California Collaborative HIV/AIDS Research Centers (CCHARC) Program

Purpose of Initiative

The focus of California Collaborative HIV/AIDS Research Center (CCHARC) Program is to foster and conduct innovative or unique research with the potential for high impact on HIV/AIDS and/or on issues that have potential for advancing HIV/AIDS science in under-researched populations in California.

The CCHARC Initiative provides support for institutional research infrastructure, substantive research studies at each Center, and institutional partnerships that strengthen science and expand the HIV/AIDS research capacity of institutions and organizations in California.

Background

The University of California's system-wide AIDS research program has awarded $15.3 million over four years beginning in July 2005 to five AIDS research centers to support new AIDS research initiatives in the state.

The five Centers are as follows:

Institute for Community Health Research (ICHR), centered at Charles Drew University in partnership with the County of Los Angeles Department of Health Services and the RAND Corporation; Center Director: Eric Bing, MD, Ph.D. The center will focus its efforts on responding to the needs of communities of color with the goal of promoting, conducting, and supporting innovative research on community contexts and social networks that have the potential to reduce HIV-related disparities.

Peninsula HIV/AIDS Research Center (PARC), based at San Mateo County Medical Center in partnership with Stanford University and the San Francisco County Department of Public Health; Center Director: Dennis Israelski, MD. The Center’s theme focuses on innovative application of technologies to public health interventions that advance HIV surveillance, prevention, care and treatment.

California Research Center for the Biology of HIV in Minorities, based at UC Davis, in partnership with the Viral and Rickettsial Disease Laboratory of the state Department of Health Services; Center Director: Richard B. Pollard, MD. The Center will examine differences in the viral diversity of and immunological response to HIV among diverse under-researched groups in California with the long term goal of improving treatment for those groups disproportionately affected by the epidemic..

The Network for AIDS Research in Los Angeles (NARLA), based at UCLA in partnership with AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA), T.H.E. Clinic, and the Friends Research Institute; Center Director: Ronald T. Mitsuyasu, MD. The center will focus on the development and evaluation of innovative strategies for the treatment and prevention of HIV infection for HIV-infected and at-risk populations in the greater Los Angeles area.

The California Collaborative Treatment Group (CCTG), based at UC San Diego: Center Director Richard H. Haubrich, MD. The Center will study emerging problems in the management of HIV infection.