What is your favorite food to eat?
As an Amazonian I love fish, uarini flour and a caldinho de piranha (typical fish broth of the region ) to make that pirão (fish sauce). Since my childhood in the interior of the Amazon, fish was a holy meal shared by everyone in the family.

What motivated you to get involved in HIV prevention?
Losing friends to this virus, and taking care of family members who are living with HIV, were my main motivation, and the possibility to work on this health issue in my community that is so deprived of resources and access to information.

What would ending the HIV epidemic mean for you and your community?
The possibility of living, of healthy aging, fighting the stigma and prejudice that HIV has brought to the LGBTQIA+ population.

Why is it important to have a safe and effective vaccine to prevent HIV?
Because it is the possibility for the whole next generation to live without the risk of being exposed to the virus as a result of a lack of information, or their own attitudes about their sexual health.

What would you say is the most challenging aspect of working in HIV vaccine research?
The biggest challenge is working on retention, because participating in the study is a time-consuming process.

If a safe and effective HIV vaccine were available right now, would you take it? 
I certainly would, in fact as a straight cis person I regret not having access to PREP in Brazil, or even to the Mosaico research study. Although exposure to HIV is independent of sexual orientation, there are more vulnerable groups such as the LGBTQIA+ population. However, the reproductive health policy in Brazil is extremely weak, and we women don't really get follow-up with a gynecologist when necessary.

What is your favorite food to eat? 
Ramen, hamburgers, lasagna, pasta and desserts.

What motivated you to get involved in HIV prevention?
The death of my mother because of not having timely detection of her diagnosis, and the ignorance in which I lived at that time and for years later which put my health at risk on several occasions. Seeing loved ones get sick and seeing others die was enough to get out of the misinformation and take action.

What would ending the HIV epidemic mean for you and your community?
It would be a light in a long journey of struggle, pain, loss and at the same time of courage, effort, love and empathy. It would be a hug from a distance for those who are no longer here and a loving smile for those of us who are present and for those who are to come.

Why is it important to have a safe and effective vaccine to prevent HIV?
Because even today with safe prevention methods for HIV, it is difficult to achieve adherence to them because they are medications that are taken every day, and are not very well received by many. A preventive vaccine would give us an opportunity to be more responsible with our health.

What would you say is the most challenging aspect of working in HIV vaccine research?   
I could say that even today there are many myths and misinformation about vaccines in general, so a vaccine that can put an end to a pandemic that has stalked the world for decades could be something incredible, but difficult to accept in a country like Mexico.

If a safe and effective HIV vaccine were available right now, would you take it?  
I would. Today more than ever I know how unpredictable prevention is. I wouldn't let an opportunity like that pass.

What is your favorite food to eat?
Stewed chicken with potatoes, an effective memory of my mother's recipe.

What motivated you to get involved in HIV prevention?
At the moment I came out as a cis gay man, HIV was brought up as a reality in my life. As I got closer to the LGBTQ+ community and started my activism, I experienced around me the stories of people living with HIV and their struggles against stigma and their difficulty to access health services. I understood that this was a fight for all of us, and that regardless of my HIV status,  as an activist and health professional, I should be part of this fight.

What would ending the HIV epidemic mean for you and your community?
The end of one more thing that society uses to limit and stigmatize us.

Why is it important to have a safe and effective vaccine to prevent HIV?
Prevention through vaccination has been fundamental in the process of fighting and eradicating diseases in our society. Although the cure is much desired in this process, to ensure safe and effective protection that is easy to manage and can reach vulnerable populations defines the importance of having an HIV vaccine.

What would you say is the most challenging aspect of working in HIV vaccine research?
Reaching the people most vulnerable to HIV, and making them understand their role and the importance of this journey towards safe and effective protection, and considering the impact it will have on the whole community.

If a safe and effective HIV vaccine were available right now, would you take it? 
Yes, I would have no hesitation. And I would encourage everyone to take it.

What is your favorite food to eat?
Vegetarian burger

What motivated you to get involved in HIV prevention?
The struggle and prevention of HIV is very important for society, but unfortunately still doesn’t have the acknowledgement and the attention required from the population. My involvement arises to learn, to inform about this fight, and the will and desire to welcome people living with HIV. The misinformation about the virus and what it can cause still generates many concerns. The world fight against HIV is defined by perseverance, because after all, the HIV/AIDS epidemic has been going on for over 40 years. There are still taboos about what the virus is, how it how it is transmitted, prevention, and how the body reacts when someone acquires the virus. Trans bodies are usually associated with people living with HIV, and because I am trans, I feel this in my social reality. Ever since the Dictatorship in Brazil in the 1960s, the police are still associated with combating against AIDS by arresting and torturing trans people. What motivated me to get Involved in HIV prevention was to destigmatize the condition of people living with the virus as unhealthy and sick, and  also to disassociate HIV  from trans people.

What would ending the HIV epidemic mean for you and your community?
The end of the HIV epidemic would be a dream for our community because of the stigmatization that LGBTQIA+ people suffer regarding HIV. Even after 40 years of the epidemic, steps have been taken very slowly, both in prevention and in understanding of the virus. The end of the epidemic would mean advancement, as well as embracing the different conditions of the body and developing new possibilities of controlling the virus. Ending the epidemic requires laboratory and pharmaceutical attention to all of these bodies. The end of the epidemic is still further away, but it would be extraordinary to understand HIV, and also for sex to be stigma-free. Prevention must continue even when the epidemic ends.

Why is it important to have a safe and effective vaccine to prevent HIV?
More possibilities and choices for prevention will be better. The vaccine has a very great importance in the fight against HIV/AIDS because it is a breakthrough in combating the virus, and also a possibility of prevention with a high level of effectiveness. There may only be a few doses and it may not be necessary to use other prevention efforts daily or monthly.

What would you say is the most challenging aspect of working in HIV vaccine research?
The efficient reception of volunteers seeking to be understood and to welcome their experiences, since we have a diverse population with diverse social realities - race, gender and class. The understanding and welcoming of their experiences is very important for our CRS, but the most challenging factor with our HIV vaccine volunteers is to create intimacy.  Then, we can talk about all the practices, demystifying prevention taboos and understanding STIs. Another important factor is to engage people in the fight against HIV. The volunteers are very helpful and they try to learn, but the really difficult thing is to get these volunteers to replicate in their communities what they understand about prevention and the fight against HIV. Having more people engaged in this fight and in vaccine prevention will increase the possibility of having an  effective preventive vaccine to reduce the spread of the virus.

What is your favorite food to eat?
All food. I love to eat!

What motivated you to get involved in HIV prevention?
Noticing that people around me needed to be protected. I decided that I would do whatever I could do to help others to prevent HIV, and to combat stigma and prejudice. The main reason was seeing the affliction of the mothers and adolescents that I assisted at the site. They came with fear, anxiety, and doubts about what life would be like after a positive diagnosis. Working in HIV prevention is not easy; it requires a lot of care and love.

What would ending the HIV epidemic mean for you and your community?
I hear this question every day, "Are we close to the end of HIV?”  I usually say that we are advancing every day, and that where we are today with several medications, several options of tests, etc.,  is because the fight is worthwhile. The end of HIV will arrive in slow steps, but the result is good. We still have a lot to do. We can't give up, and must work every day with the communities so that hope doesn't die.

Why is it important to have a safe and effective vaccine to prevent HIV?
Every method of prevention is worthwhile, and all alternatives need to be tested and shared. Having a study on HIV preventive vaccines is a way to believe that science continues to search for new methods of prevention and quality of life for everyone. Who knows, maybe one day a long-awaited cure?  I wish for more studies, and the continuation of science!

What would you say is the most challenging aspect of working in HIV vaccine research?
Challenges are important and essential in our lives. It is not easy to recruit and keep a volunteer in the study for so long, but it is possible when you have a committed team willing to develop the work with excellence for the common purpose. Science and the community need to work together.

If a safe and effective HIV vaccine were available right now, would you take it? 
I would take it and encourage everyone to do the same!

What is your favorite food to eat?
My favorite food is a tradition in Louisiana and that would be Gumbo. For me it has to be spicy as well.

What motivated you to get involved in HIV prevention?
What motivates me in the field of HIV prevention are the people I meet along the way. I have met some of the nicest and most sincere individuals in my life working in this field. 

What would ending the HIV epidemic mean for you and your community?
Ending The Epidemic in my community could be summed up in one word and that is EQUITY!!!!

Why is it important to have a safe and effective vaccine to prevent HIV?
It is important to have a safe and effective vaccine so no other human has to experience the stigma and potential health complications associated with the virus.

What would you say is the most challenging aspect of working in HIV vaccine research?
The most challenging aspect of working in the HIV vaccine research for me is the time it takes to develop a vaccine. Another challenge would be recruiting individuals disproportionately affected to participate in this research.

If a safe and effective HIV vaccine were available right now, would you take it?
Personally, I would evaluate my risk to determine if taking an HIV vaccine would be a recommendation for me.

What is your favorite food to eat?
My favorite food has been changing over time. At the moment my favorite food is pasta in its different styles. For example: spaghetti and gnocchi. The sauce is important. I prefer red sauce or mixed sauce.

What motivated you to get involved in HIV prevention?
I am a person living with HIV for 15 years. I had to face the diagnosis in very difficult times and start treatment when ART was not as effective as it is now. The years have gone by and we continuously see new cases and diagnoses showing up. Being a health professional, I have always been close to the people who received their diagnosis, advising and supporting them in this difficult process. I would like to not see more people, especially very young people, go through the same situation of distress and helplessness that I went through. This is the main reason that I am involved in HIV prevention. Moreover, seeing and observing the prevalence and incidence of HIV in our society, the lack of public policies on prevention issues, and the risky  unprotected sexual behaviors that many young people engage in are very important reasons for me to get involved in HIV prevention activities.

What would ending the HIV epidemic mean for you and your community?
For me it would mean an immense scientific and community achievement, and peace of mind to know that there would be no new infections, no new diagnoses. There would be no more vulnerable people living with HIV suffering from stigma and discrimination, and low-income populations would no longer suffer from not being able to access treatment. For my community, it would mean something similar. In my community there are important social, cultural and economic differences, and ending the HIV epidemic would mean achieving a more equitable community in terms of disease prevention and access to health.

Why is it important to have a safe and effective vaccine to prevent HIV?
It is important to have a safe and effective vaccine to prevent HIV as another prevention tool. We know that the use of condoms as the main prevention tool has failed in some respects, and there are still no public policies that allow access to PrEP drugs to all those who request it. Having a safe and effective vaccine to prevent HIV that is applicable to the entire population would be very important.

What would you say is the most challenging aspect of working in HIV vaccine research?
I believe that one of the most difficult aspects to address in HIV vaccine research would be its efficacy. For the scientific community, this would be one of the most challenging aspects to achieve; a highly effective vaccine that neutralizes the infection. In community, the difficult aspects to work on would be breaking down prejudices and fake news about preventive clinical trials, prejudices about vaccines in general, strategies for good recruitment, strategies to achieve excellent retention, and communicating with the general community in the most effective way.

If a safe and effective HIV vaccine were available right now, would you take it?
If there was a safe and effective HIV vaccine right now, I would not hesitate to take it (assuming I would be eligible as a person living with HIV). I would also work to spread the word and educate the community to do so as well.

What is your favorite food to eat?
Peruvian and Mediterranean

What motivated you to get involved in HIV prevention?
I became staff of the NGO Volunteers Against AIDS as soon as I got my Bachelor’s degree in 2002. As a pharmacist, HIV immediately got my attention due to the complexity of the pharmacology, and therapeutic aspects in HIV treatment before the HAART breakthrough. Later, with the experience I gained in directing my Pharmacy Store, I developed skills in organization and management of work teams. Since then I have worked in the planning and management of HIV and STD prevention and information activities.

What would ending the HIV epidemic mean for you and your community?
It would mean facilitating access to job opportunities and health systems for a portion of the community that is still marginalized today by the stigmatization of their condition because of living with HIV.

Why is it important to have a safe and effective vaccine to prevent HIV?
In general, the pharmacological treatment of viral infections presents difficulties in terms of efficacy and toxicity. The use of preventive vaccines for viral infections is often more effective than antiviral treatments when both options are available. I believe we are closer to achieving the objectives set for the control of the HIV epidemic with a preventive vaccine than with we are with the development of a treatment for the definitive cure.

What would you say is the most challenging aspect of working in HIV vaccine research?
I think the challenge is to access and engage people who are not living with HIV, but who live at risk of acquiring it. This population is difficult to access, and it is not certain that the person perceives themself as at risk, or as a candidate for the clinical trial. People cannot be given any certainty about the benefits of participating in the research.

If a safe and effective HIV vaccine were available right now, would you take it?
Definitely.

What is your favorite food to eat?
A hamburger. My diet is mostly vegetarian besides hamburgers – that’s how much I love them. Best time to eat them? Saturday lunch with my family in the autumn while watching a Clemson football game.

What motivated you to get involved in HIV prevention?
Three things: the biology, the data, and (most importantly) the humanity. I studied the immunology in grad school and love keeping up with the field. I work in research data collection, so seeing how data are managed in other contexts helps, too. Finally, I long for this decades-long global pandemic to finally end. Too many lives have been cut too short. I’m a progressive Christian, and I daresay I feel God at work in places like this.

What would ending the HIV epidemic mean for you and your community?
It would mean the biggest biological advance for humanity since the eradication of smallpox. Huge, a gamechanger, no doubt. Recent pandemics have brought out the ugliest in human nature; a victory here would highlight the best parts.

Why is it important to have a safe and effective vaccine to prevent HIV?
Because human lives matter. HIV preys on the most vulnerable and marginalized of us, and we need to protect the human good and potentialities in all of us. In the process, this unearths uncomfortable inequities that we should deal with. Those human benefits push us all on.

What would you say is the most challenging aspect of working in HIV vaccine research?
I don’t exactly work in the field, but this effort has experienced success after success only to be followed by setback after setback. The resiliency among researchers is incredible. We’re going to get there.

If a safe and effective HIV vaccine were available right now, would you take it?
Without a doubt, yes. I’m not in a high-risk group, but yes.

What is your favorite food to eat?
I don’t exactly have a favorite food. What I can say is that I have a favorite type of food. I like Asian cuisines (South, South East, East) the best because they have less meat, more vegetables, and also more vegetarian/vegan options.

What motivated you to get involved in HIV prevention?
When I was in middle school, I watched many friends’ MSM family members die from AIDS. I saw the pain my friends experienced, and I saw the lack of response from the government and the medical establishment of that time. That pushed me into healthcare, and after years in medical communications, I decided to move into HIV prevention to be able to create more of a hands-on and personal impact on the health of our community.

What would ending the HIV epidemic mean for you and your community?
Ending the HIV epidemic would mean an end to an intergenerational trauma in the 2SLGBTQIA+ (Two Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans*, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual) community, which is my community. I initially wrote a wordy response discussing stigma, financial burdens, medication adherence, etc., and I erased it. Assuming that this means “functional zero” (no new cases of HIV occurring), the most important thing for us would be the ability to focus on other issues, like finding a cure and improving services for our positive sisters and brothers until a cure is found.

Why is it important to have a safe and effective vaccine to prevent HIV?
PrEP is a good way to help prevent HIV acquisition. But once someone stops taking PrEP medications it is only a matter of time before the level of protection drops and they return to zero, as PrEP is protective for a relatively short amount of time after the last dose is taken. An HIV vaccine would hopefully teach the body how to identify and block HIV for life (or at least for an extended period of time).  

What would you say is the most challenging aspect of working in HIV vaccine research? (200 word limit)
The most challenging aspect of working in HIV vaccine research is threefold:

1. Due to advancements in PrEP, both industry and consumers are focusing more on PrEP;
2. It is difficult to get people to volunteer for vaccine efficacy trials when there are effective PrEP options available;
3. The global variability of HIV (and its quick mutation rates) makes it challenging to develop a viable vaccine.

If a safe and effective HIV vaccine were available right now, would you take it?
Absolutely!

What is your favorite food to eat?
Rice, Beans and Beef Steak

What motivated you to get involved in HIV prevention?
The importance of eradicating the virus after so many years and how it has impacted my community from the beginning until today.

What would ending the HIV epidemic mean for you and your community?
It means having many more lives with us, no more stigma, an end to the suffering of so many people, and no more fear.

Why is it important to have a safe and effective vaccine to prevent HIV?
It means protection.

What would you say is the most challenging aspect of working in HIV vaccine research?
Finding openings to talk about it in places outside the LGBTQ+ community.

If a safe and effective HIV vaccine were available right now, would you take it?
Certainly.

What is your favorite food to eat?
Noodles

What motivated you to get involved in HIV prevention?
As a teacher, social educator, and human rights activist, I got involved in this agenda because I see in my daily life how social stigma and the lack of access to information make it difficult for people to deal with a topic that is intersects across society. I believe that conversation, and a less technical and more humanistic approach, can be the way to raise awareness and show that this is a topic that needs to be dealt with, without taboos and with transparency and objectivity.

What would ending the HIV epidemic mean for you and your community?
I believe that finding a cure for HIV and preventing new diagnoses are the main desire of all people who work in community education and in prevention efforts, primarily those aimed to the  LGBTQ+ population.  As a teacher and social educator, I have seen how the lack of access to information and methods of combination prevention (beyond condoms), especially among a young population, have a high cost for individual and collective health. In this case, the end of the HIV epidemic would represent the end of social stigma that in this day remains for the LGBTQ+ population.

Why is it important to have a safe and effective vaccine to prevent HIV?
Besides ensuring a higher quality of sexual life, decreasing the risk of HIV exposure and infection, certainly a safe HIV vaccine could decrease and even end the social stigma surrounding the LGBTQ+ population, such as the accusations of promiscuity and "abnormality" among many others.

What would you say is the most challenging aspect of working in HIV vaccine research?
Besides convincing people about the importance of this research and explaining how it works to the participants and the stakeholders, I believe that the biggest challenge is to manage expectations and possible frustration when presenting the results of a vaccine study. We know that several vaccine trials are being conducted around the world and that the desired results have not yet been achieved.

If a safe and effective HIV vaccine were available right now, would you take it? 
Yes, absolutely. All prevention methods for any type of infection should be available for all people, regardless of their sexuality. In addition, a safe and effective vaccine against HIV will certainly add to other methods of prevention, and could contribute to reduce the taboo and social stigma when dealing with this topic.

What is your favorite food to eat?
Pizza

What motivated you to get involved in HIV prevention?
In 2008, my job in the music industry was eliminated due to the economic recession. I needed a job and a local AIDS Service Organization was hiring.  It was after I accepted the role of HIV Prevention Coordinator that I realized how personally aligned I am with this work.  It felt as if my life was pursuing me.

What would ending the HIV epidemic mean for you and your community?
More health.  More freedom.  More expression.  More life. 

Why is it important to have a safe and effective vaccine to prevent HIV?
We need many tools, including a safe and effective preventive HIV vaccine, in order to adequately address the vulnerabilities of our priority communities.  Due to the ever-changing nature of HIV, it is my understanding a vaccine is more scientifically feasible than, for example, a cure.

What would you say is the most challenging aspect of working in HIV vaccine research?
Societal misunderstanding about the nature of science.  When we learn and therefore amend, it doesn’t mean science failed us.  It means science served us.

If a safe and effective HIV vaccine were available right now, would you take it? 
Absolutely.

What is your favorite food to eat?
I am Brazilian, and  I’m from Minas Gerais, and as such I grew up enjoying the local foods. Our wonderful specialties include snacks such as cheese bread, sweet milk,  goiabada cascão (traditional sweet guava candy), natural fruit juices, as well as dishes like tropeiro beans and barbecue. In addition, I really enjoy Japanese food.

What motivated you to get involved in HIV prevention?
I am a dentist. I earned my master's degree in stomatology, and I am a specialist in Health Educator Training. I work as a volunteer with social organizations that support vulnerable populations, specifically transgender people. I conceived a university extramural project based at the UFMG School of Dentistry that welcomes trans people. In this way, the HIV/AIDS epidemic is always present in all my professional activities. As a health professional, I consider it a priority to prevent any kind of infection that may possibly affect the patient or the professional team involved.

What would ending the HIV epidemic mean for you and your community?
My professional practice is directed to the underserved community. I say that because I am a member of the PSF (Family Health Program) of a municipality in the metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte - MG. I attend people who are financially and socially vulnerable with multiple needs. Moreover, in the university extramural project "TRANSODONTO:  to access oral health is also a right," clinical care is directed to the transgender people of Belo Horizonte. Therefore, it is easy to see that the universe of patients I work with presents an unlimited range of emotional, affective, social and economic problems. This makes me reflect that the end of the HIV epidemic would mean an outcome that would contribute considerably, increasing the quality of life of a community that is quite compromised.

Why is it important to have a safe and effective vaccine to prevent HIV?
As president of the CAB that supports the MOSAICO study, based at Faculdade de Medicina da UFMG, I prioritize actions that guarantee the research progress in an ethical, efficient and safe way for all the volunteers, besides the researchers and educators involved. Thus, it is essential that in addition to the possibility of obtaining an efficient and safe vaccine, capable of fighting the HIV virus and its prevention, we can establish excellence in the whole research process and also ensure the follow-up of those  who  are involved and their future outcomes. It is not enough to obtain the vaccine; it is important to ensure its efficacy and safety so we can have positive epidemiological indicators.

What would you say is the most challenging aspect of working in HIV vaccine research?
Currently, the greatest challenge to work in research in Brazil refers to the absolute and continuous lack of support from the authorities that manage the country's health policies. We live in a nation whose president ignores, disqualifies, scorns and humiliates the local scientific production. There is a constant campaign that aims to compromise scientific knowledge and manipulate public opinion. As if this challenging scenario were not enough, it is important to highlight that even today we live with the stigma directed to people who may be living with HIV.

If a safe and effective HIV vaccine were available right now, would you take it? 
We have just experienced conflicting issues related to the vaccines that were used during the COVID-19 pandemic. At that time, the possibility of using vaccines for a disease whose etiologic agent was barely known was questioned, debated and even repudiated. I have always kept my vaccination calendar up to date as a safety measure, because at work I am placed in risky situations in my work environment every day. Therefore, the possibility of an effective and safe vaccine against HIV would certainly be one more that I would use.