Fiocruz researcher receives award from the HIV Vaccine Network

Beatriz Grinsztejn, infectiologist and head of the Laboratory of Clinical Research in STD and AIDS of the National Institute of Infectiology (INI/Fiocruz), received last Thursday (5/5), the award HIV Vaccine Network Service Award, granted during a 2022 HVTN/CoVPN Full Group Meeting, in Washington, USA. The award was given in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the network. The HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN), based in Seattle, is the largest publicly funded clinical trials network in the world. Funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), it brings together more than 70 research centers on four continents.

The largest network of publicly funded clinical trials in the world, the HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) awarded an award to the infectious disease specialist at INI/Fiocruz, Beatriz Grinsztejn (photo: INI/ Fiocruz)

"Dr. Grinsztejn deserves this award for her 35 years of dedication to the care of people living with HIV/AIDS and the LGBTQI+ population. For her determination to bring her expertise gained in the most advanced studies in HIV prevention, for her leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic, and for supporting the COVPN network with technical guidance and conducting studies that have expanded scientific knowledge about a new disease of global impact," they highlighted on the big screen during the award ceremony.

They also emphasized that, "Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Grinsztejn has taken a crucial leadership role working to increase the representation of Latin American populations in COVID-19 research. Although the pandemic has imposed enormous challenges, her leadership has helped several centers achieve outstanding performance in Brazil."

Board Member at IAS

Graduated in Medicine at Universidade Federal Fluminense, Beatriz earned her Master's and PhD in Infectious and Parasitic Diseases at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. She has dedicated her career to Clinical Research in Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, mainly to the study of prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS, co-infections and associated comorbidities. Besides heading the Laboratory for Clinical Research in STD and AIDS at INI/Fiocruz, she also works as a professor in the Institute's Stricto sensu post-graduation course. Leader of the Clinical and Epidemiological Research Group on HIV/AIDS (CNPq Directory of Research Groups), she is also a consultant for the Ministry of Health, where she is a member of the Advisory Committee for the Management of HIV Infection in Adults (CAA). Grinsztejn holds the first place among Fiocruz researchers for having the largest number of articles published in academic journals.

Internationally, Beatriz is a board member of the International Aids Society (IAS), participates in the HIV/Aids Adult Guidelines Development Group, of the World Health Organization (WHO), of the Scientific Expert Panel, of UNAIDS, of the Therapeutic Advisory Committee of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), besides being part of research networks such as the AIDS Clinical Trials Group and the HIV Prevention Trials Network NIAID/NIH (USA). Beatriz is also a member of the Executive Committee of the Aids Clinical Trials Group, is part of the International Advisory Board and of the journals The Lancet HIV e Journal of the International Aids Society.

HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN)

The network is the result of a partnership among scientists, researchers, clinical research units, industry and governments in the search for a vaccine to prevent HIV. The HVTN develops clinical trials that evaluate the safety and immunogenicity (ability to stimulate immune responses) of products with potential to generate vaccines to the efficacy of new immunological.

*with information from the HVTN network and the Virtual Health Library (VHL)