In episode 71 of Going anti-Viral, Dr Peter Hunt joins host Dr Michael Saag to provide a review of the science presented at the 2026 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI). Dr Hunt is a Professor of Medicine at the University of California San Francisco and is the Associate Chief for Research in the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital Department of Medicine, and Co-Director of the UCSF-Bay Area Center for AIDS Research for Basic and Translational Science. He was also a Vice Chair of the Scientific Program Committee for CROI 2026. Dr Hunt provides an in-depth overview of the key scientific presentations at CROI, highlighting breakthroughs in HIV research, pediatric HIV treatment, biology of the HIV capsid, vaccine research, and innovative therapies. Dr Hunt and Dr Saag also discussed new antiretroviral formulations and highlights of the state of HIV cure research.

0:00 – Introduction

1:13 – Valganciclovir in infants with HIV and CMV pneumonia

4:25 – Differences between pediatric and adult CMV infection

7:34 – Plenary by Dr Wesley Sundquist on structural biology and the HIV capsid

12:00 – Other plenary presentations at CROI 2026

14:27 – Powerful Martin Delaney presentation by Peter Staley

15:50 – Plenary by Dr Jeanne Marrazzo on Doxy PEP and resistance concerns

16:30 – Vaccine development and neutralizing antibodies by Dr Kevin Saunders

17:25 – New symposium: Hot Takes on the Clinical Highlights of CROI 2026

19:38 – New antiretroviral formulations and long-acting agents

25:10 – HIV cure research, overview of TACK agents, and a poster on an efavirenz intensification study

28:39 – A look ahead to CROI 2027 and closing remarks

Resources:

Watch Peter Staley's presentation at CROI 2026 YouTube

Going-anti-Viral: Episode 70 - Peter Staley Apple Podcasts

Going-anti-Viral: Episode 69 - Dr Kevin Saunders Apple Podcasts

CROI 2026: https://www.croiconference.org/

__________________________________________________

Produced by IAS-USA, Going anti–Viral is a podcast for clinicians involved in research and care in HIV, its complications, and other viral infections. This podcast is intended as a technical source of information for specialists in this field, but anyone listening will enjoy learning more about the state of modern medicine around viral infections.

Going anti-Viral’s host is Dr Michael Saag, a physician, prominent HIV researcher at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and volunteer IAS–USA board member. In most episodes, Dr Saag interviews an expert in infectious diseases or emerging pandemics about their area of specialty and current developments in the field. Other episodes are drawn from the IAS–USA vast catalogue of panel discussions, Dialogues, and other audio from various meetings and conferences.

Email podcast@iasusa.org to send feedback, show suggestions, or questions to be answered on a later episode.

Follow Going anti-Viral on:
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In episode 70 of Going anti-Viral, Peter Staley joins host Dr Michael Saag after giving the Martin Delaney presentation at the 2026 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) entitled ''Annus Horribilis" and The War on Science: Thoughts on Resisting and Rebuilding. Mr Staley shares his inspiring story as a pioneering HIV and LGBTQ+ rights activist, recounting his journey from the early days of the AIDS crisis to groundbreaking activism leading to a seat at the table with clinicians and researchers in bringing life-saving treatments to people with HIV and AIDS. Dr Saag and Mr Staley also reflect on the recent era of anti-science activism during the COVID-19 pandemic and share their advice for young researchers who may be the generation of scientists that bring about a cure for HIV.

0:00 – Introduction

2:30 – The early days of AIDS awareness

6:23 – Peter’s reflections on his positive HIV test result

10:46 – Transitioning from Wall Street to activism

12:11 – The formation ACT UP and impact of Larry Kramer

15:22 – Channeling anger into activism

17:47 – Targeting the FDA and the fight for drug access

20:26 – The role of the NIH and Tony Fauci

24:10 – The Parallel Track: access to experimental drugs

25:40 – The role of the Treatment Action Group (TAG) and the AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG)

26:32 – The breakthrough: viral load and undetectable levels

31:18 – Reflections on COVID-19: activism in a new era

33:45 – Prep4All: advocating for access to PrEP

38:38 – Advice for young clinicians and closing remarks

Resources:

Watch Peter Staley’s presentation at CROI 2026 ''Annus Horribilis" and The War on Science: Thoughts on Resisting and Rebuilding

YouTube: https://youtu.be/p5kqUujWPCs

PrEP4All: https://prep4all.org/

CROI 2026: https://www.croiconference.org/

__________________________________________________

Produced by IAS-USA, Going anti–Viral is a podcast for clinicians involved in research and care in HIV, its complications, and other viral infections. This podcast is intended as a technical source of information for specialists in this field, but anyone listening will enjoy learning more about the state of modern medicine around viral infections.

Going anti-Viral’s host is Dr Michael Saag, a physician, prominent HIV researcher at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and volunteer IAS–USA board member. In most episodes, Dr Saag interviews an expert in infectious diseases or emerging pandemics about their area of specialty and current developments in the field. Other episodes are drawn from the IAS–USA vast catalogue of panel discussions, Dialogues, and other audio from various meetings and conferences.

Email podcast@iasusa.org to send feedback, show suggestions, or questions to be answered on a later episode.

Follow Going anti-Viral on:
Apple Podcasts
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...

In episode 69 of Going anti-Viral, Dr Kevin Saunders joins host Dr Michael Saag to discuss a plenary presentation he gave at the 2026 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) entitled Successes in HIV-1 Vaccine Design: Accelerating Completion of One of Sciences’ Most Difficult Vaccines. Dr Saunders is the associate director for the Duke Human Vaccine Institute and the Norman L. Letvin Professor in Immunology and Infectious Diseases Research. Dr Saunders leads a translational research program that designs and evaluates HIV-1 vaccines. Dr Saunders shares his journey from studying T-cell immunity to pioneering HIV vaccine research. He discusses the challenges of developing an HIV vaccine, the promise of broad neutralizing antibodies, and the innovative use of mRNA technology. Dr Saunders also shares his outlook and optimism for the next 5 years of HIV vaccine development including the use machine learning and artificial intelligence technologies to accelerate the development timeline.

0:00 – Introduction

1:36 – Path to HIV research and vaccine development

3:50 – Understanding T-cell immunity and HIV

6:53 – Transition to passive immunity and broad neutralizing antibodies

11:35 – Challenges in developing an HIV vaccine

15:25 – Current state of HIV vaccine research

17:38 – The role of immunogens in vaccine development

20:30 – Combining B-cell and T-cell responses

24:59 – Prospect for a HIV vaccine within the next 5 years

Resources:

CROI 2026: https://www.croiconference.org/

Duke Human Vaccine Institute - https://dhvi.duke.edu/

__________________________________________________

Produced by IAS-USA, Going anti–Viral is a podcast for clinicians involved in research and care in HIV, its complications, and other viral infections. This podcast is intended as a technical source of information for specialists in this field, but anyone listening will enjoy learning more about the state of modern medicine around viral infections.

Going anti-Viral’s host is Dr Michael Saag, a physician, prominent HIV researcher at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and volunteer IAS–USA board member. In most episodes, Dr Saag interviews an expert in infectious diseases or emerging pandemics about their area of specialty and current developments in the field. Other episodes are drawn from the IAS–USA vast catalogue of panel discussions, Dialogues, and other audio from various meetings and conferences.

Email podcast@iasusa.org to send feedback, show suggestions, or questions to be answered on a later episode.

Follow Going anti-Viral on:
Apple Podcasts
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Facebook
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...

In episode 68 of Going anti-Viral, Dr Ruanne Barnabas joins host Dr Michael Saag to discuss topic of a symposium session at the upcoming the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) entitled Strategic and Resilient Responses to the Funding Crisis Across Africa. Dr Barnabas is the Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital. Her work is focused on identifying effective and scalable HIV, HPV, and infectious diseases treatment and prevention strategies that increase access across diverse communities and promote equity in health. Dr Barnabas discusses the substantial progress made in global health, particularly in HIV treatment and prevention. She also discusses the impact of funding cuts from USAID on health systems and highlights with Dr Saag the importance of the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in delivering effective care. Dr Barnabas outlines the presentations to be given at the upcoming symposium at CROI 2026 addressing the HIV funding crisis, emphasizing community resilience, and the future of health equity.

0:00 – Introduction

1:29 – Overview of global health funding at the end of 2024

4:03 – Success of PEPFAR and USAID

10:25 – Funding cuts and their consequences

12:48 – Overview of the CROI 2026 symposium on the HIV funding crisis in Africa

16:28 – Community perspectives and impact of new technologies

18:08 – Lessons learned from funding cuts

21:13 – Looking ahead: future of HIV and global health programs

Resources:

CROI 2026: https://www.croiconference.org/

Going-anti-Viral: Episode 43 - Innovations in HIV Service Delivery: Building a Path Forward with Those Left Behind - Dr Izukanji Sikazwe

__________________________________________________

Produced by IAS-USA, Going anti–Viral is a podcast for clinicians involved in research and care in HIV, its complications, and other viral infections. This podcast is intended as a technical source of information for specialists in this field, but anyone listening will enjoy learning more about the state of modern medicine around viral infections.

Going anti-Viral’s host is Dr Michael Saag, a physician, prominent HIV researcher at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and volunteer IAS–USA board member. In most episodes, Dr Saag interviews an expert in infectious diseases or emerging pandemics about their area of specialty and current developments in the field. Other episodes are drawn from the IAS–USA vast catalogue of panel discussions, Dialogues, and other audio from various meetings and conferences.

Email podcast@iasusa.org to send feedback, show suggestions, or questions to be answered on a later episode.

Follow Going anti-Viral on:
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In episode 67 of Going anti-Viral, Dr Martin Hirsch joins host Dr Michael Saag to discuss his career in HIV medicine, mentorship, and his scientific legacy. Dr Hirsch is a Professor Emeritus at Harvard Medical School and was Director of the Harvard Collaborative AIDS Treatment Evaluation Unit from 1986 to 2003 and Director of the Harvard Multidisciplinary AIDS Research Training Grant. Dr Hirsch’s research focused on finding drug combinations that delay the development of multidrug resistance and reduce viral replication in HIV-1 infection. Dr Hirsch served as an Editorial Board member for numerous prestigious medical journals over the past 3 decades, including AIDS, the New England Journal of Medicine, Clinical Infectious Diseases, and the Journal of Infectious Diseases, where he was Editor-in-Chief. Dr Hirsch discusses his extensive career, the evolution of antiviral therapies, and the importance of mentorship in science. He reflects on his early experiences, the emergence of HIV, and the collaborative efforts that led to advancements in treatment. Dr Hirsch emphasizes the need for individualized mentorship and shares insights on the future of HIV research and his optimism for the potential of HIV prophylactic treatments.

0:00 – Introduction

1:50 – Early career and mentorship

5:07 – Transitioning to HIV research

7:55 – The emergence of antiretroviral therapies

11:06 – The AIDS epidemic and initial cases

14:30 – Collaboration in HIV research

17:42 – The AZT trial and its impact

20:16 – Navigating the shift from CMV to HIV

22:39 – Antiretroviral resistance and combination therapy

26:39 – The role of mentorship in science

30:56 – Future directions in HIV research

Resources:

Going-anti-Viral: Episode 6 - A Conversation With Dr Anthony Fauci

__________________________________________________

Produced by IAS-USA, Going anti–Viral is a podcast for clinicians involved in research and care in HIV, its complications, and other viral infections. This podcast is intended as a technical source of information for specialists in this field, but anyone listening will enjoy learning more about the state of modern medicine around viral infections.

Going anti-Viral’s host is Dr Michael Saag, a physician, prominent HIV researcher at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and volunteer IAS–USA board member. In most episodes, Dr Saag interviews an expert in infectious diseases or emerging pandemics about their area of specialty and current developments in the field. Other episodes are drawn from the IAS–USA vast catalogue of panel discussions, Dialogues, and other audio from various meetings and conferences.

Email podcast@iasusa.org to send feedback, show suggestions, or questions to be answered on a later episode.

Follow Going anti-Viral on:
Apple Podcasts
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In episode 66 of Going anti-Viral, Dr Nicolas Chomont joins host Dr Michael Saag to provide a preview of the 2026 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI). Dr Chomont is Chair of the Scientific Program Committee for CROI 2026 and is a Professor in the Department of Microbiology, Infectious Diseases, and Immunology at the Université de Montréal and a researcher at the CHUM Research Centre. Dr Chomont discusses CROI 2026, highlighting its significance in advancing HIV research and treatment. He emphasizes the importance of community engagement, the support for new investigators, and ongoing research for an HIV cure. The discussion provides the overall themes of the abstracts accepted for CROI 2026 as well as the plenary sessions, symposia, and the impact of funding cuts on research and treatment. Dr Chomont expresses optimism about the future of HIV research and the collaborative spirit of the conference.

0:00 – Introduction

3:19 – Plenary sessions overview

5:41 – Interactive symposia and themed discussion sessions

8:09 – Themes of the accepted abstracts

11:09 – Support for new researchers

15:25 – Research addressing a cure for HIV

18:21 – Community and collaboration at CROI

20:55 – Closing remarks

Register for virtual or in-person attendance at CROI 2026:

https://www.croiconference.org/

__________________________________________________

Produced by IAS-USA, Going anti–Viral is a podcast for clinicians involved in research and care in HIV, its complications, and other viral infections. This podcast is intended as a technical source of information for specialists in this field, but anyone listening will enjoy learning more about the state of modern medicine around viral infections.

Going anti-Viral’s host is Dr Michael Saag, a physician, prominent HIV researcher at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and volunteer IAS–USA board member. In most episodes, Dr Saag interviews an expert in infectious diseases or emerging pandemics about their area of specialty and current developments in the field. Other episodes are drawn from the IAS–USA vast catalogue of panel discussions, Dialogues, and other audio from various meetings and conferences.

Email podcast@iasusa.org to send feedback, show suggestions, or questions to be answered on a later episode.

Follow Going anti-Viral on:
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In episode 65 of Going anti-Viral, Dr Gerald Friedland joins host Dr Michael Saag as the recipient of the IAS–USA Lifetime of Leadership Award, established nearly 15 years ago to honor individuals whose contributions have left a profound and lasting impact on HIV medicine, scientific education, and the mission of the IAS–USA. Dr Friedland discusses his extensive journey in the field of HIV/AIDS and infectious diseases, reflecting on his early career, the challenges faced during the early years of the AIDS epidemic, and the evolution of treatment strategies. Dr Friedland and Dr Saag emphasize the importance of collaboration, compassion, and the pursuit of knowledge in addressing public health crises. Dr Friedland also discusses his research on tuberculosis and the integration of HIV treatment, highlighting important findings that have impacted healthcare practices.

0:00 – Introduction

3:03 – Early life and medical journey

5:43 – First encounters with HIV/AIDS

8:39 – Understanding transmission and stigma

11:22 – Coping with the AIDS crisis

14:53 – The AZT trials and early treatments

16:31 – Advancements in HIV treatment

19:30 – Research on tuberculosis and HIV

27:32 – Reflections on a lifelong career

Resources

In-person or virtual registration for the presentation of the IAS-USA Lifetime of Leadership Award at the Scott M. Hammer Annual Update on HIV Management in New York, New York on March 16, 2026:

https://www.iasusa.org/events/hiv-update-2026-new-york/

__________________________________________________

Produced by IAS-USA, Going anti–Viral is a podcast for clinicians involved in research and care in HIV, its complications, and other viral infections. This podcast is intended as a technical source of information for specialists in this field, but anyone listening will enjoy learning more about the state of modern medicine around viral infections.

Going anti-Viral’s host is Dr Michael Saag, a physician, prominent HIV researcher at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and volunteer IAS–USA board member. In most episodes, Dr Saag interviews an expert in infectious diseases or emerging pandemics about their area of specialty and current developments in the field. Other episodes are drawn from the IAS–USA vast catalogue of panel discussions, Dialogues, and other audio from various meetings and conferences.

Email podcast@iasusa.org to send feedback, show suggestions, or questions to be answered on a later episode.

Follow Going anti-Viral on:
Apple Podcasts
YouTube
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Facebook
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...

In episode 64 of Going anti-Viral, we look back at the past year and beyond to share highlights from past episodes of the Going anti-Viral Podcast. In this selection of highlights, we share the remarkable outcomes of scientific research, hearing from researchers, clinicians, and survivors. These outcomes are the result of the tremendous work and innovation of our guests and the entire scientific research community and the investment of the American people in scientific research.

0:00 – Introduction

1:29 – Dr Judith Currier – Next-Gen HIV Prevention and Treatment

1:59 – Dr Anthony Fauci – A Conversation with Dr Anthony Fauci

2:33 – Dawn Averitt – A Personal Journey with HIV and Advocacy for HIV Research

3:18 – Rebecca Denison – 40+ Years of HIV: What’s Changed, What Hasn’t, What Shouldn’t, What Must

3:44 – Dr Izukanji Sikazwe – Innovations in HIV Service Delivery: Building a Path Forward with Those Left Behind

4:19 – Dr Joseph Eron – HIV Cure Research: State of the Art and Navigating Presentations at CROI 2025

4:48 – Dr Diane Havlir – Preview of the 2025 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI)

5:22 – Dr Peter Hotez – The Measles Outbreak and the Role Anti-Science Plays in Threatening Public Health

5:58 – Dr Steven Grinspoon – The Management of Cardiovascular Health in Patients with HIV

6:18 – Dr Ellen Eaton – Treating Substance Use Disorder in an Inpatient Setting

6:41 – Dr Khalil Ghanem – Demystifying Syphilis: Diagnosis and Treatment

7:01 – Dr Carlos del Rio – Providing Healthcare to Foreign-Born and Hard-to-Reach Individuals

7:37 – Dr Yvonne Maldonado – How Vaccines Get Approved in the US: The RSV Story and the Role of the ACIP

8:00 – Dr Demetre Daskalakis – The CDC without Scientific Leadership

8:29 – Dr Rochelle Walensky – The COVID-19 Pandemic and the Current State of Public Health in the US

9:01 – Mary Fisher – Breaking the Silence: An Activist’s Approach

For full episodes, visit the Going anti-Viral Podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts

__________________________________________________

Produced by IAS-USA, Going anti–Viral is a podcast for clinicians involved in research and care in HIV, its complications, and other viral infections. This podcast is intended as a technical source of information for specialists in this field, but anyone listening will enjoy learning more about the state of modern medicine around viral infections.

Going anti-Viral’s host is Dr Michael Saag, a physician, prominent HIV researcher at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and volunteer IAS–USA board member. In most episodes, Dr Saag interviews an expert in infectious diseases or emerging pandemics about their area of specialty and current developments in the field. Other episodes are drawn from the IAS–USA vast catalogue of panel discussions, Dialogues, and other audio from various meetings and conferences.

Email podcast@iasusa.org to send feedback, show suggestions, or questions to be answered on a later episode.

Follow Going anti-Viral on:
Apple Podcasts
YouTube
X
Facebook
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...