HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease

Host: Charles Turck, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP Emerging data over the years has shown the role of GLP-1 receptor agonists, not only in terms of their initial role in managing diabetes and blood sugar but also the secondary benefit of sometimes massive amounts of weight loss. However, there hasn’t been a tremendous number of studies looking at the use of these agents in patients with HIV. Join Dr. Charles Turck as he dives into the data further with Dr. Darcy Wooten, Clinical Professor of Medicine and a Program Director for the University of California San Diego ID Fellowship Training Program in the Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health.

Host: Jeffrey Kwong, DNP, MPH Managing co-occurring conditions in patients with HIV can be challenging. But by taking certain steps—like updating management guidelines, screening for complications, and implementing prevention strategies—we can overcome those challenges and improve the way we care for HIV patients with co-occurring conditions. Here to discuss those strategies is Dr. Jeffrey Kwong, a Professor in the Division of Advanced Nursing Practice at Rutgers University School of Nursing. He also spoke about this exact topic at the 2023 Annual ANAC conference in his session, titled “Managing Co-Occurring Conditions: A Clinical Update.”

Host: Charles Turck, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP Guest: William R. Short, MD, MPH, AAHIVS As of January 2023, the breastfeeding guidelines for HIV patients were updated, and they now recommend supporting the parent’s choice through shared decision-making. Joining Dr. Charles Turck to share what these new guidelines look like in practice and key counseling strategies for HIV patients is Dr. William Short. Dr. Short is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Infectious Disease at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and he also spoke about this exact topic at the 2023 ANAC conference in his session, titled “New Recommendations for Infant Feeding for Persons with HIV in the United States.”

Host: Rachel Denyer, MD About one in every three people living with HIV has a positive hepatitis B core antibody. But how frequently does hepatitis B reactivation occur after a patient with HIV switches to an antiretroviral regimen that has no hepatitis B activity? Find out with Dr. Rachel Denyer as she shares key data she presented at IDWeek 2023 in the session titled “Hepatitis B Reactivation in Persons with HIV with Positive Hepatitis B Core Antibody After Switching to Antiretroviral Therapy Without Hepatitis B Activity.”

Host: Charles Turck, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP Guest: Stuart M. Levitz, MD Treating fungal infections can be difficult due to the limited treatment options available, but could antifungal vaccines help change that? To catch us up on the progress being made in immunotherapeutic and vaccine strategies, Dr. Charles Turck speaks with Dr. Stuart Levitz about the “Antifungal Vaccines: Where Are We At?” session he presented at IDWeek 2023.

Host: Jeffrey Freiberg, MD, PhD The field of infectious diseases is always evolving thanks to new research studies, data, and treatment options. To help us catch up on some of these essential updates, Dr. Jeffrey Freiberg is here to give us an overview of the “What's Hot in ID in Clinical Science” session he helped develop for IDWeek 2023.

Host: Charles Turck, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP Guest: John Russell, MD Guest: Darvin Scott Smith, MD Hospitals and health systems face several economic and logistical challenges due to low rates of flu vaccination. Fortunately, there are policies, programs, and initiatives that can be implemented in health system environments and at the community level to increase flu vaccination rates. Learn more with Drs. Darvin Scott Smith and John Russell. Dr. Smith is an Infectious Disease Consultant of Public Health Works, LLC in Northern California, and Dr. Russell is a family medicine physician at Jefferson Health System in Abington, Pennsylvania.

Host: Charles Turck, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP Guest: Keith C. Ferdinand, MD, FACC, FAHA, FASPC, FNLA Vaccines are essential in reducing death and disability related to influenza, but unfortunately, not all patients have equal access to these life-saving resources. In fact, many barriers exist, like misinformation and lack of public awareness and education. That’s why Dr. Charles Turck speaks with Dr. Keith Ferdinand about ways we can break down barriers and improve vaccination rates among members of racial and ethnic minority communities.

Host: Mary Katherine Cheeley, PharmD, BCPS, CLS, FNLA Guest: Valeria Cantos Lucio, MD HIV diagnoses in the United States have declined two-thirds since the start of the pandemic in the 1980s. However, the Latino community are still facing high risk of infections. To learn more on providing better access to care for these patients, join Dr. Mary Katherine Cheeley as she speaks with Dr. Valeria Cantos Lucio, Associate Professor of Medicine in the Department of Infectious Diseases at Emory University and an investigator at the Ponce de Leon research site.

Host: Charles Turck, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP Guest: Jill Foster, MD The clinical and economic burden associated with the flu is particularly heavy for our youngest patients. Learn more about this burden and how influenza vaccines can help reduce it with Dr. Charles Turck and Dr. Jill Foster, Professor in the Department of Pediatrics and the Director of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at the University of Minnesota Medical School in Minneapolis.

Host: Charles Turck, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP Guest: Darvin Scott Smith, MD There are several benefits associated with using real-world evidence to assess vaccine effectiveness, especially in the context of flu vaccines. Find out why and what the real-world evidence says about the effectiveness of flu vaccines with Dr. Charles Turck and Dr. Darvin Scott Smith. Dr. Smith is an infectious disease consultant of Public Health Works, LLC in Northern California.

Host: Mary Katherine Cheeley, PharmD, BCPS, CLS, FNLA Guest: Dylan Baker, MD Georgia has the highest rate of new HIV diagnoses out of any state in the country, and so it’s imperative that we make this medication more accessible now in order to save future generations from living with HIV. To dive further into the benefits and challenges of this program, Dr. Mary Katherine Cheeley is joined by Dr. Dylan Baker, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Emory University and the Associate Medical Director of the Grady PrEP Clinic.

Host: Charles Turck, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP Guest: Sorana Segal-Maurer, MD Research has shown that those living with HIV are more likely to be malnourished and experience nutrient deficiencies that play an essential role in their immunity. In the early days of HIV, a typical recommendation was to increase a patient’s calorie count. To discuss how the focus on nutrition has changed now that this patient population is living much longer, Dr. Charles Turck is joined by Dr. Sorana Segal-Maurer, Director of Infectious Diseases at New York-Presbyterian Queens and Professor of Clinical Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City.

Host: Charles Turck, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP Guest: Sorana Segal-Maurer, MD For most patients living with HIV, antiretroviral therapy is extremely effective. However, HIV mutates with frequency, allowing it to become resistant to antiviral medication. To discuss how we can effectively treat these patients, Dr. Charles Turck is joined by Dr. Sorana Segal-Maurer, Director of Infectious Diseases at New York-Presbyterian Queens and Professor of Clinical Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City.

Host: Mary Katherine Cheeley, PharmD, BCPS, CLS, FNLA Guest: Steve Grinspoon, MD The risk of cardiovascular disease is twice as great among patients living with HIV, and this could partly be due to traditional risk factors, along with nontraditional risk factors. Here to discuss the results from the REPRIEVE study with Dr. Mary Katherine Cheeley is Dr. Steve Grinspoon, Co-Principal Investigator and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston.

Host: Mary Katherine Cheeley, PharmD, BCPS, CLS, FNLA Guest: Sarah Bauerle Bass, PhD, MPH, FSBM Although the rate of new HIV diagnoses in the United States is steadily declining, people in prisons are still disproportionately living with the virus, which is why researchers at Temple University are now developing an app aimed at improving HIV prevention and substance use treatment access for incarcerated women in Philadelphia. To learn more about this research, Dr. Mary Katherine Cheeley is joined by Dr. Sarah Bauerle Bass, Associate Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences and the Director of Risk Communication Laboratory at Temple University.

Host: Charles Turck, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP Guest: Kamel Khalili, PhD Scientists at Temple University’s Lewis Katz School of Medicine have identified a novel gene-editing strategy aimed at eliminating HIV-1 infection with no adverse effects on cell mortality. Find out how this recent discovery could get us one step closer to a cure for HIV with Dr. Charles Turck and Dr. Kamel Khalili, the Laura H. Carnell Professor in the Department of Neuroscience and Chair of the Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Inflammation.

Host: Ryan Maves, MD Guest: Megan Conroy, MD, MA(Ed) Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is most commonly recognized for the significant disease it causes in infants and young children. However, over time its prevalence in adults has increased. Tune in to learn more with Dr. Ryan Maves as he speaks with Dr. Megan Conroy, Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Ohio State University in Columbus. This program is produced in partnership with the American College of CHEST Physicians and is supported by an educational grant from GSK.

Host: Ryan Maves, MD Guest: Kelly Pennington, MD It’s estimated that respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is responsible for up to 30 percent of viral respiratory infections in the stem cell transplant population. So how can we help RSV patients achieve their best outcomes? Learn more with Dr. Ryan Maves as he speaks with Dr. Kelly Pennington, Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. This program is produced in partnership with the American College of CHEST Physicians and is supported by an educational grant from GSK.

Host: Jerome Lisk, MD Guest: Santosh Kumar, PhD In an effort to examine the correlation between HIV-induced aging and Alzheimer’s disease in the United States population, a team of researchers at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center are working to develop a novel drug delivery system. To learn more, Dr. Jerome Lisk is joined by Dr. Santosh Kumar to discuss his current research and the effects it could have on future treatment approaches for HIV-induced aging and Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Kumar is a Professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Science at the University of Tennessee.