amfAR Announces Formation of Research Council to Guide Future Research Investments

Leaders at the forefront of science, including two Nobel Prize laureates, will offer expertise and recommendations on priority, scope, and innovative approaches to amfAR’s research pipeline

NEW YORK, March 19, 2026 — Building on its rich history of scientific discovery that has revolutionized the treatment and prevention of HIV and benefited diseases beyond the virus, amfAR announced today the launch of a new advisory group to ensure its research portfolio remains cutting-edge, impactful and relevant to amfAR’s mission to save lives and improve global health.

The amfAR Research Council (aRC) will help guide the strategic direction of future research funding investments across HIV, virology, immunology, and AI-enabled science. All funded work, whether directly focused on HIV or in adjacent fields, must demonstrate how it can inform, strengthen, or accelerate HIV cure strategies and improve outcomes for people living with HIV.

The aRC is led under the direction of Dr. Andrea Gramatica, amfAR’s Vice President of Research. With expertise in HIV, aging, neuroscience, cancer biology, and autoimmunity, members of the aRC include:

Lishomwa Ndhlovu, MD, PhD; Weill Cornell Medicine; Chair
Amanda Brown, PhD; Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Ulf Dittmer, PhD; Universität Duisburg-Essen
Kenneth Micklethwaite, MD, PhD; The Westmead Institute
Sofiya Milman, MD; Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Susan Moir, PhD; National Institutes of Health
Ujjwal Rathore, PhD; Gladstone Institutes; Junior Member
Charles M. Rice, PhD; The Rockefeller University; Nobel laureate; Honorary Member
Drew Weissman, MD, PhD; University of Pennsylvania; Nobel laureate; Honorary Member

“amfAR’s sustained support for innovative research has never been more important than it is today,” amfAR Chief Executive Officer Kyle Clifford said. “For four decades, amfAR has helped drive advances that transformed medical treatments and improved millions of lives.

“Today we are building on that legacy by investing across the sciences shaping human health – from virology and immunology to AI enabled discovery. By bringing together leaders from an array of fields, the amfAR Research Council will help guide bold ideas and accelerate discoveries that move us closer to a cure, while also advancing breakthroughs that benefit global health.”

Support from the aRC will include:

Offering expertise and guidance on scientific, technological, and other matters relevant to amfAR’s mission.
Identifying potential gaps, redundancies, or partnership prospects within proposed funding initiatives.
Recommending new research areas, as well as facilitating collaborations between amfAR and the global scientific community.

“The pathway to a cure for HIV becomes shorter when we invest with intention across disciplines,” Dr. Gramatica said. “This type of integrated approach will improve the health of people living with HIV and deepen our understanding of the broader forces that drive disease. I welcome the counsel of the aRC members and their perspective on potential new funding opportunities.”

Headshots and bios for amfAR Research Council members are available here.

About amfAR
amfAR is a leading nonprofit dedicated to advancing scientific discovery and transforming global health with a primary and enduring commitment to ending the HIV/ AIDS epidemic. Serving as a catalyst for breakthrough science, amfAR supports innovative research in areas where viruses and the immune system play a defining role, including cancer, neurological conditions, autoimmune disorders, and other viral diseases. Through strategic investments, global research partnerships, and evidence-based policy leadership, amfAR helps accelerate discoveries that improve health and save lives. Since 1985, amfAR has raised more than $950 million and awarded in excess of 3,900 grants to scientists worldwide. Learn more at www.amfar.org.

Media Contact:
Robert Kessler, Program Communications Manager
(212) 806-1602
robert.kessler@amfar.org