CFAR receives a five-year renewal grant to continue AIDS research

CFAR granted five-year extension to continue AIDS research

The Case Western Reserve University/University Hospitals Case Medical Center Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) announced today it has received a five-year renewal grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for $9 million. The CFAR provides clinical and technological support to researchers working on HIV-related projects at Case Western Reserve, University Hospital Case Medical Center, MetroHealth Medical Center, Cleveland Clinic, and several international sites.

"For the last sixteen years the Case Western Reserve University/University Hospitals Case Medical Center CFAR has been a leader in the advancement of AIDS-related research worldwide," says Jonathan Karn, PhD, the Reinberger Professor of Molecular Biology, Chair of the Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, and Director of the Case Western Reserve University/University Hospitals Case Medical Center CFAR. "With the five-year extension of this grant, we look forward to expanding our research into questions of how HIV causes disease, how to develop new strategies to eradicate the virus from infected individuals, and how to limit transmission of the virus. We will also continue to develop our outstanding programs on HIV in Africa, building on our 20 year collaboration with Makerere University in Uganda, and our unique national and international clinical research capabilities."

The funding will also support new initiatives on links between HIV and cancer. The CFAR takes a leading role in faculty development by providing research awards to junior faculty and core support for HIV/AIDS research programs at Case Western Reserve. One of the most distinguished centers at the University, and rated in the top 20 AIDS programs nationwide, the CFAR renewal is a reflection of the advancements made in the translational research of an ever-expanding spectrum of AIDS-related activities which now engage the efforts of more than 160 faculty with a combined annual research budget of $20 million.

"This welcome award recognizes the excellence in HIV/AIDS research and care that reflect the longstanding commitment of our institutions, our faculty and our staff to the challenges posed by this pandemic. The AIDS research and care program here in Cleveland is now entering its 29th year and for 23 years now has also sustained a major engagement in HIV research and care in the developing world that is so hard hit by the medical, social and fiscal tragedies of AIDS. The new directions of our CFAR are targeting the critical problems that now face persons with HIV infection worldwide and with this continued funding, the CFAR's research and care program is well positioned to advance the field of HIV/AIDS research with the shared goal of eradicating infection and ending its pandemic spread," says Michael Lederman, M.D., Scott R. Irkley Professor of Medicine at Case Western Reserve, infectious disease specialist at University Hospitals Case Medical Center and Associate Director of the CFAR.

There are currently 17 CFARs located at leading academic and research institutions throughout the U.S. which bring together the leading HIV investigators in the country. Within this elite group, the Case Western Reserve University/University Hospitals Case Medical Center CFAR is widely recognized for its leadership in HIV pathogenesis and international studies. Established in 1994, it has proactively engaged in clinical and international research in addition to the training of young researchers both on a national and international level. The CFAR works in conjunction with six other Case Western Reserve centers and departments including the Center for Global Heath and Disease, Tuberculosis Research Unit, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Center for Medical Mycology, Law-Medicine Center and Department of Bioethics.

Among the nation's leading academic medical centers, University Hospitals Case Medical Center is the primary affiliate of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, a nationally recognized leader in medical research and education.