UMass CFAR Working Groups

The cohesive culture and integrated community at UMass Chan is exceptional, allowing innovative science to incubate and thrive. This collegial culture permits our community to rapidly realize its scientific potential. The CFAR Working Groups, under direction of Dr. Celia Schiffer, have been established to leverage this scientific potential. Each of the Working Groups are lead by senior faculty in our HIV research and clinical communities. Within their own areas of expertise these leaders are at the forefront of current HIV research. They are also in the unique position to identify and reach out to both young investigators and other outstanding researchers within the UMass Chan community to direct them toward key problems in HIV. Thus the Working Groups are poised to address key issues in HIV research through integrated interdisciplinary approaches and to expand the UMass Chan CFAR scientific community.

Scientific Working Groups are designed to direct and to foster interdisciplinary collaborations in two priority areas for the UMass Center for AIDS Research, HIV Host Defense, and HIV Viral Replication. They provide the infrastructure for communication and growth by identifying new areas of research to be pursued, by recruiting non-HIV researchers to apply their skills and expertise to HIV and by mentoring new investigators to help ensure their success. The Scientific Working Groups are comprised of researchers from UMass Chan and surrounding colleges, universities, and research institutions.

HIV Host Defense: This group links UMass Chan Medical School investigators working to identify the cellular factors utilized by HIV and linking them with scientists investigating the innate and adaptive immune system. This group strives to discover host factors as potential new therapeutic targets and develop effective vaccines.

HIV Viral Replication: This group links UMass Chan Medical School investigators working on almost every step of the HIV life cycle together with scientists investigating co-infecting pathogens, so that approaches to evaluate their interactions can be evaluated in vitro and in vivo. This group strives to discover new therapeutics to restrict HIV and potential opportunities for a cure to HIV.



Exploratory Working Group
HIV Clinical and Community Outreach: This group promotes clinical and translational research and seeks opportunities for outreach to providers and clients to build a foundation for future studies including with the basic science community.