Traineeships in AIDS Prevention Studies

ABSTRACT Training the next generation of HIV prevention scientists, skilled in the methods of multiple fields, and increasing the number of qualified researchers are the long-term goals of the postdoctoral Traineeships in AIDS Prevention Studies (TAPS) at UCSF. Our goals are to build the skills of postdoctoral fellows to engage in research that: 1) combines biomedical, behavioral, social, and structural interventions to maximize impact, 2) reduces disparities in HIV outcomes in the US, and 3) develops novel prevention interventions. TAPS balances the behavioral and biomedical sides of prevention by training scientists newly minted in their respective fields in the disciplines of their co-postdoctoral fellows. TAPS is housed in UCSF’s Center for AIDS Prevention Studies (CAPS) within the Division of Prevention Science, with close relationships to other institutions within the AIDS Research Institute (ARI) umbrella. The program requires one-on-one mentorship with senior faculty; a master’s degree in clinical or public health research; advanced courses in research methods and ethics; seminars and grand rounds; peer review and teaching; designing, grant writing, and implementing research projects; and submission of papers for publication. Since inception, TAPS has trained 132 fellows. Alumni in the last 10 years produced 704 publications, including 267 (38%) as first author, mean=19.6 papers/trainee. In addition, they were awarded 86 research grants, 68 (79%) they served as Principal Investigator (PI). Five-year renewal of TAPS will permit training of 1 - 3 new fellows per year who we envision will be poised to lead the charge to Ending the HIV Epidemic and carry on to address major future health issues in the US and worldwide.