Miami CFAR Celebrates 10 Years of Continuous State Funding
By: Joey Garcia | August 19, 2024
The state of Florida reaffirmed its commitment to the Miami Center for AIDS Research with a $1 million check presented by State Senator Ana Maria Rodriguez and Miami-Dade County Commissioner Rene Garcia.
Miami-Dade County Commissioner Rene Garcia, Florida State Senator Ana Maria Rodriguez and Mario Stevenson, Ph.D., co-director of the Miami CFAR, at the check presentation.
Since 2014, the HIV and Emerging Infectious Diseases Institute (HEIDI) and the Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine has secured nearly $10 million in state funding to advance HIV/AIDS research.
The state’s ongoing commitment was reaffirmed Friday, August 16, when Mario Stevenson, Ph.D., director of HEIDI and professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the Miller School, was presented with a $1 million check by State Senator Ana Maria Rodriguez and former senator, now Miami-Dade County Commissioner, Rene Garcia.
This funding plays a critical role in fostering new research, particularly in Florida, which has among the highest rates in new HIV infections, primarily concentrated in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties.
“These state funds have been a game changer for the past decade,” said Dr. Stevenson, who is also co-director of the Miami CFAR. “While we rely on federal funding, these state resources allow us to pursue high-risk, high-reward research that the NIH typically doesn’t support. In our labs, we’re discovering impactful strategies that will significantly benefit people living with HIV, with Florida being a major beneficiary.”
Building Collaborative Bonds
The commitment to state funding for the Miami CFAR began in 2013 when Dr. Stevenson and then-Senator Rene Garcia discussed the importance of Florida’s investment in HIV/AIDS research. This led to the first funding in 2014, sparking a decade-long collaboration championed by Senator Garcia during his State Senate tenure, from 2014 to 2018.
“The main reason we pursued these funds was to address a serious problem in Florida, particularly in Miami-Dade County,” Senator Garcia said. “HIV infection rates were among the highest, especially among Hispanic and African American women.”
Standing fourth from left, Steven Safren is surrounded by the study team in Khayelelitsha.
Fund allocation requires sponsorship by both a Representative and a Senator. Senator Rodriguez is carrying the torch in the Senate, while State Representative Dana Trabulsy is the House sponsor.
“AIDS and HIV research is incredibly important to me, not only because it represents a crucial fight against a devastating disease, but also because it’s deeply personal,” Representative Trabulsy said. “I lost my brother, John, to AIDS in 1995, and in his memory, I am committed to supporting the ongoing efforts to find better treatments, and ultimately, a cure.”
Both are ensuring the Miami CFAR’s mission remains a priority.
“I picked up the baton and kept fighting because we still haven’t found a cure,” Senator Rodriguez said. “If we were to stop now, we’d be stalling progress towards that goal. I deeply believe in this mission, as the Miami CFAR has the best research team. We must ensure they have everything necessary to achieve our goal.”
Transformative Research in HIV/AIDS
HEIDI allocates pilot grants of $50,000 to $100,000 from the state funds to support early-stage research. These funds allow investigators with promising ideas to gather the necessary data to apply for federal grants. This approach has proven highly effective, with the Institute generating a return on investment of $13 in federal funding for every state dollar spent on pilot projects with the funds.
Researchers also use these funds to pursue preclinical strategies for an HIV cure that can be eventually be applied to humans. State funding supports key initiatives, including an HIV research unit at Jackson Health System that enrolls predominantly minority populations in advanced clinical studies and a biennial, international conference that that invites cure-focused HIV investigators to Miami to present their research.
“I want to thank our legislators, as we’re fortunate to have people like Senator Rodriguez and Senator Garcia, who recognize the potential impact of our work and keep their eyes on the ball,” Dr. Stevenson said. “Curing HIV won’t happen solely through scientific achievement. It will require political activism and collaboration. With legislators like them, we’re in good hands.”
MEDIA CONTACT:
Kai T. Hill
Director
Medical Communications and Media Relations
UHealth-the University of Miami Health System
Miller School of Medicine
Office: 305-243-3249
Mobile: 305-332-3189
khill@med.miami.edu
Source: https://news.med.miami.edu/florida-reaffirms-its-commitment-to-miami-center-for-aids-research/
"Reproduced with permission - University of Miami"
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