UAB Center for AIDS Research

描述（由申请人提供）：UAB CFAR的使命是促进和支持多学科的艾滋病基础、行为、临床和转化研究，以加速开发有效的艾滋病治疗和预防策略。20年来，该中心在支持其成员的前沿研究活动方面发挥了至关重要的作用，这些研究活动导致了范式转变的发现，包括：发现HIV-1准物种多样性（Nature 1988），检测血浆中HIV-1 RNA (Science 1993)，急性和慢性感染的病毒动力学(NEJM 1991；Nature 1995)， HIV-1从细胞毒性t细胞中逃逸（Nat Medicine 1997）和中和抗体（Nature 2003），目前批准的7种治疗方法的首次人体1期临床研究（NEJM 1993; Nat Medicine 1998; JAMA 2006）， HIV-1的人畜共患起源（Nature 1999; Nature 2006; Science 2006），以及传播HIV-1包膜和导致HIV感染的完整基因组/蛋白质组的鉴定（PNAS 2008）。连接所有这些发现的共同线索是CFAR通过基础和临床研究人员之间的有效合作，积极参与促进基础、转化和临床研究。CFAR的目标反映了这种对创新、多学科艾滋病研究的持续承诺，包括：为艾滋病毒/艾滋病研究活动提供一个中心机构重点，强调CFAR成员与更广泛的艾滋病毒/艾滋病研究界之间的有效沟通和合作。2. 通过鼓励跨学科研究和提供关键的共享资源设施以及为中心研究人员提供行政和财政管理支持，提高正在进行的研究项目的生产力。3. 使用强大的战略规划方法来确定新的研究机会和优先事项，使其与现有的CFAR项目保持一致，并在没有存在但教师兴趣和大学能力明显的地方培养新的研究项目。4. 鼓励初级和已建立的教师进入艾滋病毒/艾滋病研究项目。这是通过指导年轻的研究者和同行评审的发展资助计划来完成的。在反映艾滋病毒/艾滋病研究和全球流行病的持续发展的领域刺激教员招聘和项目发展。该中心由来自UAB内35个部门和部门的163名中心成员组成，目前的艾滋病相关赠款和合同总额超过8720万美元。提议设立9个核心设施，为该中心的病毒发病机制、实验性疗法、全球卫生、预防和疫苗开发等主要专题领域提供重要支持。UAB CFAR在促进艾滋病毒/艾滋病研究方面的成功体现在NIH对艾滋病相关研究的校外资助从1988年的600万美元增加到目前的2600多万美元，在过去六年的资助期内发表了2500多篇研究论文，自2009年以来招募了21多名艾滋病毒/艾滋病研究人员，并获得了强有力的机构支持。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The mission of the UAB CFAR is to stimulate and support multidisciplinary basic, behavioral, clinical and translational AIDS research so as to hasten the development of effective treatments and prevention strategies for AIDS. For 20 years, the Center has played a vital role in supporting cutting edge research activities of its members that have led to paradigm-shifting discoveries, including: the discovery of HIV-1 quasispecies diversity (Nature 1988), detection of HIV-1 RNA in plasma (Science 1993), viral dynamics in acute and chronic infection (NEJM 1991; Nature 1995), HIV-1 escape from cytotoxic T-cells (Nat Medicine 1997) and neutralizing antibodies (Nature 2003), first-in-human phase 1 clinical studies of 7 currently approved therapies (NEJM 1993; Nat Medicine 1998; JAMA 2006), the zoonotic origins of HIV-1 (Nature 1999; Nature 2006; Science 2006), and the identification of the transmitted HIV-1 envelope and complete genome/proteome responsible for HIV infection (PNAS 2008). A common thread connecting all of these discoveries is the proactive participation of the CFAR in facilitating basic, translational and clinical research through effective collaboration between basic and clinical investigators. The objectives of the CFAR reflect this continuing commitment to innovative, multidisciplinary AIDS research and include: 1. To provide a central institutional focus for HIV/AIDS research activities that emphasize effective communication and collaboration among CFAR members and the wider HIV/AIDS research community. 2. To enhance productivity of ongoing research programs by encouraging interdisciplinary research and by providing critical shared resource facilities and administrative and fiscal management support to Center investigators. 3. To use robust strategic planning methods to identify new research opportunities and priorities, to align them with existing CFAR programs, and to foster new research programs where none are in existence but where faculty interest and University capacity is evident. 4. To stimulate the entry of junior and established faculty into HIV/AIDS research programs. This is accomplished through mentoring young investigators and by a peer-reviewed Developmental Grants Program. 5. To stimulate faculty recruitment and program development in areas that reflect the ongoing evolution of HIV/AIDS research and the global epidemic. The Center is comprised of 163 Center members from 35 Divisions and Departments within UAB funded by current AIDS-related grants and contracts totaling more than $87.2 million. Nine Core Facilities are proposed that provide vital support for the Center's principal thematic areas of viral pathogenesis, experimental therapeutics, global health, prevention and vaccine development. The success of the UAB CFAR in stimulating HIV/AIDS research is reflected in the growth in NIH extramural funding for AIDS-related research from $6.0 million in NIH funding in 1988 to over $26 million currently, in over 2500 research publications over the past six year grant period, in the recruitment of more than 21 HIV/AIDS investigators since 2QQ2, and in the garnering of strong Institutional support.