Fiocruz researcher becomes president of IAS

Beatriz Grinsztejn, an infectious disease physician and researcher of the Evandro Chagas National Infectiology Institute (INI/Fiocruz) took office yesterday (August 2nd) as the elected president of the International Aids Society(IAS) for the 2024-2026 period. Grinsztejn is the first Latin American woman to hold the post. The announcement was made during the ending ceremony of the 24th International AIDS Conference, in Montreal (Canada) - an event organized by the IAS and which is considered the most important international meeting for the scientific community, social activists and government administrators in the area. The acting president is the Australian infectologist Sharon Lewin, director of the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity.

Beatriz Grinztejn (photo Paula Reges - INI/Fiocruz)

With a medical degree from Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), she has a master’s and a doctor’s degree in Infectious and Parasitic Diseases by the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ). She has dedicated her career to Clinical Research on Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, particularly the study of HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment, coinfections and associated diseases. Among her contributions, important research for the LGBTI+ community stand out, such as the one that subsidizes the implementation of the Pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV (PrEP) in Brazil.

In addition to leading the Clinical Research Laboratory for STDs and AIDS of the INI, she is also a professor for the stricto sensu graduation course of the Institute. The leader of the HIV/AIDS Clinical and Epidemiological Research Group (CNPq Directory of Research Groups), she is also a consultant for the Ministry of Health, where she is part of the Auxiliary Commission for the Handling of HIV Infection in Adults (CAA).

At the international level, she is a member of the council of the International Aids Society (IAS), a member of the HIV/AIDS Adult Guidelines Development Group, of the World Health Organization, of the Therapeutic Advisory Committee of the Pan-American Health Organization, and of research networks of the NIAID/NIH (USA) such as the AIDS Clinical Trials Group and the HIV Prevention Trials Network and the Covid-19 Prevention Network. She is also a member of the Executive Board of the Aids Clinical Trials Group, a member of the International Advisory Board of the publications The Lancet HIV and
Journal of the International AIDS Society. In May last year, she was granted the Ward Cates Spirit Award by the HIV Prevention Tests Network (HPTN).

International Aids Society

Founded in 1988, IAS is the largest association of professionals in the area and gathers over 12,000 researchers, health workers, managers and social movements representatives from 170 countries that work on all fronts to globally reduce the impact of HIV.