TABLE OF CONTENTS
HANC ANNOUNCEMENTS
NETWORK ANNOUNCEMENTS
HANC PROGRAM UPDATES
CONFERENCES AND MEETINGS
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Pharmacists for Prevention (P4P): A Groundbreaking Initiative to Combat the HIV Epidemic Through Pharmacy Education
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DURHAM, NC – The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) has awarded a multi-year grant to support a critical initiative to mobilize pharmacists towards multidisciplinary efforts to end the HIV epidemic in the Southern US: Pharmacists for Prevention (P4P).
P4P’s primary objective is to develop and evaluate a curricular strategy to equip pharmacy students with the requisite skills to incorporate contemporary HIV prevention into their clinical practice on graduation. In partnership with six Southern pharmacy schools, P4P is led by Principal Investigators Hayden Bosworth, PhD, and Nwora Lance Okeke, MD, MPH from Duke University, along with Kenric Ware, PharmD, MBA from Mercer University. The project’s award period is August 2025 to July 2030.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over half of incident HIV cases in the US were diagnosed in the Southern US (“The South”) in 2023. Pharmacists, who are integral to community health, are uniquely positioned to enhance access to these vital services. However, many pharmacists currently lack the necessary training to provide PrEP effectively, creating a significant barrier to leveraging their expertise in combating the epidemic.
To address this critical gap, the P4P initiative will develop and implement a comprehensive curriculum focused on HIV prevention within six pharmacy schools in the South: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Xavier University of Louisiana College of Pharmacy (New Orleans, LA), University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy, Mercer University College of Pharmacy (Atlanta, GA), University of Incarnate Word Feik School of Pharmacy (San Antonio, TX) and Florida A&M University College of Pharmacy (Tallahassee, FL). This innovative educational program will equip future pharmacists with the knowledge and skills needed to integrate HIV prevention strategies into their clinical practice.
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feasibility assessments with partner institutions, customized curricular strategies incorporating key tenets of contemporary HIV prevention-related clinical practice (including PrEP) will be co-developed with leaders at partner institutions over a 12-month period. Curricular strategies will be ready for implementation at all partner institutions for the start of academic year 2027-28. Key outcomes of interest include: PrEP prescriptions/referrals completed within one year of graduation from pharmacy school, change in knowledge and willingness to prescribe PrEP among pharmacy students, number of educational sessions on HIV prevention incorporated into institutions’ curriculum and change in perceptions of the professional role of pharmacist as public health practitioners. If successful, this model may be refined and expanded to other pharmacy schools, enhancing the role of pharmacists in
getting to zero new HIV infections nationally.
For more information about the Pharmacists for Prevention initiative, please contact Lance Okeke MD, MPH at lance.okeke@duke.edu.
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DeKeitra Griffin
PhD Student
Louisiana State University School of Social Work
Baton Rouge, LA
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DeKeitra Griffin is a powerhouse in the HIV sphere and longtime friend to HANC. DeKeitra is a passionate advocate with lived experience, fighting for social justice through policy - all while in pursuing his PhD in social work. Learn more about his transformative impact.
Describe your current work in HIV research.
I am a third-year PhD student in social work at LSU, where my research focuses on HIV, quality of life, and intimate partner violence among Black same-gender loving men in the U.S. I am involved in HIV advocacy and policy. I serve on the Board of Directors for the Professional Association of Social Workers in HIV/AIDS (PASWHA) and National HIV/AIDS Housing Coalition (NHAHC). I am a steering committee member for the United States People Living with HIV Caucus and the Louisiana Coalition on Criminalization and Health (LCCH). My HIV work is grounded in professional training and lived experience, which shapes my commitment to person-centered approaches to research, practice, and policy.
What goals do you have for the coming year?
My goals are to advance my research, publish findings that center Black same-gender loving men’s experiences, and strengthen community-engaged dissemination efforts so research does not remain siloed in academic spaces. I hope to deepen my policy engagement by contributing research-informed perspectives to legislative and advocacy efforts, specifically around HIV, access to care, and quality-of-life outcomes.
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Share a career highlight.
A career highlight has been receiving an IAS Person-Centered Care Advocacy Seed Grant to support my work validating a quality-of-life measure among Black same-gender loving men. I filmed a video component that elevates community and my lived experience. Being able to pair funded research with storytelling has been rewarding to me.
What motivates you in this work?
Knowing that research and policy decisions directly affect real people, including me, keeps me motivated. Seeing stigma, silence, and structural barriers continue fuel my commitment to producing work that is affirming, accessible, and actionable.
What are your passions outside of work?
I value rest, reflection, and connection. I enjoy meeting people with positive energy, traveling, and finding joy in community spaces.
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
I would love to attempt to be a pediatric neurosurgeon. I thought medical school was my future until I was diagnosed with arthritis at age 21. I know I could have still attended medical school but I only saw myself as a neurosurgeon. No other doctor excited me.
What is your drink of choice?
My drink of choice changes with the day and time. In the morning or at breakfast, orange juice always wins. If it is a brunch kind of day, then mimosas are a must. Outside of that, and aside from water, a strawberry lemonade satisfies my heart any time of day. The strawberry lemonade does not work, not at a bar or restaurant, because then I am definitely ordering a margarita.
With determination, experience, intellectual curiosity and drive, DeKeitra is unstoppable. HANC and the entire HIV community is lucky to experience the joie de vivre DeKeitra brings in tandem with fierce advocacy. We hope you find rest, reflection, and connection in 2026, and maybe a few margaritas.
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ACTG congratulates the BEe-HIVe (B-Enhancement of HBV Vaccination in Persons Living With HIV, also known as A5379) trial team for their inclusion in JAMA's top research papers of 2025!
“This study provides strong evidence that people living with HIV for whom prior hepatitis B vaccination was not successful should be re-vaccinated with the HepB-CpG vaccine to reduce their risk of future hepatitis B infection," said lead author and Protocol Co-Chair Kristen Marks, M.D., Weill Cornell Medicine.
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HPTN Welcomes New Leadership
As of December 2025, Drs. Raphael Landovitz and Sinead Delany-Moretlwe will serve as co-principal investigators for the HIV Prevention Trials Network. Drs. Myron Cohen and Wafaa El-Sadr, who led as co-principal investigators since 2013, leave behind a legacy of leadership, scientific excellence, and commitment to community partnership. Their guidance has been instrumental in shaping the Network’s global impact, and they will continue to serve on the HPTN Executive Committee in advisory roles.
A New Era of Scientific Excellence
In 2026, the HPTN will revitalize the existing Science Committee structure to generate bold ideas and build lasting collaborations to guide our scientific agenda as we strive to transform challenges into opportunities and breakthroughs. We will welcome newly appointed chairs and subject-matter experts to four science committees focused on implementation science, new health technologies, product development, and sexually transmitted infections. The Community Working Group remains a key pillar of research development and implementation, and we continue to seek opportunities to integrate the wisdom of community members in every step of the research process.
We look forward to highlighting how these committees will support our scientific agenda and enhance our readiness to discover innovative solutions to prevent the transmission and acquisition of HIV globally.
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2025 Year End Message from the IMPAACT Network Chairs
Our Chairs shared a network-wide message to recap the accomplishments from the past year and thank all network staff for their continued dedication to IMPAACT’s mission. You can read the message here. We wish everyone a peaceful and joyous new year!
Study Update
IMPAACT 2044 opened to accrual on 15 December 2025. IMPAACT 2044 is a is a Phase IV, multi-site, open-label, non-randomized, opportunistic study to characterize the pharmacokinetics (PK) and safety of ceftriaxone and benzathine penicillin G during pregnancy.
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Behavioral and Social Sciences
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Kathleen Pescasio
HANC Cross-Network
Project Manager
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The Behavioral Science Consultation Group is gearing up to release a measures coordination project that the group has been working on for the past year. Topics covered are acceptability, food insecurity, quality of life, stigma, substance use, and trauma. An official announcement will be made soon.
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Murph Fuentes
HANC
Project Coordinator
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Russell Campbell
HANC Director
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Community Partners (CP): Community Partners welcomes new HVTN representatives Trey Glover, Neo Mbuthuma, Neliswa Mtimde, and Harlan Shaw. CP also welcomed Lorenzo Williams, ACTG GCAB Co-Chair, in December.
Community Partners has started planning its activities for 2026, based on their 2026 work plan.
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Cross-Network Coordination
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Kathleen Pescasio
HANC Cross-Network
Project Manager
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The Cross-Network Data Management Center Working Group (DMCWG) recently convened to discuss Zimbabwe data security requirements, noting that details are still being reviewed and will be revisited. The group also shared audit-related updates and agreed to continue discussions in the new year.
The Cross-Network Site Coordinators Working Group (SCWG) primarily discussed recent SCORE Manual revisions from DAIDS and reviewed key impacts to sites. The group also touched on broader topics such as accrual challenges and upcoming opportunities to engage with DAIDS leadership.
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Tyler Brown
HANC Laboratory
Project Manager
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The Lab Focus Group met in December to review site status updates and disruptions affecting non-US laboratories and network protocols. The group also discussed early 2026 priorities, including updating the list of Primary Network Laboratory Assignments.
The CPQA Cross-Network Clinical Pharmacology Forum met in December to discuss proficiency testing updates, including compendial testing reports, COAs for emtricitabine and lenacapavir, Round 56/57 timelines, and a new pilot TB test panel. The group also discussed new enhancements to the AVR/SOP Submission Utility and adapting lab procedural alignments with ICH M10 guidance.
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Brian Minalga
HANC
Deputy Director
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Cat Banobi
Legacy
Project Manager
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Gabriella Olague
HANC
Project Coordinator
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Community member nominations are now being accepted for the HHS panel on ARV guidelines for adults and adolescents living with HIV. The panel welcomes candidates who reflect the demographics of the current US HIV epidemic. Nominations (including self-nominations) and supporting documents are due by January 9, 2026. More information is available online.
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Follow Legacy Project on Social Media
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CROI 2026 (Denver, Colorado, USA)
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AIDSWatch 2026 (Washington DC, USA)
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Biomedical HIV Prevention Summit (BHPS) (Chicago, Illinois, USA)
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2026 NaLa Conference (Dallas, Texas, USA)
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HVTN Annual Network Meeting (Washington DC, USA)
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IMPAACT Annual Meeting (Virtual)
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AIDS 2026 (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
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2026 U.S. Conference on HIV/AIDS (Anaheim, California, USA)
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