Join Dr. Rowena Johnston of amfAR (below) and Dr. Anna Foss (above) of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) for the last IRMA Global Teleconference of the year:
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
**Location/Time:
Mexico City, Lima - 11:00 AM
New York, DC - 12:00 PM (noon)
London - 5:00 PM
Lagos - 6:00 PM
Bangalore - 10:30 PM
Bangkok - Midnight
Background:
In 2002, Dr. Charlotte Watts, Dr. Anna Foss and other colleagues at the LSHTM declared that if used in 50% of sex acts not protected by a condom, a vaginal microbicide that is 60% efficacious against HIV could avert 2.5 million infections over three years, if distributed in 73 low and middle income countries and coverage is 20% of groups in contact with services.
No such data exist outlining the potential impact of rectal microbicides on the epidemic, but such information could aid advocacy efforts aimed at increasing investment in rectal microbicide research. However, the scope for conducting a similar analysis is limited by the lack of data from low- or middle-income countries on the extent of anal sex, and its contribution to the HIV epidemic.
Using amfAR support, Dr. Foss will lead a research team plan to conduct mathematical modeling studies similar in concept to those used in the vaginal microbicide work described above, but focusing on two lower middle-income country settings, where there are adequate data for this modeling for MSM (Lima, Peru and Bangalore, India.)
Meet the Presenters:
As Vice President of Research at amfAR, Dr. Rowena Johnston is responsible for overseeing the Foundation’s pioneering research program. Her responsibilities include evaluating and analyzing the program’s direction, serving as a liaison to the Research Committee, Executive Committee, and Board of Trustees, organizing think tanks and symposia, and writing on current scientific topics.
Recently she has overseen the reorganization of amfAR’s research program specifically to target work directed at improving HIV prevention interventions, and to optimize treatment and pursue the potential of a cure for HIV infection. Rowena has also implemented changes that allow amfAR’s research program to support scientists working in a range of research disciplines, including basic biomedical, clinical, behavioral, social and policy areas.
Dr. Anna Foss, Lecturer in Mathematical Modeling, joined the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in July 2001 after graduating with a Masters of Mathematics from the University of Manchester. During the summer of 2000 she worked as a Research Assistant in the Epidemiology Department of the University of Manchester.
Anna is a member of the HIVTools Research Group and the Gender Violence & Health Centre. She has been working primarily on mathematically modelling the transmission of HIV and STIs, and the potential impact of current and future HIV/STI prevention interventions, among female sex workers, injecting drug users and men who have sex with men, in different settings. Anna is also currently working to link epidemiological modelling to social science research in order to explore questions around the importance of the relative mobility of sex workers and clients, and the increased risk of HIV transmission through rape.
Alongside this work, Anna completed a part-time staff-PhD, titled: 'Mathematical modeling of HIV/STI transmission and prevention: methodological issues when dealing with uncertainty'. More information about Anna's research and teaching can be found online.
**More information on this IRMA Global Teleconference will be available in the coming weeks. Members of IRMA will receive an invitation to join the call and will be supplied with dial-in instructions when they RSVP. You may join IRMA by clicking here. Click here for membership information.
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