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OARAC Meeting: Thursday, October 22, 2026

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH  
OFFICE OF AIDS RESEARCH  
73rd Meeting of the 
Office of AIDS Research Advisory Council
October 22, 2026
NIH Videocast Link | 11:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. ET

11:00 AMWelcome & Introductions
Melissa Herrera, M.P.H. OARAC Executive Secretary, Public Health Analyst, Office of AIDS Research, NIH
Luis Montaner, D.V.M., D.Phil. OARAC Chairperson, Executive Vice President and Director, HIV Cure & Viral Diseases Center, The Wistar Institute
11:15 AMReport: Office of AIDS Research Director 
Geri R. Donenberg, Ph.D. Associate Director for AIDS Research and Director, Office of AIDS Research, NIH
11:35 AMFY 2026–2030 NIH Strategic Plan for HIV and HIV-Related Research
Rachel Anderson, Ph.D. Senior Policy Advisor and Chief of Staff, Office of AIDS Research, NIH 
11:45 AMHIV & Women Focus Area: Connecting Whole Person Health and Syndemics
Elizabeth Barr, Ph.D. Senior Science Advisor, Office of AIDS Research, NIH 
11:55 AMOARAC Discussion
OARAC Members
12:25 PMLunch
1:00 PMScientific Session: Healthy Aging, Comorbidities, and Whole Person Health
A Lifetime Perspective: Centering an Overlooked Generation of People Living with HIV
Grissel Granados, M.S.W. Board Chair, Positive Women’s Network USA Program Development Coordinator, UCI Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, Office of Community & Outreach & Engagement
1:15 PMA Clearer Vision for Brain Health: How Neuroimaging Maps Heterogeneity in HIV
Beau Ances, M.D., Ph.D. Professor of Neurology Washington University, St. Louis
1:30 PMAdvancing Population Health Through Tailored Dietary Interventions Across Diverse Populations
Sabrina E. Noel, Ph.D., R.D. Associate Professor, Department of Public Health Director, Center for Population Health Director, Health Assessment Laboratory, ScD Graduate Program Coordinator, Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell
1:45 PMConsiderations for Long-Term Survivors
Jeff Taylor Executive Director, HIV+ Aging Research Project-Palm Springs 
2:00 PMPanel Discussion
Grissel Granados, M.S.W.
Beau Ances, M.D., Ph.D.
Sabrina Noel, Ph.D., R.D.
Jeff Taylor
2:30 PMBreak
2:45 PMReport: COPE Working Group
Elizabeth Barr, Ph.D.
3:00 PMUpdates: NIH Advisory Council Representatives
Hiroko Iida, D.D.S., M.P.H. Director, Dental, Oral, Craniofacial Health Disparities Program, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research HIV/AIDS Program 
Robert Eisinger, Ph.D. Acting Director, Division of AIDS, National Advisory Allergy and Infectious Diseases Council 
Jennifer Havens, Ph.D., M.P.H. Professor, Department of Behavioral Science, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, National Advisory Council on Drug Abuse 
David Chang, Ph.D. Supervisory Health Scientist Administrator, Senior Science Advisor, Office of AIDS Research NIH HIV/AIDS Executive Committee 
3:30 PMUpdates: HIV Clinical Guidelines Working Groups of OARAC
Safia Kuriakose, Pharm.D. Senior Pharmacist, Laboratory of Immunoregulation and Infectious Diseases (LIRID), Clinical Research Directorate (CRD), Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, National Institutes of Health Adult and Adolescent ARV Guidelines 
3:45 PMOARAC Discussion
OARAC Members
4:15 PMPublic Comment | Closing Remarks
Melissa Herrera, M.P.H.
Geri Donenberg, Ph.D.
4:30 PMAdjournment
Melissa Herrera, M.P.H.
Luis Montaner, D.V.M., D.Phil.

This page last reviewed on October 7, 2026