Research in the field of HIV and aging has made significant strides over the past few decades, transforming the landscape for individuals living with the virus. In the early years of the AIDS epidemic, a diagnosis of HIV often meant a drastically shortened life expectancy. However, with advancements in therapeutic treatments, people with HIV now lead longer and healthier lives.
While this progress is commendable, it has brought forth a new set of challenges. More than half of individuals living with HIV in the United States are over 50 years old. The virus and its long-term treatments have been linked to the premature onset of age-related conditions such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, metabolic disorders, kidney disease, and cognitive impairments.
The National Institute on Aging (NIA) has been at the forefront of promoting research that focuses on healthy aging for older adults with HIV. To further support this critical area of study, NIA has announced several upcoming funding opportunities aimed at engaging researchers interested in aging research.
New Women’s Health Funding Opportunities
Several initiatives are currently in progress to deepen our understanding of accelerated aging in individuals with HIV and to explore novel approaches for managing and preventing these conditions. Recently, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) observed National Women’s Health Week, highlighting the heightened vulnerability of women to HIV infection.
One notable initiative is the Notice of Special Interest (NOSI) titled ‘Research Opportunities Centering the Health of Women Across the HIV Research Continuum’. This NOSI emphasizes research at the intersection of HIV, aging, and women’s health, focusing on early-onset age-related conditions and their impact on women’s well-being. NIA is actively participating in various funding opportunities associated with this initiative.
Additional Funding Opportunities
Aside from the aforementioned women’s health funding opportunities, NIA also supports a wide array of HIV and aging research endeavors. These include multidisciplinary studies that seek to enhance our understanding of the biological, clinical, and socio-behavioral aspects of aging in the context of HIV infection and its treatment.
The goal of these research projects is to develop improved strategies for testing, preventing, and treating HIV infection, as well as managing associated comorbidities, co-infections, and complications across diverse populations.
