Medical Students Program supports exploration, innovation

HIVMA and the IDSA Foundation are pleased to announce the selection of 15 medical students from across the US who will receive funding for clinical learning and research projects through the HIVMA Medical Students Program. Funding for this program is secured through the IDSA Foundation. The program will support projects in local and overseas settings, including ones investigating drug resistance, effectiveness of care interventions among incarcerated populations, and missed opportunities in emergency departments.The students will receive mentorship from HIVMA members at their institutions, free membership to HIVMA and the Infectious Diseases Society of America, and a stipend of $3,500 per year for up to three years. Mentors receive a $1,000 stipend.

“The diverse projects proposed by these students all show interest and investment in understanding the dynamics of HIV, and in improved innovative approaches to HIV prevention and treatment,” said HIVMA Chair Dr. Melanie Thompson. “These students represent the next generation of HIV physicians and researchers, and I look forward to the contributions they will make to the field.”

The program has been supported by independent grants from ViiV Healthcare, Merck & Co, Janssen Pharmaceuticals and the Gilead Foundation. 

The selected students, their mentors, institutions, and project titles are:

Doris Berman 
MENTOR: Katherine Schafer, MD 
Wake Forest School of Medicine                                                                                              
Gathering Trauma Narratives: The Effects of Trauma on Reproductive Behaviors in HIV Populations 

Sushma Boppana 
MENTOR: Paul Goepfert, MD 
University of Alabama at Birmingham 
Impact of Cross-reactive TCR Clonotypes on HIV Viral Evolution 

Catherine Dodson 
MENTOR: Ellen Eaton, MD 
University of Alabama School of Medicine 
Quantifying Sexually Transmitted Infection & HIV Testing Preferences in Men who have Sex with Men to Provide Patient-Centered Care 

Shruti Gujaran 
MENTOR: David Riedel, MD 
University of Maryland School of Medicine 
The Role of Aging in HIV-Related Hospitalizations and Complications 

Kristin Harrington 
MENTOR: Russell Kempker, MD, MSc 
Emory University 
Cryptococcal Screening in Patients with HIV 

Charles Kopp 
MENTOR: Alison Roxby, MD, MSc 
University of Washington School of Medicine 
Maternal and Fetal Outcomes after Integrase Inhibitor-containing Antiretroviral Regimens during pregnancy: a retrospective cohort study in Seattle, Washington 

Sugi Min  
MENTOR: Curt G. Beckwith, MD 
The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University 
Optimizing HIV and HCV Continuum of Care Outcomes for Criminal Justice-involved Populations 

Joshua Niforatos 
MENTOR: Justin Yax, DO, DTMH 
Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University 
Root Cause Analysis of Missed Diagnosis of HIV/AIDS in the Emergency Department at a Level 1 Trauma Center 

Jackée Okoli 
MENTOR: Genevieve Giny Fouda, MD, PhD 
Duke University School of Medicine 
Fine Specificity and Fc Effector Function of Antibodies Generated by adjuvanted HIV Envelope Vaccines in Adults and Infants 

Katelyn Pastick 
MENTOR: David Boulware, MD, MPH 
University of Minnesota 
Predictors and Outcomes of Seizures in HIV-Associated Cryptococcal Meningitis Patients 

Alex Rosenthal 
MENTOR: Philip Chan, MD, MS 
Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University 
Acceptability of HIV Prevention and Screening Among Church Leaders in At-Risk Communities 

Garshasb Soroosh 
MENTOR: Robert F. Siliciano, MD, PhD 
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Latent Reservoir Size as Predictor of Immunologic, Clinical, or Inflammatory Outcomes in Treated HIV 

William Trebelcock 
MENTOR: Rachel Bender Ignacio, MD, MPH 
University of Washington School of Medicine  
HIV Transmitted Drug Resistance:  Prevalence, Clinical Characteristics, and Geospatial Mapping in Newly Diagnosed MSM and Transgender Women in Lima, Peru 

Jennie Xu  
MENTOR: Scott Letendre, MD 
UC San Diego School of Medicine 
Exploring the Relationship Between Epidermal Nerve Fiber Density and HIV-Associated Neuropathic Pain 

Thomas Zaikos  
MENTOR: Alberto Bosque-Pardos, PhD, MBA 
George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences 
Investigating the Immunological Effects of the novel HIV Latency-reversing agent 3-Hydroxy-1,2,3-benzotriazin-4(3H)-one (HODHBt)