Funding News - Research on HIV Infection of the Central Nervous System Encouraged

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) encourage grant applications for research on HIV infection of the central nervous system.*

The introduction of highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) has resulted in significantly improved survival of AIDS patients and decreased incidence of HIV-associated dementia. However, the improved survival has resulted in increased cumulative prevalence of nervous system complications of AIDS. Extensive research is underway to better understand the underlying mechanisms of neuropathogenesis of HIV-1.

Areas of research interest include, but are not limited to: primary and secondary mechanisms of HIV-1 neuropathogenesis; viral and host genetics; molecular markers associated with HIV-induced nervous system disease; neuroimaging studies; therapeutics; and neuroAIDS research in resource-limited settings. For more information, potential applicants should contact Dr. Michael Nunn, Program Director, Neural Environment Cluster, NINDS, Neuroscience Center, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 2118, Bethesda, MD 20892; telephone: 301-496-1431; fax: 301-480-2424; e-mail: mn52e@nih.gov.

*For a more detailed description of this program announcement, please visit the NIH web site at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-04-154.html.