The Pitt Men’s Study—an ongoing, NIH-funded initiative that began in 1984—pioneered the gathering of confidential information on the epidemiology, virology, immunology, and pathology of HIV. The study is now part of the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS), coordinating with sites in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Baltimore.
To commemorate the 35 years of such historic research, and to remember those that shed light on the emerging science, speakers gathered on Friday, September 20, 2019:
- Charles Rinaldo, principal investigator, talked about the history of the disease as transitioning from fatal to chronic illness, but still unconquered;
- Frank Palella, MACS Chicago, spoke of the unprecedented impact of the long-term, observational research, generating hypotheses for new randomized clinical trials;
- William Buchanan, Pittsburgh clinic and volunteer coordinator, emphasized the value of the emphatic determination, humor, and integrity of the volunteers that have unlocked secrets of the disease;
- Phyllis Tien, from San Francisco, shared about treatment and age-related comorbidities shaping new clinical trials; and
- Jeremy Martinson, co-principal investigator in Pittsburgh, looked to the future, reminding us that we are in a tremendous position to launch retrospective chronological investigations and longitudinal projections, with the future goal of putting ourselves out of business on this issue.
View event details, more about the Pitt Men’s Study, and see photos of the event!
10/09/2019