AID-ing a Cure

On June 19, 2017, more than 200 members of the Einstein community filled Robbins Auditorium for a celebratory symposium marking the launch of the Einstein-Rockefeller-CUNY Center for AIDS Research (ERC-CFAR).  Directed by Einstein’s Harris Goldstein, M.D., ERC-CFAR recently received a $7.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to address the ongoing AIDS crisis.

Anthony Fauci, M.D. gave the keynote address“We envision that this trans-institutional center will integrate and synergize the unique expertise that investigators from each of our three institutions bring to achieving our goal of arresting the AIDS epidemic,” noted Dr. Goldstein.

Anthony Fauci, M.D., director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health, discussed the urgent need to end the HIV/AIDS pandemic by using all available tools.  He also applauded the “manifestation of intellectual collaboration” exemplified by ERC-CFAR.

Michel Nussenzweig, M.D., Ph.D., investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Zanvil A. Cohn and Ralph M. Steinman Professor at the Rockefeller University and a leader in the field of HIV/AIDS research, then provided a basic science perspective on the continued fight against the decades-long epidemic, listing recent progress and current limitations to developing an effective HIV vaccine.

Mary Bassett, M.D., M.P.H., Commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, closed the talks with a public health perspective. She discussed the importance of ensuring that every New York neighborhood supports the health of its residents, with the ultimate goal of closing the gaps in health disparities.

ERC-CFAR’s associate directors, critical leaders in cross-institutional efforts, are Betsy Herold, M.D. (Einstein), Charles Rice Ph.D. (Rockefeller), Denis Nash, Ph.D., M.P.H, (CUNY) and Sarah Schlesinger, M.D. (Rockefeller).

Following are video segments from the symposium, with running time of each noted; click on the links below to view each.

• Einstein, Rockefeller and CUNY Leadership Welcome (13:43)
• Dr. Harris Goldstein, ERC-CFAR Overview (13:21)
• Dr. Anthony Fauci, Keynote Address (41:54)
• Dr. Michel Nussenzweig, Scientific Presentation (41:08)
• Dr. Mary Bassett, HIV Public Health Perspective (41:29)
• Dr. Sarah Schlesinger, Closing Remarks (5:15)