Adaora Adimora Citation Award
The Adaora Adimora Citation Award honors the late Adaora Adimora, MD, MPH, FIDSA. Dr. Adimora was a past chair of HIVMA and member of the IDSA Board of Directors who had an unwavering commitment to advancing health equity and improving HIV prevention and care for minoritized populations through research, education and advocacy.
In her honor, the award honors Dr. Adimora’s compassion, leadership and service to HIVMA and the field by recognizing exemplary contributions to advancing efforts to end the HIV epidemic, such as through social justice, public service or in service with HIVMA.
2026 HIVMA Adaora Adimora Citation Award Winner
Donna E. Sweet, MD
Donna E. Sweet, MD, professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita, is a titan in the field of HIV whose influence extends locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. Throughout her four-decade career, Dr. Sweet has combined an unwavering commitment to patient-centered care with a steadfast dedication to advancing health equity. She has been a tireless advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, women’s health and the meaningful involvement of people with HIV in program design.
In the late 1980s, Dr. Sweet became one of the first to respond when HIV first appeared in Kansas and started the first Ryan White-funded clinic in the state. Because Kansas has not expanded its Medicaid program, she created a charity — the Sweet Emergency Fund — to provide wraparound services for her patients who fall outside of Ryan White funding and Medicaid/Medicare.
Dr. Sweet established the Kansas AIDS Education and Training Center and served as principal investigator for Ryan White programs that have provided comprehensive care to thousands of patients. Her work has been particularly transformative for underserved populations in rural communities, where she has built sustainable infrastructure for HIV prevention, treatment and education in areas with limited resources and significant stigma. When she learned of an outbreak of HIV among migrant workers in rural parts of Kansas, she worked with the state and local health departments along with the university to create three satellite clinics for HIV care in rural Kansas.
Certified as an HIV specialist by the American Academy of HIV Medicine, Dr. Sweet, whose clinic has Ryan White Parts C and D, is also principal investigator and clinical director of the Midwest AIDS Education and Training Center serving Kansas and Nebraska as well as director of Kansas Care Through Housing.
As chair of the CDC/HRSA Advisory Committee on HIV and STD Prevention and Treatment from 2007 to 2011, and a past chair of the American Academy of HIV Medicine, Dr. Sweet has shaped national HIV policy and workforce development. Her advocacy has consistently centered on eliminating the structural barriers that perpetuate health disparities in HIV care.
Dr. Sweet, who previously served on the HIVMA Board of Directors, is a delegate to the American Medical Association, a member of the leadership for the American College of Physicians, an appointed member of the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts and a past president of the ACP Board of Regents. She has served as principal investigator on more than 150 HIV clinical trials, lectured extensively, and mentored countless fellows, residents and medical students.
HIVMA is pleased to honor Dr. Sweet with a 2026 HIVMA Adimora Citation Award for her dedication to advancing HIV care for underserved populations through patient care, research, education and advocacy.
Past Awardees
Formerly the HIVMA Citation Award
2025 - Anandi Sheth, MD, MSc, FIDSA, and Becky White, MD,
2024 - Oni Blackstock, MD, MHS
2023 - Barbara Gripshover, MD