Administrative Core

Strong and effective leadership is required for promotion of new and innovative science, and is critical to forging the new scientific and community partnerships needed to address emerging research challenges in HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and care. The Core draws on a multi-disciplinary team of senior researchers and administrators to set, implement, and evaluate the HIV Center’s scientific agenda and ensure efficient administrative and fiscal coordination of our domestic and international research projects. The Core serves as the hub for Center activities and coordination across the Cores and as a liaison between the Center and internal and external affiliated entities that inform and collaborate in our research agenda. Through the Admin Core, Center Leadership maintains our focus on the theme, “Reducing HIV and Mental Health Disparities to End the HIV Epidemic,” and our emphasis on research at the intersection of behavioral, social, biomedical, and implementation science. The Core has three Specific Aims: (1) To provide timely and innovative scientific and programmatic leadership and governance that positions the HIV Center as a local, national, and international resource; (2) to ensure synergy and scientific rigor of the HIV Center and Cores in meeting the Center’s goals; and (3) to provide centralized administration and coordination of fiscal and organizational management of HIV Center Cores and affiliated research projects. We will accomplish our Aims through a range of mechanisms that include (1) internal monitoring of day- to-day operations and Cores’ and investigators’ progress, through ongoing Center and Core leadership meetings; (2) working with several external groups to support the Center in evaluating and updating short-term and long-term strategic planning goals, including (a) our Institutional Advisory Group (IAG), comprising senior CU scientists with HIV expertise in various disciplines who are leaders of Centers, Training Programs, and other major University entities, (b) four Community Advisory Groups, in collaboration with the NYC and NYS Departments of Health, (c) our mandated Scientific Advisors, and (d) our innovative Performance and Safety Monitoring Board; (3) supporting a range of communication and dissemination activities, including (a) maintaining a dynamic re-designed Website; (b) providing technical support for listservs and web-based conferencing; (c) distributing a monthly electronic newsletter; and (4) providing administrative and fiscal management for all grant-related activities. The Administrative Core will be led by current Center Director Robert H. Remien, Ph.D., a Professor of Clinical Medical Psychology in Psychiatry at Columbia University, supported by current Center Co-Directors Claude Ann Mellins, Ph.D., a Professor of Clinical Psychology in the Departments of Psychiatry and Sociomedical Sciences at Columbia University, and Gina Wingood, Sc.D., M.P.H., a Professor of Public Health Promotion in Sociomedical Sciences at the CU MSPH; and Masud Rahman, M.S., M.B.A., current Center Director of Finance and Administration.