Sunday, May 11, 2025
5/11/2025
UCSD Collaborative Clinical Trials Unit - Abstract The UCSD Collaborative Clinical Trials Unit (CTU) will bring together seven dynamic U.S. and International Clinical Research Sites (CRSs) to facilitate innovative scientific synergies and leverage research collaborations among investigators across our CTU and to contribute our scientific expertise and our diverse participant populations to further the research priorities of the NIAID HIV/AIDS Adult Therapeutics Clinical Trials Network and the HIV Prevention Clinical Trials Network. Our seven CRSs include: 1) the UCSD Antiviral Research Center (AVRC) CRS; 2) the University of Southern California (USC) CRS; 3) the University of Colorado Hospital (UCH) CRS; 4) the Houston AIDS Research Team (HART) CRS; 5) the University of Miami CRS; 6) the Chennai Antiviral Research and Treatment (CART) CRS, and; 7) the Durban International (DI) CRS. Each will bring considerable strength to achieve the future research goals of two of the four NIAID networks. Our Collaborative CTU brings together a wealth of expertise, experience, and the high quality performance required to conduct complex clinical trials in the following areas: HIV cure and functional cure; viral persistence and latent reservoirs; broadly neutralizing antibody approaches to treatment and prevention of HIV; pathogenesis and treatment of HIV-related inflammation, coinfections and comorbidities; new antiretroviral drugs and novel formulations for HIV treatment and prevention; treatment and prevention of tuberculosis (TB) in persons with mono- and HIV-coinfection; and biomedical, socio-behavioral, and multipurpose technology strategies to prevent HIV transmission (including pre-exposure prophylaxis [PrEP], HIV preventive vaccines, and molecular epidemiology to target “hot spots”) in populations at high risk for HIV transmission. Our CTU provides access to and long-standing experience with community engagement in underrepresented Hispanic/Latinx, Black/African American, African, and South Asian populations at risk for or affected by HIV and its complications. Our U.S. CRSs span several of the highest burden regions for chronic and new HIV infections in the southeast (Miami), south (Houston), southwest (Denver) and border regions (Los Angeles, San Diego) identified in the U.S. “Plan to End the HIV Epidemic” campaign. Our international CRSs include two of the highest burden regions globally for both HIV and TB, particularly drug-resistant TB (Southern India and South Africa). We will address the following specific aims. Specific Aim 1: To provide outstanding, innovative scientific contributions and leadership to the HIV/AIDS Adult Therapeutics Clinical Trials Network and the HIV Prevention Clinical Trials Network. Specific Aim 2: To provide effective and efficient administrative and financial resource management. Specific Aim 3: To engage and partner with diverse communities affected by HIV to shape network scientific agendas and to recruit, enroll and retain a broad diversity of research trial participants in network studies.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).