Each of the BELIEVE sites participates in the BELIEVE research aims through provision of basic science and/or clinical expertise. For more detail on the roles of each site and investigator, please see and a description of the IRFs in which they participate.
Weill Cornell Medicine
The Nixon and Jones labs at Weill Cornell Medicine are working together on enhancing T-cell responses to eradicate HIV. Dr. Nixon leads the Management and Operations of the BELIEVE project.
George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences
Several laboratories at the George Washington University are working together to improve T-cell responses, enhance broadly neutralizing antibody activity, and inhibit HIV-1 Nef to eliminate the HIV reservoir.
Center for Research in Infectious Diseases (CIENI)
Within the National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, INER, serves the largest number of people with HIV/AIDS infection. At INER, AIDS is the leading cause of death from infectious diseases in people between 18 and 45 years of age. The Infectious Diseases Research Center, CIENI, is the department responsible for the care of these patients. CIENI is divided into three areas:
- Clinical Care Unit. Currently, CIENI serves more than 1050 active users in outpatient care and hospitalization. More than 650 are on antiretroviral treatment and 150 are women.
- Laboratory of Virological Diagnosis. CIENI performs specialized tests indispensable for the clinical follow up of people living with HIV/AIDS such as viral load, CD4 + T lymphocyte count and viral genotype.
- Research. CIENI conducts more than 24 original clinical and basic research protocols in areas such as molecular epidemiology, viral evolution, and HIV/AIDS immune-pathogenesis.
GW Medical Faculty Associates
The GW Medical Faculty Associates is proud of its physician scientists and their commitment to medical research. Their clinical studies are designed to add to the medical knowledge base and relate to the treatment, diagnosis, and prevention of diseases or conditions.
Simon Fraser University
The Simon Fraser University Interdisciplinary Research Centre for HIV (SIRCH) aims to bring together researchers, students, community partners and community investigators to build and expand multi-disciplinary research programs that address four major research themes:
- Clinical research, particularly related to highly-active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and its associated outcomes with a focus on how long-term HAART affects aging and aging-related co-morbidities,
- Biomedical research, with an emphasis on HIV vaccine design to prevent, control and cure HIV/AIDS,
- Access to and quality of health services for individuals living with HIV, specifically how different supportive service models of care impact survival and HAART uptake, adherence, and retention,
- HIV among key affected populations, specifically looking at outcomes among vulnerable or hard-to-reach populations (persons of Aboriginal ancestry, people who inject drugs, youth, women, and men who have sex with men).
All research themes are guided by the vision of community-engaged HIV research, which focuses on the process of linking research, practice, policy and the lived experience of people living with HIV to improve the health and well being of individuals and communities affected by HIV.
Toronto Maple Leaf Medical Clinic
Maple Leaf Research is a non-profit corporation committed to improving the lives of their patients by providing access to cutting edge research. Their staff is certified in Good Clinical Practices and the Transportation of Dangerous Goods. We work with Independent Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) to conduct phases II-IV clinical research trials including 24 hour PK visits. They also collaborate with pharmaceutical sponsors and clinical investigators to answer pertinent research questions for both clinicians and our patients living with HIV/Hepatitis C or those who are high at risk acquiring these viruses.
University of Sao Paulo
The Faculdade de Medicina of Universidade de São Paulo (FMUSP) aims at educating individuals to provide exemplary patient care and qualifying graduate and post-graduate students, medical residents, physicians, physical therapists, speech therapists and occupational therapists who are aware of their leadership roles in the areas of practice. The main mission of the FMUSP is to provide assistance to education, teaching, research and extramural extension with emphasis on a multidisciplinary and multi-institutional approach, contributing to the quality of the Brazilian public health system. FMUSP figures among the top 100 Medical Colleges in the world and is the only medical school in Latin America to join the M8 Alliance
The USP HIV clinics are national references centers for subjects living with HIV. There are currently over 3,500 patients being followed and new HIV cases are constantly referred to these clinics from other health care facilities and testing sites.
All staff involved in research activities that involve contact with volunteers has completed Good Clinical Practice (GCP), Human Subject Protection and studies/DAIDS specific training, and have experience in the conduct of vaccine, prevention and clinical trials. The staff are knowledgeable about the issues related to the enrollment of vulnerable populations and follow the pertinent US and Brazilian guidelines and research legislation.
The University of São Paulo has a valid Federal Wide Assurance (FWA 00001039) and its internal Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) registration with the Office of Human Research Protections (OHRP).
Whitman-Walker Health
Whitman-Walker Health’s mission is to be the highest quality, culturally competent community health center serving greater Washington’s diverse urban community, including individuals who face barriers to accessing care, and with a special expertise in LGBT and HIV care. They are on the cutting edge of HIV research. They conduct clinical trials to test new medications, study the long-term effects of HIV through observational cohorts, and help translate scientific findings into community practice. They strive to establish the value and advantages of integrating sound research in community settings.