European Workshop on Breaking PrEP Barriers – Upscaling PrEP Access, Improving Retention and Sustainable Management

From 2008 he has been working at IrsiCaixa as a Clinical Cohorts Coordinator of the HIVACAT Programme (Project for the development of an HIV vaccine). He collaborate on the recruitment and follow-up of several cohorts (HIV acute infections, controllers, rapid progressors, HESN), and other studies (microbiota, pre-exposure prophylaxis). Another of his fields is Human Papillomavirus in HIV-infected. They have set up a program for the prevention of anal cancer in our Clinical Unit. He conducts a cohort study of HIV-uninfected men who have sex with men (MSM), in collaboration with a community-based organization (BCN Checkpoint). The objectives are to detect early infections and other STI among MSM, and to ensure a linkage to care. He collaborates with the therapeutic HIV vaccine study “Safety and Immunogenicity of ChAdV63.HIVconsv and MVA.HIVconsv Candidate HIV-1 Vaccines in Recently HIV-1 Infected Individuals With Early Viral Suppression After Initiation of Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART)”.

He also collaborates with the Microbial Genomics Group at the IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute. This group has been the first one worldwide to demonstrate in two independent cohorts of HIV-1-infected subjects and HIV-1-negative controls in Europe that MSM often has a distinct composition of the human fecal microbiota, with increased microbial richness and diversity and enrichment in the Prevotella enterotype. Another field in which he is currently working is the Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP). Regarding this, he participates in a working group set up by the Health Department of Catalonia for the implementation of PrEP in our setting. Their group has developed an explant model which has been used to assess the potential of Maraviroc as a drug for PrEP using a single oral dose. Their results showed no ex-vivo protection, suggesting that ‘on demand’ preexposure prophylaxis with Maraviroc would not prevent rectal HIV-1 transmission. Apart from his research agenda, he works as an attending medical doctor at the HIV Unit of the Hospital, where he takes care of 3000 patients.

Dr. Clotet received his MD (1976) and his PhD (1981), with a thesis on autoimmune diseases, from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB). That same year, his internship as an Internal Medicine specialist at the Vall d’Hebron University Hospital in Barcelona coincided with the first AIDS case reported in Spain. This case was the catalyst for a career dedicated to this serious disease, first as head of the HIV Unit of the Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital in Badalona (1987-2015) and then as founder and president of the Fight against AIDS Foundation (1992), which is now named as Fight Infections Foundation.

Dr. Clotet soon saw the need to go a step beyond patient care to conduct research aimed at eradicating AIDS. In 1995, with the support of “la Caixa” and the Department of Health of the Generalitat of Catalonia, he founded the IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, which he still heads.  In addition, Dr. Clotet is also the clinical director of Infectious Diseases at the Metropolitana Nord area of the Catalan Institute of Health, scientific advisor to two IrsiCaixa spin-offs: Aelix Therapeutics SL and AlbaJuna Therapeutics SL and director of the Chair of AIDS and Related Diseases at the Universitat de Vic (UVic).

He has published more than 1000 papers in high impact international journals and his contributions to research have been recognized with the Josep Trueta medal to Sanitary Merit and the ‘Premi Nacional de Recerca’, among other awards.

From 2008 he has been working at IrsiCaixa as a Clinical Cohorts Coordinator of the HIVACAT Programme (Project for the development of an HIV vaccine). He collaborate on the recruitment and follow-up of several cohorts (HIV acute infections, controllers, rapid progressors, HESN), and other studies (microbiota, pre-exposure prophylaxis). Another of his fields is Human Papillomavirus in HIV-infected. They have set up a program for the prevention of anal cancer in our Clinical Unit. He conducts a cohort study of HIV-uninfected men who have sex with men (MSM), in collaboration with a community-based organization (BCN Checkpoint). The objectives are to detect early infections and other STI among MSM, and to ensure a linkage to care. He collaborates with the therapeutic HIV vaccine study “Safety and Immunogenicity of ChAdV63.HIVconsv and MVA.HIVconsv Candidate HIV-1 Vaccines in Recently HIV-1 Infected Individuals With Early Viral Suppression After Initiation of Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART)”.

He also collaborates with the Microbial Genomics Group at the IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute. This group has been the first one worldwide to demonstrate in two independent cohorts of HIV-1-infected subjects and HIV-1-negative controls in Europe that MSM often has a distinct composition of the human fecal microbiota, with increased microbial richness and diversity and enrichment in the Prevotella enterotype. Another field in which he is currently working is the Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP). Regarding this, he participates in a working group set up by the Health Department of Catalonia for the implementation of PrEP in our setting. Their group has developed an explant model which has been used to assess the potential of Maraviroc as a drug for PrEP using a single oral dose. Their results showed no ex-vivo protection, suggesting that ‘on demand’ preexposure prophylaxis with Maraviroc would not prevent rectal HIV-1 transmission. Apart from his research agenda, he works as an attending medical doctor at the HIV Unit of the Hospital, where he takes care of 3000 patients.

Doctor, Diploma in Public Health, Master’s in Executive Management from ESADE and Master’s in Drug Addictions from the UB. He is a visiting professor at the UB, ESADE and the Institute of Health Studies. Author of multiple national and international articles and publications in the field of drug addiction, HIV, STIs and viral hepatitis. European Union project coordinator, advisor and director of the WHO collaborating center. Founder of the Public Management Club of ESADE, INEBRIA, APN and member of 20 societies and scientific commissions.
He has received multiple distinctions related to research and the field of addictions, occupational health, gender violence, prison policies and medical sciences. Yours has been recognized by the European Assembly of Regions as the best European policy in relation to alcohol.
With regard to HIV and STIs, he has held positions of responsibility in the Department of Health for more than 20 years, and is currently deputy general director of Addictions, HIV, STIs and Viral Hepatitis of the Department of Health of the Generalitat de Catalunya , leading the design and deployment of policies related to these areas of health.

Psychiatrist responsible for the Dual Pathology Program at the Henares University Hospital. From 2017 to 2019, psychiatrist for the “Sex, Drugs and You” program of the NGO Apoyo Positivo, aimed at people with problems related to the practice of Chemsex. Graduated in Medicine and Surgery from La Salle University in Mexico City. with Honorable Mention. Specialist in Psychiatry via MIR at Ramón y Cajal Hospital in Madrid.

Degrees of Specialist in Severe Dual Pathology from the CEU University, Specialist in Psychiatric Emergencies and ADHD throughout Life from the Psiformation Foundation-University of Alcalá. Doctorate in Biotechnology, Medicine and Biosanitary Sciences from the International Doctoral School of the Francisco de Vitoria University, qualification of Outstanding Cum Laude. Chemsex member of the Spanish Society of Dual Pathology.

Member of the Spanish Society of Psychiatry, World Association of Dual Disorders, ASEXSAME and Socidrogalcohol. Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the Francisco de Vitoria University. Editing and coordination of the book New Psychoactive Drugs (Entheos, 2015).

Publication of various scientific articles, both national and international, as well as book chapters, presentations and communications at specialized conferences at the national and international level, mainly on the topic of New Psychoactive Drugs and Chemsex.

Federico García has been the Head of the Department of Microbiology at the San Cecilio University Hospital in Granada, Spain since 2009. He also serves as an Invited Professor of Masters Degree at the University of Granada, where he also received his PhD. Professor García’s primary research interests include hepatitis B and hepatitis C virus (HCV), the transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) drug resistance in Spain and Europe, , and the clinical significance of low- and very low-level HIV viremia. He also led the implementation of HCV reflex testing across Spain. Currently, his research is focused on new diagnostic strategies to expand HIV diagnosis and avoid late presentation and on acces to new diagnostic strategies for hepatitis C elimination. Professor García is the President of the Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology (SEIMC) and the Director of the Andalusian Plan for Hepatitis C Elimination. He also contributes to the national Spanish Coalition for Global Hepatitis Elimination and coordinates the Spanish HIV Research Network Package on subtypes and resistance in collaboration with other European organizations. Professor García is the past President of the SEIMC Spanish Viral Hepatitis Study Group and was previously Coordinator of the Spanish national cohort on HCV resistance to new direct-acting antivirals. He has authored or co-authored numerous scientific publications that have featured in peer-reviewed journals, including Nature Reviews Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Clinical Infectious Diseases and the Journal of Hepatology.

Antonio Gata, General Health clinical psychologist. Master in clinical and health psychology and Master in contextual and Third Generation therapies. Responsible for the psychological support project at BCN Checkpoint. Collaborator of the Comprehensive Care Service for LGBT+ people of the Generalitat of Catalonia. Member of the Chemsex working group at the Catalan Public Health Agency and the LGBT+ Psychology working group of the College of Psychology of Catalonia.
Teacher at the Higher Institute of Psychological Studies.

Sarit A. Golub, PhD, MPH (she/her) is Distinguished Professor of Psychology at Hunter College and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. She is Co-Director of the Behavioral and Implementation Science Core at the Einstein-Rockefeller-CUNY Center for AIDS Research (ERC-CFAR). Dr. Golub directs the Hunter Alliance for Research & Translation (HART), whose mission is to translate research findings into practical implications for service and advocacy organizations, accelerating the pace of equitable, just, empirically-based practice. Dr. Golub conducts NIH and CDC-funded community-based implementation research, focusing on development and evaluation of novel strategies to decrease stigma, increase access, empower patients and improve sexual health.

Elske Hoorneborg is head of the Center for sexual health of the Public Health Service of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The Center for sexual health provides sexual health-related testing and care for the population of Amsterdam and surrounding municipalities.

In 2020 she obtained her PhD in epidemiology for her research into the the introduction of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis in the Netherlands. Currrently, her fields of expertise are research into the prevention of HIV, effects of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis, prevention and testing of viral hepatitis, and mpox.

Next to this, she also works as an HIV-treating physician at DC klinieken Amsterdam.

She has served on advisory board meetings of the European CDC and the WHO.

Teymur Noori is a psychologist and works at the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) as an expert on monitoring and evaluation. He is primarily responsible for monitoring the HIV response in Europe and Central Asia, including monitoring the continuum of HIV care and supporting efforts to monitor the response to viral hepatitis in the EU/EEA. He has recently led efforts to develop a monitoring and evaluation framework for COVID-19 surveillance, preparedness and response indicators in the EU/EEA. Teymur is also leading ECDC work on migrant health and infectious diseases. He recently led ECDC work to develop guidance on screening and vaccination of infectious diseases among newly arrived migrants in the EU/EEA as well as guidance on infection prevention and control of COVID-19 in migrant and refugee reception centres in the EU/EEA.

Roger Paredes, MD, PhD, is the Head of the Infectious Diseases Service at Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Head of the Microbial Genomics Group at the IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Badalona, Spain.

Roger Paredes obtained an MD, PhD degree in Medicine and Surgery from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB). He specialised in HIV resistance at the Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston and Harvard Medical School. His team has demonstrated the clinical utility of HIV-1 deep sequencing in both high- and low-income countries.

PhD in Social Psychology. Member of the BCN Checkpoint team since 2011. Areas of interest include HIV testing, peer counselling, risk perception and PrEP implementation. For the last 6 years, working as Clinical Research Coordinator at BCN PrEP-Point.

Dr Gary Whitlock is a consultant physician in HIV and sexual health and Service Director at 56 Dean Street, part of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. Dr Whitlock has a PhD in physiology from the University of Cambridge and qualified from Nottingham University in medicine.

He runs the high-resolution anoscopy service at 56 Dean Street. His research interests include gay men’s sexual health, HIV prevention and service evaluation.