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has advanced understanding of disease mechanisms and used basic science to create opportunities for the discovery, development, and clinical evaluation of novel prevention and treatment strategies. With this approach, the scientific community has created an array of effective tools to treat and prevent HIV infection. Over the last 30 years, these interventions have been made better and safer. We now have many of the tools to begin to draw this pandemic to a close, although significant challenges remain in delivering treatments and methods of prevention to the people who need them most.

Content last reviewed on