Advancing HIV prevention science and access - Session 5: Delivering prevention: From innovation to real-world 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.

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.

Senior Technical Advisor at the National Department of Health in South Africa supporting HIV prevention and primary health care systems strengthening. With over three decades of experience, she has led the design and national scale-up of South Africa’s biomedical HIV prevention programme, including oral and long-acting PrEP, positioning the country as a global leader in prevention innovation. She has played a key role in shaping national policy, regulatory frameworks, and implementation strategies, and has led flagship initiatives such as the She Conquers campaign and the national HPV vaccination programme. As former Registrar and CEO of the South African Nursing Council, she drove major legislative reforms, including the Nursing Act of 2005. 

Senior Technical Advisor at the National Department of Health in South Africa supporting HIV prevention and primary health care systems strengthening. With over three decades of experience, she has led the design and national scale-up of South Africa’s biomedical HIV prevention programme, including oral and long-acting PrEP, positioning the country as a global leader in prevention innovation. She has played a key role in shaping national policy, regulatory frameworks, and implementation strategies, and has led flagship initiatives such as the She Conquers campaign and the national HPV vaccination programme. As former Registrar and CEO of the South African Nursing Council, she drove major legislative reforms, including the Nursing Act of 2005. 

Dr. Friday Saidi, MBBS MMED FCOG (ECSA) is a Specialist Obstetrician-Gynecologist in Malawi, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Research Investigator with UNC Project–Malawi. His research focuses on maternal health, HIV prevention in pregnancy and breastfeeding, birth outcomes, and the vaginal microbiome. He leads several women's health studies, including research on long-acting injectable cabotegravir (CAB-LA), and is the Principal Investigator of a prospective study evaluating its safety during pregnancy and breastfeeding in Malawi. He also serves on Malawi's Ministry of Health and Sanitation CAB-LA Expert Committee and Lenacapavir Taskforce.

Dr. Saidi is President of the Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Malawi (AOGM), Consultant Obstetrician-Gynecologist at Kamuzu Central Hospital, and Honorary Clinical Lecturer at the Kamuzu University of Health Sciences. He is a Fellow and trainer with the East, Central and Southern Africa College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ECSACOG) and has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications. He also serves on the FIGO Committee on Infections During Pregnancy (2023–2027).

Angela is a social scientist at Wits Ezintsha, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, and a PhD candidate at Utrecht University. Her research focuses on person-centred care and expanding access to HIV prevention through community pharmacies and other differentiated service delivery platforms, including online delivery. She serves as co-principal investigator on studies evaluating pharmacy-based and online HIV prevention services in South Africa. Angela is also a fellow of the African HIV, Infectious Diseases and Global Health Implementation Research Institute (Afri-HIGH IRI), a collaborative implementation research training programme hosted by the University of KwaZulu-Natal and the University of Zambia in partnership with Washington University in St. Louis.

Angela is a social scientist at Wits Ezintsha, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, and a PhD candidate at Utrecht University. Her research focuses on person-centred care and expanding access to HIV prevention through community pharmacies and other differentiated service delivery platforms, including online delivery. She serves as co-principal investigator on studies evaluating pharmacy-based and online HIV prevention services in South Africa. Angela is also a fellow of the African HIV, Infectious Diseases and Global Health Implementation Research Institute (Afri-HIGH IRI), a collaborative implementation research training programme hosted by the University of KwaZulu-Natal and the University of Zambia in partnership with Washington University in St. Louis.

Ines Dourado, MD, PhD, is a Full Professor at the Federal University of Bahia, Brazil. An expert in epidemiology, she is currently the PI for an implementation study focused on PrEP choices among sexually and gender-diverse adolescents.

Adriano Queiroz da Silva is the coordinator of the Prevention Department at the STI/AIDS Coordination of São Paulo (SP), Brazil. He holds a bachelor's degree in Information Science and a master's degree in Human and Social Sciences. With over 15 years of experience in HIV and other STI prevention, he has collaborated with the NGO Grupo de Apoio à Prevenção à Aids (GAPA BR/SP), serves on technical committees for the health of the black population and for the comprehensive health of the LGBTIA+ population, and has contributed to research projects on HIV prevention among youth and on expanding choices in combination HIV prevention. He has experience in the implementation and monitoring of services that simplify access to PrEP and PEP, such as teleservice strategies, extramural activities, and healthcare facilities with diversified service, as well as in peer education and support projects, and in the monitoring of community prevention projects run by civil society. 

Adriano Queiroz da Silva is the coordinator of the Prevention Department at the STI/AIDS Coordination of São Paulo (SP), Brazil. He holds a bachelor's degree in Information Science and a master's degree in Human and Social Sciences. With over 15 years of experience in HIV and other STI prevention, he has collaborated with the NGO Grupo de Apoio à Prevenção à Aids (GAPA BR/SP), serves on technical committees for the health of the black population and for the comprehensive health of the LGBTIA+ population, and has contributed to research projects on HIV prevention among youth and on expanding choices in combination HIV prevention. He has experience in the implementation and monitoring of services that simplify access to PrEP and PEP, such as teleservice strategies, extramural activities, and healthcare facilities with diversified service, as well as in peer education and support projects, and in the monitoring of community prevention projects run by civil society. 

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.

Ines Dourado, MD, PhD, is a Full Professor at the Federal University of Bahia, Brazil. An expert in epidemiology, she is currently the PI for an implementation study focused on PrEP choices among sexually and gender-diverse adolescents.

Dr. Friday Saidi, MBBS MMED FCOG (ECSA) is a Specialist Obstetrician-Gynecologist in Malawi, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Research Investigator with UNC Project–Malawi. His research focuses on maternal health, HIV prevention in pregnancy and breastfeeding, birth outcomes, and the vaginal microbiome. He leads several women's health studies, including research on long-acting injectable cabotegravir (CAB-LA), and is the Principal Investigator of a prospective study evaluating its safety during pregnancy and breastfeeding in Malawi. He also serves on Malawi's Ministry of Health and Sanitation CAB-LA Expert Committee and Lenacapavir Taskforce.

Dr. Saidi is President of the Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Malawi (AOGM), Consultant Obstetrician-Gynecologist at Kamuzu Central Hospital, and Honorary Clinical Lecturer at the Kamuzu University of Health Sciences. He is a Fellow and trainer with the East, Central and Southern Africa College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ECSACOG) and has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications. He also serves on the FIGO Committee on Infections During Pregnancy (2023–2027).

Senior Technical Advisor at the National Department of Health in South Africa supporting HIV prevention and primary health care systems strengthening. With over three decades of experience, she has led the design and national scale-up of South Africa’s biomedical HIV prevention programme, including oral and long-acting PrEP, positioning the country as a global leader in prevention innovation. She has played a key role in shaping national policy, regulatory frameworks, and implementation strategies, and has led flagship initiatives such as the She Conquers campaign and the national HPV vaccination programme. As former Registrar and CEO of the South African Nursing Council, she drove major legislative reforms, including the Nursing Act of 2005. 

Angela is a social scientist at Wits Ezintsha, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, and a PhD candidate at Utrecht University. Her research focuses on person-centred care and expanding access to HIV prevention through community pharmacies and other differentiated service delivery platforms, including online delivery. She serves as co-principal investigator on studies evaluating pharmacy-based and online HIV prevention services in South Africa. Angela is also a fellow of the African HIV, Infectious Diseases and Global Health Implementation Research Institute (Afri-HIGH IRI), a collaborative implementation research training programme hosted by the University of KwaZulu-Natal and the University of Zambia in partnership with Washington University in St. Louis.

Adriano Queiroz da Silva is the coordinator of the Prevention Department at the STI/AIDS Coordination of São Paulo (SP), Brazil. He holds a bachelor's degree in Information Science and a master's degree in Human and Social Sciences. With over 15 years of experience in HIV and other STI prevention, he has collaborated with the NGO Grupo de Apoio à Prevenção à Aids (GAPA BR/SP), serves on technical committees for the health of the black population and for the comprehensive health of the LGBTIA+ population, and has contributed to research projects on HIV prevention among youth and on expanding choices in combination HIV prevention. He has experience in the implementation and monitoring of services that simplify access to PrEP and PEP, such as teleservice strategies, extramural activities, and healthcare facilities with diversified service, as well as in peer education and support projects, and in the monitoring of community prevention projects run by civil society. 

Adriano Queiroz da Silva is the coordinator of the Prevention Department at the STI/AIDS Coordination of São Paulo (SP), Brazil. He holds a bachelor's degree in Information Science and a master's degree in Human and Social Sciences. With over 15 years of experience in HIV and other STI prevention, he has collaborated with the NGO Grupo de Apoio à Prevenção à Aids (GAPA BR/SP), serves on technical committees for the health of the black population and for the comprehensive health of the LGBTIA+ population, and has contributed to research projects on HIV prevention among youth and on expanding choices in combination HIV prevention. He has experience in the implementation and monitoring of services that simplify access to PrEP and PEP, such as teleservice strategies, extramural activities, and healthcare facilities with diversified service, as well as in peer education and support projects, and in the monitoring of community prevention projects run by civil society. 

Angela is a social scientist at Wits Ezintsha, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, and a PhD candidate at Utrecht University. Her research focuses on person-centred care and expanding access to HIV prevention through community pharmacies and other differentiated service delivery platforms, including online delivery. She serves as co-principal investigator on studies evaluating pharmacy-based and online HIV prevention services in South Africa. Angela is also a fellow of the African HIV, Infectious Diseases and Global Health Implementation Research Institute (Afri-HIGH IRI), a collaborative implementation research training programme hosted by the University of KwaZulu-Natal and the University of Zambia in partnership with Washington University in St. Louis.

Senior Technical Advisor at the National Department of Health in South Africa supporting HIV prevention and primary health care systems strengthening. With over three decades of experience, she has led the design and national scale-up of South Africa’s biomedical HIV prevention programme, including oral and long-acting PrEP, positioning the country as a global leader in prevention innovation. She has played a key role in shaping national policy, regulatory frameworks, and implementation strategies, and has led flagship initiatives such as the She Conquers campaign and the national HPV vaccination programme. As former Registrar and CEO of the South African Nursing Council, she drove major legislative reforms, including the Nursing Act of 2005.