Monday, June 26, 2023
12–1 p.m.
Register on Zoom
In recognition of National HIV Testing Day, the Third Coast CFAR’s Ending the HIV Epidemic Scientific Working Group will host a virtual seminar featuring Chicago-based investigators leading the Limited Interaction Targeted Epidemiology (LITE) cohort studies. Speakers include Audrey French, MD; Robert Garofalo, MD, MPH; Amy Johnson, PhD; Lisa Kuhns, PhD, MPH; and Michael Newcomb, PhD. The presenters will discuss how their LITE studies utilize virtual observational methods to investigate the HIV epidemic. They will also present on digital interventions for HIV prevention and treatment for youth and adults in the U.S.
The seminar will be moderated by Jorge Cestou, PhD, MBA, director of research at the Chicago Department of Public Health. Gerald B. Sharp, DrPH, epidemiologist at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), will provide brief remarks.
Audrey French, MD
John H. Stroger, Jr.
Hospital of Cook County
RUSH Medical College
Robert Garofalo, MD, MPH
Lurie Children’s Hospital Northwestern University
Feinberg School of Medicine
Amy Kristen Johnson, PhD
Lurie Children’s Hospital
Northwestern University
Feinberg School of Medicine
Lisa Kuhns, PhD, MPH
Lurie Children’s Hospital
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Michael Newcomb, PhD Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Presenters:
Audrey French, MD, will present “Keeping it LITE 2: Exploring HIV Risk in Vulnerable Youth with Limited Interaction and Digital Health Intervention (LITE-2).” Dr. French is director of HIV inpatient services at John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County, professor of infectious diseases at RUSH Medical College, and director of research at the Ruth M. Rothstein CORE Center.
Robert Garofalo, MD, MPH, will present “MyPEEPS Mobile LITE: Limited Interaction Efficacy Trial of MyPEEPS Mobile to Reduce HIV Incidence and Better Understand the Epidemiology of HIV among YMSM.” Dr. Garofalo is chief of The Potocsnak Family Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine and director of the Center for Gender, Sexuality and HIV Prevention at Lurie Children’s, and professor of pediatrics and preventive medicine at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.
Amy Kristen Johnson, PhD, will present “Examining Social Ecological and Network Factors to Assess Epidemiological Risk in a Large National Cohort of Cisgender Women.” Dr. Johnson is a research associate professor in The Potocsnak Family Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine at Lurie Children’s and Department of Pediatrics at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.
Lisa Kuhns, PhD, MPH, will present “Digital, Limited Interaction Efficacy Trial of LifeSkills Mobile to Reduce HIV Incidence in Young Transgender Women.” Dr. Kuhns is a research associate professor in The Potocsnak Family Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine at Lurie Children’s and Department of Pediatrics at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. She is also associate director of the Center for Gender, Sexuality and HIV Prevention at Lurie Children’s.
Michael Newcomb, PhD, will present “Effectiveness of Relationship Education for Reducing HIV Incidence in Men Who Have Sex with Men.” Dr. Newcomb is an associate professor of medical social sciences at Northwestern University and director of the Center for Translational Health Research and Interventions Advancing Equity for Sexual and Gender Minorities (THRIVE) of the Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing (ISGMH) at Northwestern University.
Moderator:
Jorge Cestou, PhD, MBA
Chicago Department of Public Health
Jorge Cestou, PhD, MBA, is director of research, strategy, and development at the Chicago Department of Public Health. In this role, he is responsible for connecting academic researchers interested in advancing syndemic infectious disease eradicating efforts into public health efforts and translating research findings into practical and effective clinical and community services.
Prior to this position, Dr. Cestou served as director of program operations of the Syndemic Infectious Disease Bureau. In that role, he was responsible for the operational direction of syndemic status neutral comprehensive and integrated systems of services aiming to holistically support individuals affected by infectious diseases. He also served as governmental co-chair of the Chicago Area HIV Integrated Services Council and was responsible for all Chicago EMA’s regional community engagements to provide inclusivity into all planning of services and resource allocations.