THE HIV INSTITUTE

The UC San Diego AntiViral Research Center (AVRC) develops and conducts innovative research that enhances the quality and duration of life for people living with or affected by HIV infection and other infections of global significance. The award-winning research center is an established leader in San Diego’s HIV research community and is well known for its HIV testing programs. Internationally, the AVRC extends its research and education programs to Africa, Asia, and South America.

The San Diego Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) is  a regional resource in HIV research and education. Established in 1994 by a grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), the CFAR has served laboratory scientists, clinicians, and the public for nearly two decades. CFAR has nine service areas, or cores, that offer unique laboratory and clinical resources. CFAR offers several internal grants throughout the year and sponsor scientific seminars on various topics of HIV and co-sponsor seminars on global health with an emphasis on HIV. 

The UC San Diego Mother-Child-Adolescent HIV Program provides comprehensive, family centered HIV care to women, children and youth. A multidisciplinary team of HIV specialists provides medical care, clinical research trials, patient education, counseling, case management, peer advocacy, and community education.

The mission of the HIV Neurobehavioral Research Center (HNRC) is to increase our understanding of how HIV and other diseases affect the human nervous system. The Center is supported by public funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) (NIMH Award Number P30MH062512). The HNRC conducts local, national, and international research devoted to advancing our knowledge of the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of HIV-related diseases as they affect the brain and nervous system, and result in impairment of everyday functioning.

Recognized as one of the nation's outstanding HIV primary care clinics, the Owen Clinic embraces a whole-person view of HIV care, offering a range of programs to address the spectrum of ways in which a person’s life may be impacted by a chronic health condition such as HIV. Established in 1982, the Owen Clinic is the largest, most comprehensive primary care center in San Diego for individuals living with HIV. Each year physicians, nurses, social workers and pharmacists care for, counsel, educate and support more than 3,000 men and women. The Owen Clinic's mission also includes training medical students, residents and community doctors on how to provide exceptional care to those with HIV/AIDS.

The AIDS Education and Training Center (AETC) Program supports national HIV priorities by building clinician capacity and expertise along the HIV care continuum.  Its mission is to improve the quality of life of persons living with or at-risk of HIV through the provision of high-quality professional education and training. The University of California San Diego Pacific AETC Program (UCSD PAETC) is one of several networks of leading HIV experts who provide locally based, tailored education, clinical consultation and technical assistance to health care professionals and health care organizations to integrate high quality, comprehensive HIV care for those living with or affected by HIV.  Funding is provided by the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) HIV/AIDS Bureau through the Ryan White Program, Part F.

Proyecto El Cuete evaluates the impact of structural interventions in the legal environment that may influence drug use and HIV risk behaviors of people who inject drugs (PWID) in Tijuana, Mexico. This program continues to monitor the impact of Mexico’s federal drug policy reform (narcomenudeo) which partially decriminalized possession of small, specified amounts of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and marijuana for personal use. Proyecto El Cuete is also collecting data from an implementation science perspective to examine factors at the institutional, environmental and policy level that impede vs. promote operationalization of the narcomenudeo. 

After becoming HIV infected, it typically takes up to three months to develop a positive antibody test result. In rare cases, it may take even longer. During this period when the HIV antibody test is negative, a different type of test – a  viral load test – can detect the presence of HIV. This type of test is not typically offered at HIV testing sites and health insurance does not usually cover viral load tests for HIV screening.

The research interests and activities of our faculty support the evolving focus and priorities of HIV-related research in general and specifically within T32 Training Grants program. Through our program of closely mentored trainee-driven research, interactive research-review, and career-development activities, the program aims to produce young investigators capable of launching HIV-related research careers in academia, industry, or public health. 

The California HIV/AIDS Research Program (CHRP) fosters outstanding and innovative research that responds to the needs of all people of California, especially those who are often under served, by accelerating progress in prevention, education, care, treatment, and a cure for HIV/AIDS.

The mission of the ACTG Network is to develop and conduct scientifically rigorous translational research and clinical trials by: investigating the viral and immune pathogenesis of HIV-1 infection and its complications; evaluating novel drugs and strategies for treating HIV-1 infection; evaluating interventions and strategies to treat and prevent HIV-related co-infections and co-morbidity; and publishing and disseminating results to improve care, and reduce or eliminate morbidity and mortality associated with HIV-1 infection and its complications.

The California Collaborative Treatment Group (CCTG) is a clinical trials consortium of academic institutions and community-based organizations in Southern California. Since 1986, the CCTG has conducted high-impact, multi-center, investigator-initiated clinical trials focusing on: HIV treatment and management; risk reduction behavioral interventions; and Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP). The CCTG research team includes clinicians, psychologists, behavioral scientists, biostatisticians, and pharmacology experts.