Center for AIDS Research (CFAR)

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Since the beginning of the epidemic, the Bronx has been an epicenter of HIV within the United States. Seventeen percent of all male AIDS cases and 27% of all female AIDS cases in New York City have originated in the Bronx, with a cumulative infection rate of 2,249/100,000. As a result, Einstein/Montefiore investigators have been at the forefront of AIDS research and patient care since the emergence of the AIDS epidemic. We care for a large and diverse population of HIV-infected patients, the majority of whom are from recognized minority groups, including a large cohort of prospectively followed at risk and HIV-infected mother-infant pairs, drug abusers and uninfected partners. Therefore, the Einstein/Montefiore CFAR was designed and established to provide an infrastructure to promote the HIV-related research effort of investigators at Einstein and Montefiore. The specific goals of the CFAR are: 1) To provide scientific leadership and an institutional infrastructure to foster collaborative and translational research among basic scientists and clinical investigators; 2) To establish and maintain core facilities that provide CFAR investigators with ready access to user-friendly, efficient and affordable laboratory, biostatistical and clinical services. These Cores are centralized facilities operated by experienced personnel that perform specialized assays, services and techniques for basic and clinical researchers, obviating the time-consuming need for investigators to establish and validate these technical procedures and services in their own labs. These cores also serve as a centralized source that provide CFAR investigators with ready access to HIV-1 clinical isolates, vectors, patient samples and unique reagents; 3) To provide intellectual and financial support for HIV-related research, identify and investigate emerging research opportunities, mentor and support junior investigators and recruit investigators not currently involved in HIV-related research; 4) To disseminate information about HIV-1 transmission, prevention and therapeutic interventions to the medical community and the general population.