11 hours ago

Making HIV Research More Impactful

Episode Notes

Behind every landmark scientific breakthrough and published medical trial is a dedicated team of clinical research coordinators, nurses, regulatory specialists, and community engagement officers. In this episode, Dr. Kimberly Eck welcomes Tanisha Sullivan, a 25-year Emory veteran who coordinates the Emory HIV Clinical Trials Unit (CTU). Sullivan highlights Emory's role as a leading enrollment site in global research networks like HPTN, ACTG, and HVTN, including the landmark HPTN 083 study that proved long-acting injectable PrEP is more effective than daily oral pills.

Sullivan shares her personal journey from regulatory coordinator to senior leadership, emphasizing how health equity drives her passion. She discusses localized efforts at the Hope Clinic and Ponce de Leon Center to address high HIV rates in Fulton County and Atlanta, while expanding clinical trial access to rural communities, Latinx populations in Georgia, and international partner sites in Mexico and the Philippines.

Key Takeaways:

The Workforce Behind Discovery: Recognizing clinical trial staff as the essential "connective tissue" translating laboratory science into community healthcare.
Impact Beyond Publications: How expanding access to long-acting prevention options directly changes lives in heavily impacted regions like Atlanta and the American South.
Building Mentorship Pipelines: Growing diverse clinical research professionals from entry-level roles into future study leaders.

Resources:

Learn about the Hope Clinic of Emory Vaccine Center: https://hopeclinic.emory.edu/
Learn about the Ponce Clinical Research site : https://www.instagram.com/emory_ponce_crs/ and Ponce studies: https://linktr.ee/PONCECRS?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=d50b1fc4-2c45-4720-b1dd-3610fc402f8e
Learn more about the Global Networks discussed in this episode:
HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN): https://www.hptn.org/
Advancing Clinical Therapeutics Globally (ACTG): https://actgnetwork.org/
HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN): https://www.hvtn.org/

Call to Action:

Learn more about ongoing clinical research and trial opportunities at the Emory Hope Clinic by visiting hopeclinic.emory.edu or reaching out to [email protected].

To stay updated on the latest research and impact at Emory, follow Impact in Progress on your favorite podcast platform, and if you are an Emory researcher interested in being featured, please reach out to Dr. Kimberly Eck at [email protected].