Consequences of Persistent Immune Activation among ART-treated Women with HIV

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7. Project Summary The NIH Midcareer Investigator Award in Patient-Oriented Research (POR) (K24) will enable me to advance research on consequences of persistent immune activation among ART-treated women with HIV (WWH) while developing my mentoring leadership skills and providing research mentorship to a diverse, interdisciplinary group of clinical investigators. My overall career goals are to continue to lead a robust research program with a newly expanded scope: investigating not only how persistent systemic immune activation among ART-treated WWH influences cardiometabolic disease, but also how this phenomenon influences diverse end-organ comorbidities - including end-organ disease incurred in the context of superimposed SARS-CoV-2 infection. As an Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School (HMS) and the Director of Women’s Health Research in Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Metabolism Unit, I lead NIH R01-funded projects which will serve as an outstanding platform for mentoring. The collaborative research environment at MGH/HMS supports my work in this interdisciplinary field, permitting me to synthesize insights from outstanding colleagues expert in HIV medicine, immunology, cardiology, endocrinology, and women’s health. Facilities, curricular offerings, and consultative services sponsored by the Mass General Research Institute and the Harvard Catalyst Clinical Translational Science Center contribute to the success of collaborative research. The career development aims of this proposal are to pursue advanced didactic training in immunology and biostatistics, as well as advanced didactic training in mentoring leadership. These efforts will help me expand my research program and build on my longstanding commitment to mentoring - a commitment reflected in •successful 1:1 mentoring of trainees •contributions to MGH/HMS POR- training efforts •Co-Direction of the MGH Endocrine Division Faculty Mentoring Initiative •Co- Sponsorship of the Mentoring the Mentors Workshop at HMS and •receipt of formal recognition for excellence in mentoring. The primary mentoring aim of this proposal is to nurture and support the career development of a diverse, interdisciplinary group of clinical investigators, all committed to POR relevant to the health of WWH. I also aspire to promote a culture of supportive, inclusive mentoring through leadership in mentoring programming. The K24 award will offer me protected time to achieve the aforementioned goals. MGH leadership has pledged to protect my time so as to allow me to focus on POR and POR mentoring. Support from mentors has helped me follow my dream of becoming an independent clinical investigator. Through this award, I seek to support the career development of a new generation of clinical investigators who will catalyze ground-breaking advances in biomedical research -- all for the benefit of patients.