HIV and AIDS

Burnet + HIV

HIV is a major focus at Burnet, with work on laboratory-based research into a cure, and on public health programs focused on education and prevention in Australia and overseas.

According to the UNAIDS, almost 38 million people live with HIV.

In 2020, there were 1.5 million new HIV infections and around 680,000 deaths from AIDS-related illnesses.

The COVID-19 lockdowns and other restrictions disrupted HIV testing and in many countries, lead to steep drops in diagnoses and referrals to HIV treatment.

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infects cells of the immune system, causing it to become weak and making it more susceptible to infections. HIV is generally spread through unprotected sexual intercourse or contaminated blood but can also be spread from mother to child during pregnancy. There is no cure for HIV.

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is the most advanced stage of HIV infection. It can take 10 - 15 years for a HIV-infected person to develop AIDS but antiretroviral (ARV) drugs have made a huge difference in slowing or halting the progression to AIDS.

Service coverage is gradually increasing. In 2018, 62 per cent of adults and 54 per cent of children living with HIV in low and middle income countries were receiving lifelong antiretroviral therapy (ART).

World AIDS Day - 1 December

World AIDS Day, held annually on 1 December, is an opportunity for people worldwide to support people living with HIV, and to commemorate those who have died.

Projects

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Support out groundbreaking HIV research

Current Projects

  • A novel biomarker for gut leakage as a diagnostic tool for HIV disease progression

  • A GIFT (Genital Inflammation Test) for HIV Prevention

  • A novel gel for targeting vaginal inflammation to prevent HIV transmission

  • ACCESS: The Australian Collaboration for Coordinated Enhanced Sentinel Surveillance of Blood Borne Viruses and Sexually Transmitted Infections

  • Ageing Well with HIV

  • Antimicrobial and immune modulatory effects of vaginal microbiota metabolites

  • APPRISE - Centre for Research Excellence

  • Assessing the feasibility of an integrated HIV cascade of care surveillance system in Myanmar (ACCESS Myanmar)

  • Blood-borne virus and STI self-testing❗Student Projects Available

  • Broadly neutralising anti-HIV antibodies and Fc Receptor function

  • Community-Based Rapid HIV Testing Services

  • DARE C: ATAHC II Substudy

  • Decision science using Optima

  • Depo Provera and Beyond

  • Development of a novel prophylactic vaccine candidate for HIV-1

  • Development of hydrogel based intravaginal drug delivery device

  • EVE-M

  • Getting to the heart of cardiovascular disease in HIV

  • Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies

  • HIV Prevention Cohort

  • Impact of a vaginal microbiota metabolite on epithelium integrity and HIV susceptibility

  • Inequalities in sexual and reproductive health in Asia and the Pacific

  • Mucosal injury from sexual contact (MISC)

  • Needle and Syringe Program (NSP) Snapshot Study

  • Optima HIV Modelling

  • Predicting quality and potency of monoclonal and natural antibodies

  • PrEPX: Rapid scale-up of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)

  • Project Geldom

  • PRONTO! Rapid HIV point-of-care testing in Victoria

  • Sex, Drugs, and Rock'n'Roll (Big Day Out Study)

  • Sexual and reproductive health in Asia and the Pacific

  • Sexual health and STIs among people who use drugs❗Student Projects Available

  • SHARP: Sexual Health And Risk Prevention Study

  • SRHIP: Sexual & Reproductive Health Integration Project

  • SuperMIX: The Melbourne Injecting Drug User Cohort Study

  • Tackling TB and HIV Together in Papua New Guinea

  • TAIPAN: HIV cascade surveillance

  • Targeting HIV-infected macrophages to achieve an HIV cure

  • Targeting novel sites on reverse transcriptase for HIV treatment and prevention

  • The elimination of hepatitis C as a global public health threat

  • The impact of viral infections on immune ageing

  • The International Collaboration on Hepatitis C Elimination in HIV Cohorts (InCHEHC)

  • The persistence of HIV in monocytes and macrophages

  • The role of female genital tract microbial function in inflammation and HIV infection risk.

  • The role of monocytes in the development of cardiovascular disease

Past Projects

  • co-EC Study: Eliminating hepatitis C/HIV coinfection

  • PATH Cohort Study