Translational Virology Symposium: Global insights in HIV Monitoring and Cure
Monday afternoon, November 14th, 2022
Utrecht University Medical Center, the Netherlands
In honor of the defense of Lucas Hermans’ thesis: Monitoring of HIV treatment in resource-limited settings; current paradigms and future strategies
Introduction
To date, the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has infected an estimated 74 million people worldwide, of whom approximately 37.7 million are currently alive (World Health Organisation. WHO Fact Sheet). Globally, HIV has affected lives, health care, and society but its impact has been most profound in low and middle-income countries (World Health Organisation. WHO Fact Sheet). The African region has been hit especially hard, with 25.3 million people living with HIV (PLHIV) today (UNAIDS. UNAIDS Fact Sheet - World AIDS Day 2021). In recent years, significant progress has been made in achieving global access to more tolerable and potent antiviral drugs.
The Translational Virology Research Group in the UMC Utrecht focuses on the next challenges to be reached: improvement of HIV care and the complex search for a generalizable cure. Under the umbrella of the ITREMA project, supported by ZonMw/WOTRO we have established a research collaboration connecting Virology, Pharmacology, Infectious Diseases, Immunology, Public Health and Social Sciences from research centres in the Global North and South. This collaboration has provided an scientific platform for interdisciplinary research projects, data sharing and local capacity building.
One of the major accomplishments of this collaboration is the scientific work presented in the thesis of Lucas Hermans which he will defend on November 15th. In this symposium Lucas will present the highlights of his thesis. Guest lectures of Professor Graeme Meintjes of the University of Cape Town and Professor Douglas Richman of the University of San Diego will give us insight in the expanding role of integrase inhibitor therapy and the continuously evolving battle with drug resistance. Subsequently, Hugo Tempelman and Ninée Buchholtz will emphasize the importance of global collaboration for our next steps in HIV research.
We would like to invite you to participate and discuss with you the current HIV paradigms and future strategies.
Rick Grobbee, Roel Coutinho, Monique Nijhuis and Annemarie Wensing
Program
Chair: Professor Roel Coutinho, MD, PhD, Julius Center, UMC Utrecht and PharmAccess
13:30 Opening by Professor Roel Coutinho
13:35 The expanding role of dolutegravir in HIV treatment in Africa
Professor Graeme Meintjes, MD, PhD, University of Cape Town, South Africa
13:55 Principles of HIV drug resistance
Professor Douglas Richman, MD, University of California San Diego
14:15 Monitoring the response to HIV treatment in resource-limited settings
Lucas Hermans, MD, Translational Virology Research Group, UMC Utrecht
14:45 – 15:15 BREAK
Chair: Monique Nijhuis, PhD, Translational Virology Research Group, UMC Utrecht
15:15 Building research infrastructure in a rural resource-limited setting
Hugo Tempelman, MD, Ndlovu Medical Center, Limpopo
15:35 Taking cure research to a global level: HIV reservoir analysis in subtype C
Ninée Buchholtz, PhD candidate, Translational Virology Research Group, UMC Utrecht
15:55 Next steps in the North-South collaboration
Annemarie Wensing, MD, PhD & Monique Nijhuis, PhD, Translational Virology Research Group, UMC Utrecht / University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
16:10 Closing remarks by Professor Rick Grobbee, MD, PhD, Julius Center, UMC Utrecht
16:15 Drinks
Date & Time
Monday, November 14th 2022, 13:30h – 16:30h.
Location
Van Peperzeelzaal in the UMC Utrecht.
Q-Building, UMC Utrecht.
Heidelberglaan 100, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Registration
Participation in this symposium is for free.
Please register online at: ESAR Society Europe - Symposium registry (esar-society.eu)
Registration will be handled in order of receipt. Registration is not valid until you have received an official confirmation from the organisor. A maximum of 50 participants can take part.
Accreditation
Accreditation has been requested at NIV (Nederlandse Internisten Vereniging)
Organization & Information
Fatima Bikhezar, MSc
Translational Virology Research Group, Department of Medical Microbiology
UMC Utrecht
Heidelberglaan 100; G04.614
3584 CX Utrecht
Tel: +31 (0)88 75 56 526
E-mail: f.bikhezar@umcutrecht.nl