Session 1: Framing the future of HIV prevention: Progress, gaps, and the meaning of choice

Renee Heffron, Professor of Medicine at the University of Alabama (UAB), is a clinical epidemiologist and HIV prevention researcher. Her experience includes execution of implementation science, clinical trials, behavioural science and qualitative research. She leads numerous research projects focused on biomedical HIV prevention using pre-exposure prophylaxis, including studies of novel products and optimizing delivery of efficacious products with close collaborations in Uganda, Kenya and South Africa. At UAB, she is the Director of the Center for AIDS Research, which has a 35-year history of supporting HIV research across disciplines of basic, clinical, implementation and community sciences. Throughout her career, Renee has been a mentor to dozens of trainees, including doctoral students, fellows and early-career investigators at US and African institutions.

I am a Senior Program Officer on the HIV Vaccines team at the Gates Foundation.

Renee Heffron, Professor of Medicine at the University of Alabama (UAB), is a clinical epidemiologist and HIV prevention researcher. Her experience includes execution of implementation science, clinical trials, behavioural science and qualitative research. She leads numerous research projects focused on biomedical HIV prevention using pre-exposure prophylaxis, including studies of novel products and optimizing delivery of efficacious products with close collaborations in Uganda, Kenya and South Africa. At UAB, she is the Director of the Center for AIDS Research, which has a 35-year history of supporting HIV research across disciplines of basic, clinical, implementation and community sciences. Throughout her career, Renee has been a mentor to dozens of trainees, including doctoral students, fellows and early-career investigators at US and African institutions.

I am a Senior Program Officer on the HIV Vaccines team at the Gates Foundation.

Beatriz Grinsztejn is an infectious diseases physician and researcher at the Evandro Chagas National Institute of Infectious Diseases-Oswaldo Cruz Foundation in Rio de Janeiro. She is the Director of the STD/AIDS Clinical Research Laboratory and principal investigator of the FIOCRUZ HIV Prevention and Therapeutic Clinical Trials Unit. The unit is affiliated with the HIV Prevention Trials Network, the AIDS Clinical Trials Group and the ANRS, and implements prevention and therapeutic clinical trials and cohort studies. She is the Brazilian principal investigator for the Caribbean, Central and South America network for HIV epidemiology of the International Epidemiologic Databases to Evaluate AIDS. Beatriz is a member of the Brazilian Ministry of Health ART and PrEP Advisory Committees, PAHO Technical Advisory Committee and PrEP Task Force, and the UNAIDS Scientific Expert Panel. She is a faculty member of the Master’s and PhD programme on clinical research in infectious diseases at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation.

Lloyd B Mulenga is an internal medicine and infectious diseases physician who serves as Director of the Infectious Diseases for the Zambia Ministry of Health. He is Professor of Infectious Diseases and affiliated with the University of Zambia School of Medicine, Lusaka. He practices at the University Teaching Hospital. He serves on various international and local boards. His recent focus has been on improving health outcomes through digital health systems, including digital health information systems. His research focuses on: HIV prevention and clinical outcomes; HIV drug resistance; HIV and non-communicable diseases (kidney, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes); and infectious diseases epidemiology and clinical outcomes. He has authored several publications in peer-reviewed journals on these subjects.

Gastón Devisich has a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology (University of Buenos Aires) and is the Community Engagement Representative at Fundación Huésped’s Research Department. He has represented Latin America and the Caribbean at the NGO Delegation for UNAIDS’ Programme Coordinating Board (2022-2024).

Paulo Dos Santos is an Infectious Diseases physician and researcher from Buenos Aires, Argentina. He serves in the Infectious Diseases Department at Hospital Fernández, providing clinical care to people living with HIV and key populations. He is part of the Clinical Research Unit within the Research Department at Fundación Huésped. Additionally, he works as an Infectious Diseases teaching assistant for the medical program at the University of Buenos Aires. Currently, Paulo collaborates with the IAS, serving as the representative for Young People Under 30 on the AIDS 2026 Organizing Committee and as co-chair of the Global Village. 

Ibanomonde Ngema is a South African HIV advocate for young people living with and affected by HIV. She has spoken at major global platforms, including the International AIDS Society Conference and the United Nations General Assembly. She serves as South Africa’s Her Voice Fund Ambassador and UNFPA’s Regional Youth Advocate for East and Southern Africa and authored a paper in The Lancet.