Date Posted, by ULACNet Management Team, NCI Division of Cancer Prevention
As 2024 draws to a close, we take a moment to reflect on the impactful year for the US-Latin American-Caribbean HIV/HPV-Cancer Prevention Clinical Trials Network (ULACNet). Now in its sixth year, the network continues to drive forward its mission to improve preventive clinical care and reduce the burden of HPV-related cancers among people living with HIV.
Partnering with over 20 organizations across seven countries, we continue to foster an expansive, diverse, and inclusive research community. The network currently has five active clinical trials, three of which have successfully completed enrollment, alongside four ancillary studies currently enrolling participants and three additional trials in development. With over 3,000 participants enrolled in the network's clinical trials, ULACNet continues to advance critical research in cancer prevention.
Here are some of the highlights from this remarkable year:
Engaging Communities Through the UNITED Sessions
This year featured two sessions of the Unified Network Initiative to Enhance Community Dialogue and Site Education (UNITED):
- Scientific Session: Focused on the natural history of HPV and strategies for screening, triage, and treatment.
- Community Engagement Session: Explored global lessons learned through partnerships.
Recordings and materials are available on the UNITED webpage.
ULACNet Updates in Action
Two editions of the newsletter were published, showcasing the network’s achievements and sharing stories from the field. These newsletters highlight:
Special Interest Satellite Symposium at IPVC 2024
- Challenges and successes in participant accrual
- Updates on trial openings and closures
- Insights from conference presentations and audits
Access these updates here.
Networking and Showcasing at International Meetings
ULACNet was featured at two key international meetings this year, highlighting its research and fostering global collaboration.
- EUROGIN International Multidisciplinary HPV Congress (Stockholm, Sweden, March 2024): A scientific session entitled “Research to advance prevention of cervical and HPV-related cancers among persons living with HIV” and a meet-and-greet with the NCI-supported CASCADE network to discuss synergies. Read more about this meeting in ULACNet Update.
- 2024 International Papillomavirus Conference (Edinburgh, United Kingdom, November 2024): A Special Interest Satellite Symposium on equitable partnerships for HPV-related clinical trials in ULACNet and CASCADE, a meet-and-greet with over 30 ULACNet and CASCADE colleagues to identify new areas of collaboration and discuss sustainability, and ten poster presentations featuring a variety of scientific and programmatic contributions.
End-of-Year Joint Poster Session
In collaboration with CASCADE, ULACNet hosted a joint virtual poster session on December 5:
- Participation: 97 registrants, with 48 engaging in live video conversations averaging 67 minutes each.
- Poster Engagement: 14 posters were presented, each receiving an average of 23 views and 48 minutes of discussion.
- Posters remain available for registered users on the Virtual Poster Website.
ULACNet Virtual Annual Meeting
The December 12 ULACNet Annual Meeting brought together the network’s global community:
- Keynote Speaker: Dr. Erin Kobetz (University of Miami) was a guest plenary speaker and delivered an inspiring address on her work focusing on increasing screening access in underserved populations domestically and globally.
- Cross-Network Collaboration: A focused session on progress and lessons learned from the cervical and anogenital screening and triage studies (ULACNet-101, ULACNet-202, ULACNet-302).
- Field Presentations: Four talks highlighted innovative community engagement efforts, participant recruitment and retention strategies and challenges, and the role of Community Engagement Boards (CABs).
- Emerging Investigators: The final session featured three standout presentations from Haiti, Brazil, and Puerto Rico.
Looking Ahead to 2025
As we close out 2024, ULACNet remains steadfast in its commitment to collaborative research and community engagement. Together, we will continue advancing clinical care and reducing the burden of HPV-related cancers in people living with HIV. Here’s to another year of continued innovations, partnerships, and progress!
Welcome to ULACNet Update, where we share programmatic and research updates for the US-Latin American-Caribbean HIV/HPV-Cancer Prevention Clinical Trials Network (ULACNet)!
This article will be translated to Spanish, Portuguese, and French at a later date. Please check back soon.
Subscribe to ULACNet Update. For more information on ULACNet, please contact ULACNet@nih.gov.