Fiocruz researchers awarded at an international conference on AIDS

The 12th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Science (IAS 2023) brought together thousands of researchers, scientists and experts in Brisbane, Australia, from July 23rd to 26th. The event was organized by the International AIDS Society (IAS) and brought the gold standard in studies on the theme. The works of researchers from the Evandro Chagas National Institute of Infectious Diseases (INI/Fiocruz), with the theme of the ImPrEP project, gained prominence and some were awarded. The project is coordinated by the Laboratory of Clinical Research on STDs and AIDS (LapCin Aids), with the director of the INI, infectologist Valdiléa Veloso, as the main researcher.

Pesquisadores da Fiocruz na 12ª Conferência da International Aids Society sobre Ciência do HIV (Foto: Mayara Secco)

One of the awards received was for the work published in the Journal of the International AIDS Society (JIAS), by researcher Thiago Torres, who received the JIAS Impact Award 2023 from the journal for the article Factors associated with long-term HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis engagement and adherence among transgender women in Brazil, Mexico and Peru: results from the ImPrEP study, written in partnership with researcher Kelika Konda (from Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia), with the director of the INI, Valdiléa Veloso, the head of the LapClin AIDS, Beatriz Grinsztejn, and other researchers who are part of the ImPrEP study group. The JIAS Impact Award 2023 aims to recognize recent high-impact publications, based on the selection of editors and editorial board of the journal.

Another award-winning work was the Factors associated with the occurrence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among men who have sex with men and transgender women using oral PrEP in Latin America, by researcher Mayara Secco. The researcher received the IAS/ANRS Lange/van Tongeren Awards for Young Investigators, in the amount of US$ 2,000 granted by the IAS in partnership with the French government through the Agency for Emerging Infectious Diseases (ARNS). The award aims to support young researchers who demonstrate innovation, originality, rationality and quality in research related to HIV/AIDS. Mayara's work was awarded at Track C (epidemiology and prevention science). Along the same path, another work related to the ImPrEP project highlighted at the event was that of researcher Brenda Hoagland, whose summary – Characteristics of HIV seroconversions in ImPrEP, a large PrEP implementation study in Latin America, co-authored with Valdiléa Veloso, Beatriz Grinsztejn and other researchers who are part of the project – was selected to be presented as a poster, arousing great interest from the conference audience.

Also highlighted was the work of researcher Lucilene Freitas, entitled Racial disparities in HIV incidence and PrEP non-adherence among gay and other men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women (TGW) using oral PrEP in Brazil: ImPrEP Study – selected for oral presentation in the session HIV prevention: Novel approaches and promising findings. As recognition, Lucilene received a full grant to participate in the conference. The work was also written within the scope of the ImPrEP project, with Valdiléa Veloso, Beatriz Grinsztejn and other researchers who are part of the project as co-authors.