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[link removed] June 9, 2026


** HIV Cure Research: Momentum, Community and What’s Next
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Dear Advocate,

HIV cure research ([link removed]) is making meaningful strides toward strategies that could transform the future of HIV care, as news that immune-based therapies ([link removed]) and broadly neutralizing antibodies ([link removed]) may one day make long-term HIV remission achievable ([link removed]) without daily treatment.

As scientific progress accelerates, AVAC’s cure programs ([link removed]) are ensuring communities remain at the center of the agenda. Through initiatives like the US HIV Cure Academy, global advocacy convenings and community-led storytelling, AVAC is equipping advocates with the knowledge and networks needed to shape the future of HIV cure research and bridge the gap between complex science and the communities most impacted by HIV. Read on for exciting updates and AVAC’s involvement in HIV cure research.
CONVENING
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** The 2026 US Cure Academy: Where science and community meet
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The 2026 US HIV Cure Academy brought together 20 advocates and 11 researchers and cure experts from across the US for three days of shared learning, collaboration and hope in Durham, North Carolina. Hosted by AVAC, The Well Project ([link removed]) and the Martin Delaney Collaboratories ([link removed]) , the Academy equipped participants with the latest updates in HIV cure research while strengthening their ability to translate complex science into meaningful community engagement and advocacy.

Through candid dialogue, hands-on learning and lasting connections, the Academy highlighted the essential role of community partnerships in advancing ethical, inclusive and people-centered HIV cure research. The US Cure Academy series started in 2025 and is meant to continue annually, to build a strong cadre of advocates to help guide cure research according to community priorities.

AVAC also partners with the International AIDS Society (IAS) on the Advocacy-For-Cure Academy ([link removed]) international program that prepares the next generation of cure advocates globally to fight effectively for research that matters to the people who are most impacted by HIV.

VIDEO: Hear from Academy participants! ([link removed])
Read the Full Blog Post ([link removed])
CURE RESEARCH HUB
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** BeCURE Brings HIV Cure Research Closer to Community
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AVAC’s Jessica Salzwedel ([link removed]) spoke about person-centered care at KURE — an event that brought community and researchers together in Germany — ahead of the opening of the Berlin Center for HIV Cure ([link removed]) (BeCURE). Building on Berlin’s unique legacy as home of the first documented HIV cured patient ([link removed]) , BeCURE is a research hub dedicated to advancing innovative strategies to cure HIV. “Something amazing is happening in Berlin”, said Jessica. “Christian Gaebler and his team, including Tomer Einav, are bringing cure to the people.”
Learn About BeCURE ([link removed])
Workshop
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** Advancing the Vision for HIV Cure Research in Cameroon
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AVAC attended an HIV cure agenda-setting workshop in Cameroon in May, building on discussions from 2025 ([link removed]) . Cameroon has emerged as a growing leader in HIV cure research in West Africa, fueled by significant recent investments in basic science and a rapidly expanding research landscape.

Hosted by the Cameroon government and supported by the African HIV Cure Consortium (AHCC) ([link removed]) , the workshop brought together the Ministry of Research, researchers, ethics experts and community members to identify immediate priorities and develop goals for advancing HIV cure research in the country over the next three to five years. The workshop helped lay the foundation for a coordinated national HIV cure strategy rooted in cross-sector collaboration and community engagement.

AVAC also supported Advocacy-For-A-Cure Academy Cure ([link removed]) alumni Laurel Kelvine Tchanida to host a community forum alongside the workshop. The meeting focused on communication and advocacy strategies to tell the story of HIV cure and advance the scientific agenda.
Watch Video Recap ([link removed])
VIDEO SERIES
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** What’s Next for HIV Cure: Insights from CROI 2026
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HIV cure advocate and Advocacy-For-A-Cure Academy ([link removed]) alumni Doreen Moraa ([link removed]) spoke with some of the top HIV cure researchers at CROI 2026 ([link removed]) to discuss takeaways from the conference, what’s next for HIV cure and what HIV cure means to them. In her latest video, ([link removed]) Dr. Katie Barr unpacks the science and emphasizes the need for community to be at the center of it all. Doreen's four-part CROI 2026 video series can be found on her YouTube channel, I Am A Beautiful Story ([link removed]) , which she uses to educate, empower and break the stigma surrounding HIV.
Watch Doreen's CROI 2026 Cure Videos ([link removed])

RESOURCE ROUNDUP
• New York Times article: A Single Infusion Could Suppress HIV for Years, Study Suggests ([link removed])
• Body Pro Article: Can Gene Therapy Control HIV? Steven Deeks, MD, Explains the Science—and the Caveats ([link removed])
• TAG webinar on June 16: INSIDE HIV CURE RESEARCH: What's Working, What's Emergent and What's Next ([link removed])
• Series of Jojo video: Analytic Treatment Interruption (ATI) ([link removed])
• Podcast on the ethics of pediatric HIV cure research: 10 Minutes with JPIDS ([link removed])
Follow us @hivpxresearch ([link removed])
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Share this issue ([link removed])
AVAC Global Advocacy for HIV Prevention
+1 212 796 6423 [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) www.avac.org ([link removed])
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