Dr. Adaora Adimora was a distinguished physician-scientist who made exceptional contributions to the fields of HIV epidemiology and clinical care. To continue her legacy of work, ViiV Healthcare will fund two yearly fellowships, co-directed by Myron Cohen, MD, professor of medicine and director of the UNC Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, and Stephen Cole, PhD, professor of epidemiology at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health.
“It is my honor to announce that we are establishing the Dr. Adaora Adimora Fellowships to train scientists and epidemiologists who are studying the treatment and prevention of HIV, with emphasis on women’s health,” said Vani Vannappagari, PhD, MPH, ViiV’s Global Head of Epidemiology and Real-World Evidence, during the UNC School of Medicine’s 39th Norma Berryhill Distinguished Lecture event, presented by Michelle Floris-Moore, MD, MS, on June 20.
Vannappagari met Adimora while studying for her PhD at Gillings. She described her as a teacher, friend, mentor, and colleague, and then, pausing to remember with a smile, “someone who asked things of us.”
It was Adimora who suggested ViiV help build the pipeline of epidemiologists for the future of HIV research. Soon thereafter a five-year fellowship was formed, with Adimora and Cole selecting the candidates. It is this fellowship that will be extended for the next five years, to the School of Medicine/Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, and the Gillings School of Global Public Health.
Reading a message written by Dr. Kimberly Smith, a long time friend of Ada and ViiV’s Head of Research and Development, Vannappagari said: “Ada was a wonderful person, kind and generous friend and brilliant researcher, who constantly gave of herself and prioritized mentorship, education and development for the next generation of leaders in HIV research, in clinical and epidemiology fields.”
“This fellowship is designed with that in mind. It is fitting to name it after Ada to continue her legacy of leadership in research focused on women impacted by the HIV epidemic.”
Two Fellowships
The two Adimora Fellowships will train physicians/scientists and epidemiologists to conduct rigorous research regarding the treatment or prevention of HIV and other infectious diseases. Each academic year, they will be chosen as follows:
- One Infectious Diseases Fellow will be selected from the Department of Medicine’s Division of Infectious Diseases. Applicants in Medicine will be Postdoctoral Trainees.
- One Epidemiology Doctoral Student will be selected from the Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health. Applicants in Epidemiology will be doctoral students in public health who have successfully completed qualifying examinations with a thesis topic related to the treatment or prevention of infectious diseases.
Fellows will participate in a weekly Friday Morning Infectious Disease Conference Series and work closely with a mentoring faculty mentor. Find more information here.
About ViiV Healthcare
ViiV Healthcare is a global specialist HIV company established in November 2009 by GSK (LSE: GSK) and Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) dedicated to delivering advances in treatment and care for people living with HIV and for people who are at risk of acquiring HIV. Shionogi became a ViiV shareholder in October 2012. The company’s aims are to take a deeper and broader interest in HIV and AIDS than any company has done before and take a new approach to deliver effective and innovative medicines for HIV treatment and prevention, as well as support communities affected by HIV.
About Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases
Established in 2007, the Institute for Global Health & Infectious Diseases (IGHID) brings transformative solutions to the most important global health issues of our time, through research, training and service. IGHID has saved millions of lives and shaped policy worldwide through evidence-based research, especially in the areas of HIV and Malaria, where UNC is the most cited university in the nation for coronavirus research. Working in over 50 countries around the globe, IGHID provides a unique pan-university framework for collaboration and access to research funding. It is this framework that continues to catalyze a global health community committed to improving health worldwide while providing critical training to thousands of health professionals.