RCMI Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus

Puerto Rico Site of 6th Annual RCMI AIDS Symposium

The 6th Annual AIDS Symposium was celebrated November 15-18, 1998 at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Isla Verde. This was the third time since its inception that Puerto Rico served as the site for this forum for the dissemination and exchange of scientific information regarding AIDS, a disease that in less than two decades of existence has reached epidemic proportions. Dr. Robert Gallo, who contributed to the discovery of the AIDS virus (HIV) in the 1980's, was the guest of honor at the event.

Despite all of the recent advances in AIDS research and the decreased incidence of new infections, the battle against the devastating disease is far from over. This is according to Dr. José G. Conde, Associate Director of the RCMI Program at the University of Puerto Rico's Medical Sciences Campus, and Dr. Walter Silva, former Director of the RCMI Program at the Ponce School of Medicine who has now also joined the Program at the UPR/MSC, in a press conference prior to the event.

The AIDS Symposium was sponsored by the RCMI Program of the National Center for Research Resources, a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and organized by Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia. The local RCMI Programs at the University of Puerto Rico's Medical Sciences Campus and Río Piedras Campus, the Ponce School of Medicine, and the Universidad Central del Caribe also contributed to the organization of this event.

Throughout the symposium, presenters discussed the current advances in AIDS research, including work towards the development of an AIDS vaccine. Another invited speaker, Dr. Yves Traore, Associate Investigator at the Muraz Centre in Burkina Fasso, West Africa, discussed his work in the training, evaluation, and quality control of HIV diagnostic assays, the history of the AIDS epidemic in his country, and the mission and goals of his center. Dr. Traore's participation in the symposium was sponsored by the Medical Sciences Campus RCMI Program.

From left: Bob Hendrickson, Sidney McNairy and Fred Jones

The Association of RCMI Progam Directors organized a special activity during the symposium to acknowledge the leadership and valuable contributions of Dr. Robert Hendrickson, Health Scientist Administrator, and Dr. Fred Jones, Past-President of the Association, to the mission and goals of the RCMI Program. After many years of dedicated service, both Dr. Hendrickson and Dr. Jones retired from their positions and plan to enjoy new activities. The RCMI community joined to wish Bob and Fred the best in their new endeavors.

Dania Rodríguez-Díaz,
RCMI Program Administrator
March 4, 1999

Emma Fernández-Repollet,Ph.D.

Program Director

RCMI Program

Room 621-A, 6th. floor

Main Building, Medical Sciences Campus

GPO Box 365067

San Juan, PR 00936-5067

Email: efernandez@rcm.upr.edu

Voice (787) 763-9401

FAX (787) 758-5206