Pilot Award

CFAR offered a general Pilot Award program from 1994 to 2017 and funded 82 early stage investigators.

In 2022, CFAR initiated a new program: Pilot Award for Investigators New to HIV.

82 Awards

Award Recipient Award date Award Type
Estimating the Effect of Indoor Residual Spraying on Maternal Mortality, Low-Birthweight and Perinatal Mortality Among HIV-Infected Pregnant Women Living in the HAART Era Hugh Sturrock , PhD Spring Pilot Award
Procyanadin Reactivates Latent HIV Daniele Cary, PhD Fall Pilot Award
Addressing Sexual Dysfunction in Anal Cancer Survivorship for HIV-Infected Men Who Have Sex With Men Chia-Ching Wang, MD Spring Pilot Award
Designing and pilot testing a cohort study of people who inject drugs to assess the effect of opiate agonist therapies on HIV and HCV incidence, Kerman, Iran. Ali Mirzazadeh, MD, PhD Fall Pilot Award
Impact of V1/V2 Length and Cysteine Composition on Env Function and Neutralization Marielle Cavrois, PhD Fall Pilot Award
Reactivation of Latent HIV Using Recombinant Galectin-9 Mohamed Abdel-Mohsen, PhD Spring Pilot Award
Proof of concept of a self-administered digital health screener (SASH) to increase reporting of unhealthy alcohol use by persons with HIV in care in Uganda Judy Hahn, PhD, MA Spring Pilot Award
Evaluating the effect of Metformin on immune recovery in HIV patients with diabetes Michael Reid, MD Spring Pilot Award
Immunologic and virologic response to a single dose of Kansui herbal supplement in SIV infected macaques maintaining antiretroviral therapy (ART) mediated viral suppression Sulggi Lee, MD, PhD Spring Pilot Award
Pathogenesis of HIV-associated chronic lung disease among vertically-infected children and adolescents John Metcalfe, MD, MPH Fall Pilot Award
Using proteomics to unravel tissue tropism for human chlamydia species Cherilyn Elwell, PhD Fall Pilot Award
Methamphetamine, Heavy Alcohol Use, and Immune Activation in HIV Adam Carrico, PhD Fall Pilot Award
HIV, HCV, and Fatty liver Disease: Host, Virus or Genes Jennifer Price, MD Fall Pilot Award
Qualitative evaluation of a large "test and treat" trial: Characterizing baseline community contexts and implementation processes in SEARCH Elvin Geng, MD, MPH Fall Pilot Award
Strategies to Obtain Systematic Samples and Measure HIV Prevalence in Migrant Women in Western Kenya Carol Camlin, PhD, MPH Spring Pilot Award
Aging, Cognitive Impairment and Ability to Engage in Healthcare Following Incarceration Mi-Suk Kang-Dufour, MPH, PhD Spring Pilot Award
In Vivo Assessment of Bone quality in HIV-Infected Patients to Better Predict Fracture Roland Krug, PhD Fall Pilot Award
Immunologic Biomarkers for Ruling-out Active Tuberculosis in HIV/AIDS Adithya Cattamanchi, MD, MAS Spring Pilot Award
Integrated Regulatory Mechanisms Controlling HIV-Associated Immune Activation Jeffrey Milush, PhD Spring Pilot Award
Reaching transgender women with home-based, self-HIV testing in San Francisco: a pilot acceptability and feasibility study Sheri Lippman, PhD, MPH Spring Pilot Award
Solving the Puzzle: HIV-1 Restriction by Innate-associated HLA-Mediated Mechanisms Rui André Raposo, PhD Spring Pilot Award
Effect of the Timing of HIV Infection Treatment on the Reconstitution of the T Cell Receptor Repertoire Paul Baum, MD, PhD Spring Pilot Award
Influence of intestinal microbiota on HIV pathogenesis Richard Dunham, PhD Spring Pilot Award
The REAP Study: Returning Estimates of Ancestry to Participants Janet Shim, PhD Spring Pilot Award
Cellular Determinants of Anti-rebound to Malaria in HIV-Exposed Children Discontinuing Chemoprophylaxis Prasanna Jagannathan, MD, PhD Spring Pilot Award
Household HIV Testing During Tuberculosis Contact Investigation in Tanzania Elizabeth Fair, MD, PhD Fall Pilot Award
Retention in HIV Care and Survival: Estimating Association and Causal Effect Katerina Christopoulos, MD, MPH Spring Pilot Award
Novel Computational Biology Methods for the Evaluation of Multi-Level/Combination Community HIV Prevention Interventions Edwin Charlebois, MPH, PhD Spring Pilot Award
Provider Practices with Childhood Non-Malarial Fevers: A Pilot Study in Zanzibar Kimberly Baltzell, PhD Spring Pilot Award
It Takes a Village: Community Engagement in San Francisco and Kisumu to reduce HIV risk in Homeless Youth and Street Children Colette Auerswald, MD, MS Spring Pilot Award
Translating Results from an RCT Methods Study to Improve the Accuracy of Evaluations of HIV Interventions Diane Binson, PhD Spring Pilot Award
Drug and Alcohol Abuses, Risky Sexual Behaviors, and HIV Risk among Sex Workers and Their Clients in Preah Sihanouk Province, Cambodia: A Pilot Study and Assessment of Prevention Opportunities Marie-Claude Couture, PhD, MSc Fall Pilot Award
The Clinical and Public Health Impact of Automated Nucleic Acid Testing for TB in San Francisco J.Lucian Davis, MD, MAS Fall Pilot Award
Acceptability, Feasibility, and Efficacy of Vaginal Insemination for Conception in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Discordant Couples (Female Positive, Male Negative) Seeking Pregnancy in Kenya Okeoma Mmeje, MD, MPH Fall Pilot Award
Mobilizing the Humoral Immune Response against Human Endogenous Retroviruses to Control HIV-1 Viral Replication Henri-Alexandre Michaud, PharmD, PhD Fall Pilot Award
Implementing a Sampling-based Approach to Measuring Patient Outcomes Among HIV-infected Patients Lost to Follow-up in East Africa: the I-SAMPOLE Study Elvin Geng, MD, MPH Spring Pilot Award
Effect of Malaria Chemoprevention on Naturally Acquired T-Cell Mediated Immunity to Malaria Margaret Feeney, PhD Spring Pilot Award
Biomarkers of Atherosclerosis Risk in HIV-1 Infection Elizabeth Sinclair, PhD Spring Pilot Award
Property Rights and HIVIAIDS Prevention: Examining the Impact of a Community Land and Property WatchDog Model In Nyanza and Western Provinces, Kenya Shari Dworkin, PhD, MS Spring Pilot Award
Provision of Extended Nevirapine to Breastfeeding Infants to Reduce Postnatal Transmission of HIV in a Resource-limited Setting: Feasibility, Safety and Effectiveness in a Real world Setting Khady Diouf, MD Spring Pilot Award
HERV-specific CD4+ T Cell Responses in HIV-1 Infected Individuals Devi SenGupta, MD Fall Pilot Award
Prevention of TB in HIV-infected Children in Kenya: An Evaluation of Isoniazid Preventive Therapy Lisa Dillabaugh, MD Fall Pilot Award
Functional Characterization of a Novel Counteregulator CD4 T cell in Primary HIV-1 Infection Lishomwa Ndhlovu, MD, PhD Fall Pilot Award
HIV-1 Genital Shedding in Women Before and After Treatment for Cervical Dysplasia Megan Huchko, MD, MPH Fall Pilot Award
Non-Commercial Culture Methods for Rapid Screening of Patients at Risk of Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis in Zimbabwe John Metcalfe, MD, MPH Fall Pilot Award
Investigation of HIV Levels, Latent Reservoirs, and Mechanisms of Latency in the Gut Steven Yukl, MD Fall Pilot Award
Laying the Groundwork to Test a Science-Based Gender Transformative HIV prevention Intervention with Heterosexually Active Men in South Africa Shari Dworkin, PhD, MS Spring Pilot Award
Sex Differences in Patterns of Migration and HIV Risk in Western Kenya Carol Camlin, PhD, MPH Spring Pilot Award
Formative Research for the Adaptation of an Intervention of HIVAIDS Service Providers on Gender-Based Violence in Rural Western Kenya Janet Turan, PhD, MPH Spring Pilot Award
The Effect of CD4+ Count on Cardiovascular Risk in Treated HIV Disease Priscilla Hsue, MD Fall Pilot Award
Decreasing Unintended Pregnancy and Vertical Transmission of HIV Through Family Planning: Where Do Men Fit In? Sara Newmann, MD, MPH Fall Pilot Award
Kisumu Street Children: A Pilot Study of STIs and HIV in Social Context Colette Auerswald, MD, MS Fall Pilot Award
Immunodiagnosis of Active Tuberculosis in HIV Co-infected Patients: Local versus Peripheral T-cell Interferon Gamma Responses Adithya Cattamanchi, MD, MAS Spring Pilot Award
Novel Lipopeptide Epitopes to the MPR Region of GP41: Characterization of Antibody Titer, Lipid Cross-Reactivity and HIV Neutralization Francis Szoka, PhD Spring Pilot Award
Telemedicine Screening for Cytomegalovirus Retinitis Among HIV Patients in Developing Countries: A Pilot Study Todd Margolis, MD, PhD Spring Pilot Award
Identifying Novel Allosteric Inhibitors of Kaposi's Sarcoma-associated Herpesvirus Protease Gregory Lee, PhD Spring Pilot Award
Alcohol Use and HIV Treatment Failure in Mbarara, Uganda Judy Hahn, PhD, MA Spring Pilot Award
Dynamics of T Cell Dysfunction in Primary HIV-1 Infection Lishomwa Ndhlovu, MD, PhD Spring Pilot Award
Raltegravir Transplant Immunosuppressant Interactions: Predicting the Unexpected Lynda Frassetto, MD Spring Pilot Award
Body Fat Changes in HIV-infected Individuals after initiating ART in Southwestern Uganda Phyllis Tien, MD Spring Pilot Award
Inhibitors of APOBEC3C and HIV Mutation Khaoula Bourara, PhD Spring Pilot Award
Defining Immune Correlates of Protection: HIV-specific CD4 Rachel Owen, PhD Spring Pilot Award
Intra-familial Transmission of Kaposi's Sarcoma Associated Herpesvirus in Sub-Saharan Africa Lisa Butler, MPH, PhD Spring Pilot Award
Novel approaches to preventing HIV acquisition and transmission in high-risk sex workers in Cambodia Spring Pilot Award
Valganciclovir to Reduce T Cell Activation in HIV Infection Peter Hunt, MD Spring Pilot Award
A Randomized Controlled Trial of Routinely Offering HIV and Hepatitis C Testing to Hospitalized Patients David Bangsberg, MD, MPH Spring Pilot Award
HIV-1 Specific CTL in Gut-Associated Lymphoid Tissue (GALT) Barbara Shacklett, PhD Spring Pilot Award
REACH Cohort Adherence-Pharmacokinetics Substudy (continuation from 2000) David Bangsberg, MD, MPH Spring Pilot Award
Sexual Transmission of Drug Resistant Virus among HIV-Positive Men and Women Gregory Greenwood, PhD, MPH Spring Pilot Award
REACH Cohort Adherence-Pharmacokinetic Substudy David Bangsberg, MD, MPH Spring Pilot Award
Long-Term Evaluation of Patients Experiencing Virologic Failure of a Protease Inhibitor Containing Regimen Who Choose to Temporarily Discontinue Therapy Steven Deeks, MD Fall Pilot Award
Cohort Study: Study on the Consequences of the Protease-Inhibitor Era (SCOPE) Steven Deeks, MD Fall Pilot Award
Discontinuation of Antifungal Therapy for Cryptococcal Meningitis Following Immunologic Response to Antiretroviral Therapy Judith Aberg, MD Spring Pilot Award
Seroepidemiology of Human Herpesvirus 8 in a Diverse Profile of Persons at High Risk for HIV Infection Jeffrey Martin, MD, MPH Spring Pilot Award
Barriers to Timely HIV Testing and Treatment Frederick Hecht, MD Spring Pilot Award
The Diagnostic Utility of Bone Marrow Aspirate Cultures Versus Blood Cultures for Detection of Mycobacterium Avium Complex in AIDS Patients Judith Aberg, MD Spring Pilot Award
Prevalence and Predictors of Skin Disease in a Cohort of Women with HIV Paradi Mirmirani, MD Spring Pilot Award
Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy and Lymphoid Irradiation, with Thymic Shielding, in Subjects with HIV Disease Steven Deeks, MD Spring Pilot Award
Baboon Human Stem Cell Infusion in a Patient with Advanced HIV disease Steven Deeks, MD Fall Pilot Award
A Placebo-Controlled Pilot Study of Chinese Herbs in HIV Associated Cryptosporidium-Negative Diarrhea Donald Abrams, MD Spring Pilot Award
Evaluation of the Metabolic Effects of Thalidomide in Patients with HIV-Associated Weight Loss Kathleen Mulligan, PhD Spring Pilot Award
Physicians' Attitudes Toward Assisted Suicide in AIDS: a 5-Year Comparison Study Donald Abrams, MD Fall Pilot Award
Contacts
  • Using proteomics to unravel tissue tropism for human chlamydia species

    Using proteomics to unravel tissue tropism for human chlamydia species

    Abstract

    Chlamydia pneumoniae and Chlamydia trachomatis are obligate intracellular bacterial pathogens that are important causes of human infections for which no vaccine exists. C. pneumoniae is responsible for ~10% of respiratory tract infections. C. trachomatis serovars D-K are the leading cause of bacterial sexually transmitted infections and preventable infertility in the US. Serovars A-C are associated with trachoma, the leading cause of non-congenital blindness in developing nations.

  • Pathogenesis of HIV-associated chronic lung disease among vertically-infected children and adolescents

    Pathogenesis of HIV-associated chronic lung disease among vertically-infected children and adolescents

    Abstract

    HIV continues to impose a heavy burden on pediatric care services in sub-Saharan Africa, where 90% of the estimated 630,000 HIV-infected children receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) live. The availability of ART has resulted in increasing numbers of HIV-infected infants surviving to older childhood, and respiratory conditions are the leading cause of death in this group. Recently, a novel form of chronic lung disease (CLD) has been described that may affect up to one-third of children aged 10 years and older in HIV care in Southern Africa.

  • Investigation of HIV Levels, Latent Reservoirs, and Mechanisms of Latency in the Gut

    Investigation of HIV Levels, Latent Reservoirs, and Mechanisms of Latency in the Gut

    Headshot of

    Abstract

    Though combined antiretroviral therapy (ART) has reduced both morbidity and mortality due to HIV, ART does not lead to eradication or restore normal health to HIV-infected individuals. Given the staggering health and financial costs of HIV, it seems imperative to explore new therapies that can possibly lead to viral eradication. Obstacles to eradication include latent infection in resting memory CD4+ T cells and the presence of other cell types or organs that serve as sanctuary sites for virus.

  • HIV-1 Genital Shedding in Women Before and After Treatment for Cervical Dysplasia

    HIV-1 Genital Shedding in Women Before and After Treatment for Cervical Dysplasia

    Headshot of

    Abstract

    The majority of the global HIV epidemic is occurring in sub-Saharan Africa, where the main route of transmission is heterosexual intercourse. An understanding of factors impacting transmission risk is necessary for effective prevention strategies, especially in countries such as Kenya, where the majority of infected individuals are in relationships with HIV-negative partners. One of the factors thought to be associated with sexual transmission is the presence and quantity of HIV-1 in the genital tract.

  • Formative Research for the Adaptation of an Intervention of HIVAIDS Service Providers on Gender-Based Violence in Rural Western Kenya

    Formative Research for the Adaptation of an Intervention of HIVAIDS Service Providers on Gender-Based Violence in Rural Western Kenya

    Headshot of

    Abstract

    Preliminary data from pregnant women in rural Kenya indicate that fear of violence from a male partner is an important reason why some women refuse HIV testing, and that pregnant women who test HIV-positive or refuse testing may be more likely to be victims of violence. In response to these findings, we aim to develop an intervention on gender-based violence (GBV) for health workers who provide HIV-related services to pregnant women in this setting.

  • Laying the Groundwork to Test a Science-Based Gender Transformative HIV prevention Intervention with Heterosexually Active Men in South Africa

    Laying the Groundwork to Test a Science-Based Gender Transformative HIV prevention Intervention with Heterosexually Active Men in South Africa

    Headshot of

    Abstract

    Numerous gender-transformative HIV/AIDS prevention interventions are carried out in developing country contexts with heterosexually-active women, but very little gender transformative HIV work is carried out with heterosexually-active men. This study qualitatively examines the impact of an HIV/AIDS and anti-violence program known as the One Man Can Initiative (implemented by Sonke Gender Justice, Cape Town, South Africa). Men will be recruited from Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa (N=120).

  • Decreasing Unintended Pregnancy and Vertical Transmission of HIV Through Family Planning: Where Do Men Fit In?

    Decreasing Unintended Pregnancy and Vertical Transmission of HIV Through Family Planning: Where Do Men Fit In?

    Abstract

    Family planning is an effective way of decreasing vertical transmission of HIV and maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality associated with untreated HIV and pregnancy. Clinicians and researchers world-wide are recognizing the importance of integrating family planning and HIV care for these reasons. However, there are many recognized obstacles to integrating these two types of care and funding streams remain separate.