HIV Basic Science and Cure Research Training for Scientists at the University of Ghana (H-Cure-RT)

PROJECT SUMMARY This program is an extension of our successful HIV basic science training program with the HIV Cure Research Infrastructure Studies (H-CRIS) based at the University of Ghana - an ongoing collaboration between Washington University in St. Louis (WU) and the University of Ghana (UG). Finding a permanent cure for people living with HIV, a key priority for the NIH, requires rigorous and inclusive basic science research. The main obstacle to an HIV cure is the persistence of transcriptionally silent and immunologically unrecognizable proviruses in quiescent memory CD4+ T cell reservoirs in people who are on ART. Although over 70% of HIV patients live in Africa, very little of the basic science of cure research involves African patients or scientists. This is a clear deficiency in the cure research efforts that needs immediate remedy. Most HIV basic science research on cure has been conducted in the USA and Europe in Caucasians and on one viral subtype (HIV subtype B). However, Africa has a wide patient genetic diversity and a variety of viral subtypes, including A, C, G, and recombinant forms such as CRF2_AG, CRF2_AE, HIV-2, and others which can all affect the latent viral reservoir. In addition, African patients also have co-infections like tuberculosis, hepatitis, and malaria which can all determine CD4+ T cell responses. Africa also has different social situations that may determine whether people will participate in future cure trials. Therefore, training African scientists in HIV basic science will help account for these deficiencies in the cure research efforts. Since 2018, a partnership between WU and UG has set up the HIV Cure Research Infrastructure Studies (H- CRIS) at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, UG. H-CRIS is training graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in HIV basic science and cure research with outstanding success; many of the trainees have obtained independent grant funding. For the five years of the proposed D43 program, we expect to enroll 3 PhDs (4-year program), 4 MPhil (2-year masters with a laboratory research thesis) and provide a two- year intensive basic laboratory research training and mentorship for 4 postdoctoral fellows (11 trainees in all). In addition, our grants and manuscript writing workshops will be open to students and faculty at the UG and expected to benefit over 80 additional scientists at the University of Ghana. The predominant site for the training will be the UG, with medium- and short-term experiences at WU. Our specific aims are: 1. To build capacity and experience at the University of Ghana for basic science researchers to design and conduct HIV cure-related research in Ghana. 2. To equip trainees with research skills through 2-year intensive and mentored postdoctoral research projects focused on HIV basic science and cure. 3. To establish and maintain a mentorship plan for trainees at UG who aspire to become independently funded investigators in the basic science of HIV research.