We know us: Community-led models of HIV care

Dr. Judith Auerbach is a Professor in the School of Medicine at the University of California San Francisco and an independent science and policy consultant.   She previously served in leadership positions in governmental and non-governmental agencies and organizations, including the National Institutes of Health Office of AIDS Research (OAR), the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), amfAR-The Foundation for AIDS Research, and San Francisco AIDS Foundation.  Dr. Auerbach received her Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of California Berkeley, and has taught, presented, and published widely in the areas of HIV/AIDS, global public health, social science, public policy, and sex and gender. 

Dr. Auerbach has served on numerous professional and advisory groups, including, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) Scientific Advisory Board, the National Advisory Council on Drug Abuse, the Governing Council of the International AIDS Society, and the Women’s Research Initiative on HIV/AIDS Advisory Group. She was a co-founder of the Association of Social Sciences and Humanities in HIV.  She has received numerous awards including the 2014 Feminist-Scholar-Activist Award from the Sex and Gender Section of the American Sociological Association and the 2008 Career Award for Contribution to the Sociology of HIV/AIDS from the Sociology AIDS Network.  In 2022, Dr. Auerbach was elected a lifetime Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Dr. Auerbach’s research interests focus on the social organization of scientific knowledge, specifically, the role and standing of social research in the HIV/AIDS response; social determinants of health and wellbeing; the relationship between science, program, and policy; and community-engaged research.   As a consultant, she advises about scientific agenda-setting, strategic planning and priority-setting, and linking research and policy; and her clients include government agencies, non-profit and advocacy organizations, industry, and universities.

Dr. Judith Auerbach is a Professor in the School of Medicine at the University of California San Francisco and an independent science and policy consultant.   She previously served in leadership positions in governmental and non-governmental agencies and organizations, including the National Institutes of Health Office of AIDS Research (OAR), the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), amfAR-The Foundation for AIDS Research, and San Francisco AIDS Foundation.  Dr. Auerbach received her Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of California Berkeley, and has taught, presented, and published widely in the areas of HIV/AIDS, global public health, social science, public policy, and sex and gender. 

Dr. Auerbach has served on numerous professional and advisory groups, including, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) Scientific Advisory Board, the National Advisory Council on Drug Abuse, the Governing Council of the International AIDS Society, and the Women’s Research Initiative on HIV/AIDS Advisory Group. She was a co-founder of the Association of Social Sciences and Humanities in HIV.  She has received numerous awards including the 2014 Feminist-Scholar-Activist Award from the Sex and Gender Section of the American Sociological Association and the 2008 Career Award for Contribution to the Sociology of HIV/AIDS from the Sociology AIDS Network.  In 2022, Dr. Auerbach was elected a lifetime Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Dr. Auerbach’s research interests focus on the social organization of scientific knowledge, specifically, the role and standing of social research in the HIV/AIDS response; social determinants of health and wellbeing; the relationship between science, program, and policy; and community-engaged research.   As a consultant, she advises about scientific agenda-setting, strategic planning and priority-setting, and linking research and policy; and her clients include government agencies, non-profit and advocacy organizations, industry, and universities.

Simran is the Director of Transgender Health for ACCELERATE at the Johns Hopkins Center for Infectious Diseases in India. She is a member of the team in New Delhi, India, and has worked with the Johns Hopkins-India infectious diseases partnership for 20 Months 1.6 years. Simran is responsible for the overall Transgender Health component of ACCELERATE project.

Prior to joining CIDI, Simran was associated with India HIV AIDS Alliance as a Senior Program Office for sexuality Gender and Rights projects.

Simran, a Trans woman has dedicated her professional life to human rights advocacy. She has been a pioneer in India in raising the issues of people living with HIV (PLHIV) in the context of transgender and hijra communities. She is a strong advocate for the Right to Health for all. Simran has developed the capacity of community-based organizations (CBOs) and networks that work for gender minorities.

She has been a consultant to national and international organizations on issues of gender and sexual minorities and intends to continue her work on health & human rights for the most marginalized communities in the future. Simran received her formal and higher education qualification from Mumbai University, India. 

Donald Brown is a Research Program Supervisor at Johns Hopkins University, SOM with 20+ years of experience working with populations of people who inject drugs (PWID). Since the death of his uncle in 1985 to Cytomegalovirus (CMV), Donald has had passion for collaborating with people and communities to effect change. He has never shied away from the socioeconomic, educational, or physical realities of those seeking services nor the limitations of agency capacity or ability to respond to those needs. His path to service has included prevention care/management, community health education, and research, and has spanned critical public health concerns including HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis, STIs, substance abuse treatment and recovery, and community advocacy. He has worked for private nonprofits, city health departments, and research institutions and brings a unique perspective across agencies for how best to advocate for reach and engagement of PWID. Donald forever keeps an eye to growing partnerships between patients, research participants, communities, public health agencies, and researchers – while keeping central the complex needs and humanity of a single individual navigating care.

James Ward is a Pitjantjatjara and Narungga man, an infectious diseases epidemiologist and a leader in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander research. He is currently the Director of the Poche Centre for Indigenous Health at the University of Queensland. In various roles over 25 years in Aboriginal public health policy, he built a national programme of research in epidemiology and prevention of infectious diseases, with a particular focus on STIs, HIV and viral hepatitis in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Previously, he worked at the Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Baker IDI in Alice Springs and South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute. He has served on numerous committees, including the Communicable Diseases Network of Australia, Australian National Council on Alcohol and Drugs, CDNA COVID-19 Working Group and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander COVID-19 Taskforce. He has over 120 publications and leads several large-scale public health and infectious diseases studies.

James Ward is a Pitjantjatjara and Narungga man, an infectious diseases epidemiologist and a leader in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander research. He is currently the Director of the Poche Centre for Indigenous Health at the University of Queensland. In various roles over 25 years in Aboriginal public health policy, he built a national programme of research in epidemiology and prevention of infectious diseases, with a particular focus on STIs, HIV and viral hepatitis in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Previously, he worked at the Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Baker IDI in Alice Springs and South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute. He has served on numerous committees, including the Communicable Diseases Network of Australia, Australian National Council on Alcohol and Drugs, CDNA COVID-19 Working Group and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander COVID-19 Taskforce. He has over 120 publications and leads several large-scale public health and infectious diseases studies.

Simran is the Director of Transgender Health for ACCELERATE at the Johns Hopkins Center for Infectious Diseases in India. She is a member of the team in New Delhi, India, and has worked with the Johns Hopkins-India infectious diseases partnership for 20 Months 1.6 years. Simran is responsible for the overall Transgender Health component of ACCELERATE project.

Prior to joining CIDI, Simran was associated with India HIV AIDS Alliance as a Senior Program Office for sexuality Gender and Rights projects.

Simran, a Trans woman has dedicated her professional life to human rights advocacy. She has been a pioneer in India in raising the issues of people living with HIV (PLHIV) in the context of transgender and hijra communities. She is a strong advocate for the Right to Health for all. Simran has developed the capacity of community-based organizations (CBOs) and networks that work for gender minorities.

She has been a consultant to national and international organizations on issues of gender and sexual minorities and intends to continue her work on health & human rights for the most marginalized communities in the future. Simran received her formal and higher education qualification from Mumbai University, India. 

Dr. Judith Auerbach is a Professor in the School of Medicine at the University of California San Francisco and an independent science and policy consultant.   She previously served in leadership positions in governmental and non-governmental agencies and organizations, including the National Institutes of Health Office of AIDS Research (OAR), the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), amfAR-The Foundation for AIDS Research, and San Francisco AIDS Foundation.  Dr. Auerbach received her Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of California Berkeley, and has taught, presented, and published widely in the areas of HIV/AIDS, global public health, social science, public policy, and sex and gender. 

Dr. Auerbach has served on numerous professional and advisory groups, including, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) Scientific Advisory Board, the National Advisory Council on Drug Abuse, the Governing Council of the International AIDS Society, and the Women’s Research Initiative on HIV/AIDS Advisory Group. She was a co-founder of the Association of Social Sciences and Humanities in HIV.  She has received numerous awards including the 2014 Feminist-Scholar-Activist Award from the Sex and Gender Section of the American Sociological Association and the 2008 Career Award for Contribution to the Sociology of HIV/AIDS from the Sociology AIDS Network.  In 2022, Dr. Auerbach was elected a lifetime Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Dr. Auerbach’s research interests focus on the social organization of scientific knowledge, specifically, the role and standing of social research in the HIV/AIDS response; social determinants of health and wellbeing; the relationship between science, program, and policy; and community-engaged research.   As a consultant, she advises about scientific agenda-setting, strategic planning and priority-setting, and linking research and policy; and her clients include government agencies, non-profit and advocacy organizations, industry, and universities.

Donald Brown is a Research Program Supervisor at Johns Hopkins University, SOM with 20+ years of experience working with populations of people who inject drugs (PWID). Since the death of his uncle in 1985 to Cytomegalovirus (CMV), Donald has had passion for collaborating with people and communities to effect change. He has never shied away from the socioeconomic, educational, or physical realities of those seeking services nor the limitations of agency capacity or ability to respond to those needs. His path to service has included prevention care/management, community health education, and research, and has spanned critical public health concerns including HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis, STIs, substance abuse treatment and recovery, and community advocacy. He has worked for private nonprofits, city health departments, and research institutions and brings a unique perspective across agencies for how best to advocate for reach and engagement of PWID. Donald forever keeps an eye to growing partnerships between patients, research participants, communities, public health agencies, and researchers – while keeping central the complex needs and humanity of a single individual navigating care.