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

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 and the Martin Delaney Collaboratories, 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 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!

AVAC’s Jessica Salzwedel 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 (BeCURE). Building on Berlin’s unique legacy as home of the first documented HIV cured patient, 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.” 

AVAC attended an HIV cure agenda-setting workshop in Cameroon in May, building on discussions from 2025. 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), 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 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.

HIV cure advocate and Advocacy-For-A-Cure Academy alumni Doreen Moraa spoke with some of the top HIV cure researchers at CROI 2026 to discuss takeaways from the conference, what’s next for HIV cure and what HIV cure means to them. In her latest video, 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, which she uses to educate, empower and break the stigma surrounding HIV.