Letter from the Director
In accordance with the Legislative Mandate Section 2353 of the Public Health Service Act, the Office of AIDS Research (OAR), in the Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives (DPCPSI) in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) coordinates the scientific, budgetary, legislative, and policy elements for the NIH HIV research portfolio. The OAR allocates funds to the NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices (ICOs) to advance the NIH HIV research agenda and ensures that funds are aligned with the HIV research priorities outlined in NOT-OD-20-018: reduce the incidence of new HIV infections; develop next-generation HIV therapies; research toward an HIV cure; address HIV-associated comorbidities, coinfections, and complications (CCCs); and advance the critical framework of cross-cutting areas to end the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
In less than 40 years, HIV/AIDS has been transformed from a fatal disease to a manageable chronic illness. This unprecedented progress is due in large part to the significant NIH investments in research, which have produced groundbreaking advances in our understanding of basic virology, human immunology, HIV pathogenesis, the development of safe and effective antiretroviral medications (ARVs), and effective interventions to prevent HIV acquisition and transmission.
Continued investments, however, are necessary to sustain the momentum and to secure future advances. Integrated strategic approaches will lead to new, innovative research efforts and a pipeline for discovery that will move us closer to the NIH/OAR vision of ending the HIV/AIDS pandemic and meeting the needs of persons living with, at risk for, and affected by the virus.
I am honored to share our information with you, and our dedicated and diverse stakeholders, in the efforts to end the HIV/AIDS pandemic and improve the health of people with HIV.
With sincere appreciation,
Diana Finzi, Ph.D.
Acting Associate Director for AIDS Research and
Acting Director, Office of AIDS Research
National Institutes of Health
This page last reviewed on December 18, 2023