We are excited to announce that the UW/Fred Hutch Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) is working in collaboration with scholars at University of Washington’s (UW) Indigenous Wellness Research Institute (IWRI) and the University of Hawaii (UH) to launch a new project titled “Building Indigenuity, Generating HIV Science: HIV/AIDS Research Training (BIG HART).” This exciting new training opportunity will be led by Karina Walters, MSW, PhD (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma), Co-Director of IWRI, Professor and Associate Dean in the School of Social Work, and Jen Balkus, PhD, MPH, CFAR DEI Lead and Assistant Professor in the Department of Epidemiology in the School of Public Health.  

        As one component of the project, we are working with our academic partners to host a six-part seminar series for Indigenous undergraduate and graduate students at UW and UH who are interested in learning more about HIV research and the various ways the epidemic impacts Indigenous communities across North America. The series will feature both scientists and practitioners working across the spectrum of HIV science, including former scholars from the Indigenous HIV/AIDS Research Training Program (IHART). The monthly sessions will be held in February through July of 2022. 

Among those who attend at least one session, interested students will be given the opportunity to participate in a one-on-one mentorship session with an IHART mentor and/or CFAR investigator. In addition, up to 10 graduate students will also have the opportunity to participate in the UW Principles of HIV/STI Research and Public Health Practice Course.

Jen Balkus, PhD, MPH  
Karina Walters, PhD, MSW (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma) 
BIG HART project co-directors