Third Coast Center for AIDS Research

Northwestern University At Chicago, Evanston IL

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

The broad, long-term mission of the Third Coast Center for AIDS Research (TC CFAR) is to use our interdisciplinary collaborations to power transformational advances across the translational spectrum from discovery to implementation of effective interventions to end the HIV epidemic and improve the health-span of people living with HIV. For the past decade TC CFAR was a partnership between Northwestern University (NU) and University of Chicago (UC), as well as key community and public health partners. Over that time the NIH HIV Funded Research Base (FRB) increased by over 220% to over $40M per year and projects teams became significantly more multidisciplinary. Nimble and opportunistic strategic planning (by the Administrative Core, AC) and robust growth in seed funding and mentoring programs (by the Developmental Core, DC) led to those successes, and to choosing specific, high-priority HIV research topics as foci for the next term. It also led to the recruitment of the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and Rush University (RU) as new members thereby expanding the TC CFAR to include the “big four” Chicago research universities, bringing in new Schools (e.g., Public Health, Nursing, Pharmacy), growing our geographic footprint to neighborhoods disproportionately impacted by HIV, and enabling new team science opportunities. Institutional support has increased substantially in recognition of the TC CFAR’s exceptional return on investment. Overall scientific aims were chosen based on each of the 3 scientific Cores having a user base and expert resources with strengths on each aim. Each of these Cores has also worked to extend their resources and expertise to researchers outside their own domains, and thereby helped build collaborations. The following Overall aims build on our solid foundation, and will direct each scientific Core, in concert with the AC and the DC, to synergistically advance the science needed to end HIV. Overall Aim 1. Expand fundamental laboratory research that collaboratively defines mechanisms and advances innovative discovery. Overall Aim 2. Advance innovations in behavioral, clinical, and translational science for development of preventions, treatments, and cures of HIV and associated comorbidities, leveraging strengths of cross-institutional teams. Overall Aim 3. Optimize clinical and public health benefits for all by creating, testing, and deploying novel, city-wide approaches for dissemination and implementation of HIV research. Overall Aim 4: Deepen workforce capacity and productivity for all HIV research disciplines across all our partners in Chicago.