Investing in the Research Leaders of Tomorrow

“Since childhood, I dreamed of achieving scientific breakthroughs to benefit society,” says Gabriel Duette, PhD, of the Westmead Institute for Medical Research in Westmead, Australia, a recent recipient of one of amfAR’s Mathilde Krim Fellowships in Basic Biomedical Research. “By furthering my research into the elimination of HIV infection, the Mathilde Krim fellowship brings me another step closer to this dream.”

With amfAR funding, Dr. Duette aims to see if cycles of treatment interruption and re-initiation lead to an increase of CD8+ killer T cells capable of clearing HIV-infected cells from the body and whether they can influence the genetic makeup of rebounding virus. While HIV begins replicating rapidly in most people who stop treatment, a select few are able to control the virus for months or even years. Dr. Duette will study a cohort of these individuals to better understand why they’re able to control their HIV infection after treatment interruption.

Acknowledging amfAR’s Founding Chairman, Dr. Duette said: “I am deeply grateful and look forward to honoring Mathilde Krim’s remarkable legacy of compassion and hope for people living with HIV.”

The two-year fellowship, launched in 2008, aims to help early-career postdoctoral researchers transition to an independent career in biomedical HIV research. Recently upped from $150,000 to $180,000, it offers a unique and much-needed opportunity in an environment of scarce funding for professional development.

To date, the Krim Fellowship program has supported 62 young scientists with $9.7 million in funding. This critical investment has produced remarkable dividends: every dollar spent on the program has generated on average $24 in subsequent funding from the National Institutes of Health.

Krim Fellow Simone Richardson, PhD, of the National Institute for Communicable Diseases in Johannesburg, will use her award to study a segment of antibody molecules known as Fc, which regulate anti-HIV immune responses produced by potent antibodies. Dr. Richardson’s study could contribute to the development of both therapeutic and protective HIV vaccines.

“The Mathilde Krim fellowship helps me step into independent research in a field where I form part of a large team that fights to alleviate the disproportionate burden of HIV in my home country, South Africa,” she says. “I hope to always foster global health equity through scientific innovation.”

One of the keys to the Fellowship program is mentorship. Krim Fellows must work under the guidance of a seasoned investigator at the same institution, pursuing research that is sufficiently distinct from that of his or her mentor. Looking toward the future, amfAR wants recipients to carve out their own niche and be able to sustain a long-term research agenda.

For instance, Kalen Petersen, PhD, of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri, is focused on a growing population—people living with HIV (PLWH) who are living longer thanks to antiretroviral therapy. Dr. Petersen will use his award to better understand biological aging processes in PLWH, especially changes to the brain and cognition.

“The Krim fellowship will allow me to investigate protective factors that help people to flourish despite the challenges that accompany HIV-positive status,” said Dr. Petersen. “My mentor Dr. Beau Ances and I have investigated cognitive impairment and deleterious brain changes, but we are excited to study the flip side of this topic—resilience—using neuroimaging, epigenetics, and social/structural variables.”

Click Here to read more from the July 2024 issue of amfAR INNOVATIONS.

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