CINXE.COM
Meet Mike Chirenje, researcher planting the seeds for a future without HIV | Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML+RDFa 1.0//EN" "http://www.w3.org/MarkUp/DTD/xhtml-rdfa-1.dtd"> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" lang="en" version="XHTML+RDFa 1.0" dir="ltr" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/terms/" xmlns:foaf="http://xmlns.com/foaf/0.1/" xmlns:og="http://ogp.me/ns#" xmlns:rdfs="http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema#" xmlns:sioc="http://rdfs.org/sioc/ns#" xmlns:sioct="http://rdfs.org/sioc/types#" xmlns:skos="http://www.w3.org/2004/02/skos/core#" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#"> <head profile="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab"> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /> <meta name="Generator" content="Drupal 7 (http://drupal.org)" /> <link rel="canonical" href="/news/meet-mike-chirenje-researcher-planting-seeds-future-without-hiv" /> <link rel="shortlink" href="/node/30116" /> <link rel="shortcut icon" href="https://bixbycenter.ucsf.edu/profiles/ucsf_b1gfoot/themes/ucsf_b1gfoot_theme/favicon.ico" type="image/vnd.microsoft.icon" /> <script type="text/javascript">window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; window.dataLayer.push({"drupalLanguage":"en","drupalCountry":"US","entityLanguage":"en","entityTnid":"0","entityVid":"30161","entityName":"rebecca.griffin@ucsf.edu","entityUid":"41","entityCreated":"1722028615","entityStatus":"1","entityType":"node","entityBundle":"news","entityId":"30116","entityLabel":"Meet Mike Chirenje, researcher planting the seeds for a future without HIV","userUid":0});</script> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, maximum-scale=1" /> <meta property="twitter:image" content="https://bixbycenter.ucsf.edu/sites/g/files/tkssra8936/f/styles/news_listing_page/public/2024-07/3..jpeg?itok=nMltyX7h" /> <meta property="twitter:image:alt" content="" /> <meta property="og:image" content="https://bixbycenter.ucsf.edu/sites/g/files/tkssra8936/f/styles/news_listing_page/public/2024-07/3..jpeg?itok=nMltyX7h" /> <meta property="og:image:width" content="853" /> <meta property="og:image:height" content="1280" /> <meta property="twitter:card" content="summary" /> <meta property="og:site_name" content="Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health" /> <meta property="twitter:url" content="https://bixbycenter.ucsf.edu/news/meet-mike-chirenje-researcher-planting-seeds-future-without-hiv" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://bixbycenter.ucsf.edu/news/meet-mike-chirenje-researcher-planting-seeds-future-without-hiv" /> <meta property="twitter:title" content="Meet Mike Chirenje, researcher planting the seeds for a future without HIV | Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health" /> <meta property="og:title" content="Meet Mike Chirenje, researcher planting the seeds for a future without HIV" /> <meta property="twitter:description" content="The seeds that Mike Chirenje, MD, planted through the University of Zimbabwe Clinical Trials Unit thirty years ago have grown deep roots, changing the landscape of HIV treatment and prevention in Zimbabwe and around the world." /> <meta property="og:description" content="The seeds that Mike Chirenje, MD, planted through the University of Zimbabwe Clinical Trials Unit thirty years ago have grown deep roots, changing the landscape of HIV treatment and prevention in Zimbabwe and around the world." /> <title>Meet Mike Chirenje, researcher planting the seeds for a future without HIV | Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health</title> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://bixbycenter.ucsf.edu/sites/g/files/tkssra8936/f/css/css_kShW4RPmRstZ3SpIC-ZvVGNFVAi0WEMuCnI0ZkYIaFw.css" media="all" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://bixbycenter.ucsf.edu/sites/g/files/tkssra8936/f/css/css_EJL_7lrjsH8BZ6q38g9TN9dgvY5IouUd4PiJZQyBEFI.css" media="all" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://bixbycenter.ucsf.edu/sites/g/files/tkssra8936/f/css/css_rV3Wod_e6ST6El0CA65NgFrvcFHnCpm1z0SGwM9reQg.css" media="all" /> <style type="text/css" media="all"> <!--/*--><![CDATA[/*><!--*/ .cke_toolgroup > .cke_button__quote{display:none}.cke_toolgroup > .cke_button__twocolumn{display:none}.cke_toolgroup > .cke_button__threecolumn{display:none}.cke_toolgroup > .cke_button__featuredcontent{display:none}.cke_toolgroup > .cke_button__collapseitem{display:none} /*]]>*/--> </style> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/hopscotch/0.2.5/css/hopscotch.min.css" media="all" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://maxcdn.bootstrapcdn.com/font-awesome/4.4.0/css/font-awesome.min.css" media="all" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://bixbycenter.ucsf.edu/sites/g/files/tkssra8936/f/css/css_-5KGL3kpG9BJtjhjan_sSs2LNKUh8DXr0FbFKbHMQxM.css" media="all" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://bixbycenter.ucsf.edu/sites/g/files/tkssra8936/f/css/css_47DEQpj8HBSa-_TImW-5JCeuQeRkm5NMpJWZG3hSuFU.css" media="print" /> <style type="text/css" media="all"> <!--/*--><![CDATA[/*><!--*/ .slider-image-right .region-content-top #block-fieldblock-node-page-default-field-paragraph-sliders .group-slider-content .field-name-field-pg-slider-title{font-size:36px;}.resource-subtitle{color:#525860;font-size:0.9rem;margin-bottom:1rem;}.resource-title{font-size:1.125rem;}.coverage-title{padding-bottom:0.125rem;font-size:1.18rem;}.coverage-title-link{text-decoration:none;color:#0071ad;}.coverage-body{margin-bottom:0.75rem;}.coverage-byline{color:#525860;font-size:0.9rem;}.coverage-image{float:right;margin:0 0 20px 20px;}.view-media-coverage .views-field{margin-bottom:3rem;}.view-display-id-news_page .view-display-id-attachment_1{margin-bottom:1rem;}*[id^='edit-combine-wrapper']{width:100%;padding-right:0;}*[id^='edit-combine'],*[id^='edit-field-resource-type-tid']{width:100%;padding-right:0;}.view-id-resources .views-reset-button{width:33%;}.view-id-resources .views-submit-button{width:65%;margin-right:2%;}.view-id-resources *[id^='edit-submit-resources'],.view-id-resources [id^='edit-reset']{padding:10px 30px;margin-top:20px;width:100%;}.view-id-resources .views-exposed-form .views-exposed-widget .form-submit{margin-top:1rem;margin-bottom:1.6rem;}.block-views-media-coverage-block h3{border-bottom:3px solid purple;width:100%;}.media-grid-unit{float:left;width:46%;min-height:auto;overflow:visible;}.views-row-odd .media-grid-unit{margin-right:8%;margin-bottom:3%;}.adjusted-link{translate:0 -1.4rem;}#block-views-media-coverage-block h3{border-bottom:2px solid #716fb2;}.person-title{width:100px;}.investigators-block{display:flex;flex-direction:row;flex-wrap:wrap;}.coverage-date{font-weight:bold;font-size:12px;color:#737373;margin-bottom:5px;}.coverage-title a{font-weight:400;text-decoration:none;}.coverage-title a:hover{color:#0071ad;text-decoration:none;}.coverage-item{clear:both;overflow:hidden;border-bottom:1px solid #b4b9bf;padding-bottom:50px;margin-bottom:50px;}.view-display-id-page .coverage-title a{color:black;font-weight:300;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;}.view-display-id-page .coverage-title h3{color:yellow;} /*]]>*/--> </style> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://bixbycenter.ucsf.edu/sites/g/files/tkssra8936/f/css/css_YIc5z_m9ICfAIN5PsA_yAFMg8D1SRjKWYeXJFqBorhE.css" media="all" /> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://bixbycenter.ucsf.edu/sites/g/files/tkssra8936/f/js/js_Pt6OpwTd6jcHLRIjrE-eSPLWMxWDkcyYrPTIrXDSON0.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://bixbycenter.ucsf.edu/sites/g/files/tkssra8936/f/js/js_onbE0n0cQY6KTDQtHO_E27UBymFC-RuqypZZ6Zxez-o.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://bixbycenter.ucsf.edu/sites/g/files/tkssra8936/f/js/js_gHk2gWJ_Qw_jU2qRiUmSl7d8oly1Cx7lQFrqcp3RXcI.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://bixbycenter.ucsf.edu/sites/g/files/tkssra8936/f/js/js_xe_uRFgIncjVWm4-Oa-ayIcSuU7G-5paEa2xC6Asbdg.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/hopscotch/0.2.5/js/hopscotch.min.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://bixbycenter.ucsf.edu/sites/g/files/tkssra8936/f/js/js_7PbaJTSu-LxJaTVbKUqW3Gf_NGEIE3gHP-pkSD63kK8.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" defer="defer" src="https://assets.adobedtm.com/db5f13cb240b/b1130ce1ceae/launch-db8f55f3e131.min.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" defer="defer" src="https://www.ucsf.edu/modules/custom/ucsf_adobe_analytics/js/ucsf-data-layer.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" defer="defer" src="https://www.ucsf.edu/modules/custom/ucsf_adobe_analytics/js/ucsf-mag-marketing-data-layer.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://bixbycenter.ucsf.edu/sites/g/files/tkssra8936/f/js/js_eJWVGeYfnG2VkbzrWBYv6vU2Fe5JP-2LWsAJ1E86l2I.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> <!--//--><![CDATA[//><!-- var sliderSecondary ='slider-secondary-no-image';var sliderPrimary ='slider-image-right'; //--><!]]> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://bixbycenter.ucsf.edu/sites/g/files/tkssra8936/f/js/js_3KU2G0XuUwThidq7lpTBQghUO1g1ty4dEdv-co66Xqw.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://bixbycenter.ucsf.edu/sites/g/files/tkssra8936/f/js/js__pev76oqunwyHrozBOUwthVLhzUZgLLfKlmOonOmdkg.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> <!--//--><![CDATA[//><!-- jQuery.extend(Drupal.settings, {"basePath":"\/","pathPrefix":"","setHasJsCookie":0,"ajaxPageState":{"theme":"ucsf_b1gfoot_theme","theme_token":"gLwLmSUyPQ7z3Ktz1RyC8VCJxQVNXzXeXWje3Av0Nmo","js":{"https:\/\/ws.sharethis.com\/button\/buttons.js":1,"profiles\/ucsf_b1gfoot\/modules\/contrib\/jquery_update\/replace\/jquery\/1.12\/jquery.min.js":1,"misc\/jquery-extend-3.4.0.js":1,"misc\/jquery-html-prefilter-3.5.0-backport.js":1,"misc\/jquery.once.js":1,"misc\/drupal.js":1,"profiles\/ucsf_b1gfoot\/modules\/contrib\/jquery_update\/js\/jquery_browser.js":1,"misc\/form-single-submit.js":1,"profiles\/ucsf_b1gfoot\/modules\/contrib\/entityreference\/js\/entityreference.js":1,"profiles\/ucsf_b1gfoot\/modules\/b1gfoot\/ucsf_b1gfoot_admin_menu\/js\/ucsf_b1gfoot_admin_menu.js":1,"profiles\/ucsf_b1gfoot\/modules\/b1gfoot\/ucsf_eds_profiles\/ucsf_eds_profiles_tweaks.js":1,"https:\/\/cdnjs.cloudflare.com\/ajax\/libs\/hopscotch\/0.2.5\/js\/hopscotch.min.js":1,"profiles\/ucsf_b1gfoot\/modules\/b1gfoot\/y3ti_help\/js\/y3ti_help.js":1,"https:\/\/assets.adobedtm.com\/db5f13cb240b\/b1130ce1ceae\/launch-db8f55f3e131.min.js":1,"https:\/\/www.ucsf.edu\/modules\/custom\/ucsf_adobe_analytics\/js\/ucsf-data-layer.js":1,"https:\/\/www.ucsf.edu\/modules\/custom\/ucsf_adobe_analytics\/js\/ucsf-mag-marketing-data-layer.js":1,"sites\/all\/modules\/contrib\/datalayer\/datalayer.js":1,"0":1,"profiles\/ucsf_b1gfoot\/modules\/b1gfoot\/ucsf_b1gfoot_sitewizard\/js\/ucsf_b1gfoot_sitewizard.js":1,"profiles\/ucsf_b1gfoot\/themes\/ucsf_b1gfoot_theme\/js\/vendor\/slick\/slick.js":1,"profiles\/ucsf_b1gfoot\/themes\/ucsf_b1gfoot_theme\/js\/vendor\/icheck.min.js":1,"profiles\/ucsf_b1gfoot\/themes\/ucsf_b1gfoot_theme\/js\/build\/main.js":1,"profiles\/ucsf_b1gfoot\/themes\/ucsf_b1gfoot_theme\/js\/vendor\/responsive-nav\/responsive-nav.min.js":1,"profiles\/ucsf_b1gfoot\/themes\/ucsf_b1gfoot_theme\/js\/script.js":1},"css":{"modules\/system\/system.base.css":1,"modules\/system\/system.messages.css":1,"modules\/system\/system.theme.css":1,"modules\/comment\/comment.css":1,"modules\/field\/theme\/field.css":1,"modules\/node\/node.css":1,"modules\/search\/search.css":1,"modules\/user\/user.css":1,"profiles\/ucsf_b1gfoot\/modules\/contrib\/views\/css\/views.css":1,"profiles\/ucsf_b1gfoot\/modules\/contrib\/ckeditor\/css\/ckeditor.css":1,"profiles\/ucsf_b1gfoot\/modules\/contrib\/ctools\/css\/ctools.css":1,"profiles\/ucsf_b1gfoot\/modules\/b1gfoot\/ucsf_b1gfoot_admin_menu\/css\/ucsf_b1gfoot_admin_menu.css":1,"profiles\/ucsf_b1gfoot\/modules\/b1gfoot\/ucsf_b1gfoot_sitewizard\/css\/ucsf_b1gfoot_sitewizard.css":1,"1":1,"https:\/\/cdnjs.cloudflare.com\/ajax\/libs\/hopscotch\/0.2.5\/css\/hopscotch.min.css":1,"https:\/\/maxcdn.bootstrapcdn.com\/font-awesome\/4.4.0\/css\/font-awesome.min.css":1,"profiles\/ucsf_b1gfoot\/themes\/ucsf_b1gfoot_theme\/js\/vendor\/slick\/slick.css":1,"profiles\/ucsf_b1gfoot\/themes\/ucsf_b1gfoot_theme\/css\/screen.css":1,"profiles\/ucsf_b1gfoot\/themes\/ucsf_b1gfoot_theme\/css\/print.css":1,"0":1,"profiles\/ucsf_b1gfoot\/themes\/ucsf_b1gfoot_theme\/css\/colors\/primary\/primary-teal.css":1,"profiles\/ucsf_b1gfoot\/themes\/ucsf_b1gfoot_theme\/css\/colors\/secondary\/secondary-purple.css":1}},"better_exposed_filters":{"views":{"news":{"displays":{"news_block":{"filters":[]}}}}},"urlIsAjaxTrusted":{"\/news\/meet-mike-chirenje-researcher-planting-seeds-future-without-hiv":true},"dataLayer":{"languages":{"en":{"language":"en","name":"English","native":"English","direction":"0","enabled":"1","plurals":"0","formula":"","domain":"","prefix":"","weight":"0","javascript":""}},"defaultLang":"en"}}); //--><!]]> </script> </head> <body class="html not-front not-logged-in page-node page-node- page-node-30116 node-type-news ucsf-b1gfoot font--header--granjon profile--grid sidebar sidebar--right sidebar-color--grey" > <div id="skip-link"> <a href="#main-content" class="element-invisible element-focusable">Skip to main content</a> </div> <div id="page-wrapper"> <div id="page"> <div class="ucsf-top-header row-full-width no-logo"> <div class="inside"> <ul class="menu"> <li class="first"><a href="https://www.ucsf.edu">University of California San Francisco</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.ucsfhealth.org/">UCSF Health</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.ucsf.edu/search" title="">Search UCSF</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.ucsf.edu/about">About UCSF</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="header" class="row-full-width"> <div class="inside clearfix"> <h1 id="site-name"> <a href="/" title="Home" rel="home"> Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health </a> </h1> <div class="region region-header"> <div id="block-search-form" class="block block-search"> <div class="content"> <form onsubmit="if(this.search_block_form.value=='Search'){ alert('Please enter a search'); return false; }" action="/news/meet-mike-chirenje-researcher-planting-seeds-future-without-hiv" method="post" id="search-block-form" accept-charset="UTF-8"><div><div class="container-inline"> <h2 class="element-invisible">Search form</h2> <div class="form-item form-type-textfield form-item-search-block-form"> <label class="element-invisible" for="edit-search-block-form--2">Search... </label> <input title="Enter the terms you wish to search for." placeholder="Search..." class="text-input fa fa-search form-text" aria-hidden="" type="text" id="edit-search-block-form--2" name="search_block_form" value="" size="40" maxlength="128" /> </div> <div class="form-actions form-wrapper" id="edit-actions"><input type="submit" id="edit-submit" name="op" value="" class="form-submit" /></div><input type="hidden" name="form_build_id" value="form-Zn7mcO3PNoV85lC-nncPMMEW86hk8J2I4vb8TRxuRdQ" /> <input type="hidden" name="form_id" value="search_block_form" /> </div> </div></form> </div> </div> <div id="block-menu-block-1" class="block block-menu-block"> <div class="content"> <div class="menu-block-wrapper menu-block-1 menu-name-main-menu parent-mlid-0 menu-level-1"> <ul class="menu"><li class="first expanded menu-mlid-1811"><a href="/about-us">About Us</a><ul class="menu"><li class="first leaf menu-mlid-2121"><a href="/how-we-work">How We Work</a></li> <li class="leaf menu-mlid-2061"><a href="/our-people">Our People</a></li> <li class="leaf menu-mlid-3516"><a href="https://bixbycenter.ucsf.edu/programs" title="">Programs</a></li> <li class="leaf menu-mlid-2071"><a href="/work-us">Work With Us</a></li> <li class="leaf menu-mlid-2116"><a href="/support-our-work">Support Our Work</a></li> <li class="leaf menu-mlid-1816"><a href="/contact-us">Contact Us</a></li> <li class="last leaf menu-mlid-3526"><a href="https://bixbycenter.ucsf.edu/our-history" title="">Our History</a></li> </ul></li> <li class="expanded menu-mlid-2076"><a href="/core-areas">Core Areas</a><ul class="menu"><li class="first leaf menu-mlid-2081"><a href="/abortion">Abortion</a></li> <li class="leaf menu-mlid-2091"><a href="/contraception">Contraception</a></li> <li class="leaf menu-mlid-2101"><a href="/hiv-sexually-transmitted-infections">HIV & STIs</a></li> <li class="last leaf menu-mlid-2106"><a href="/pregnancy-childbirth">Pregnancy & Childbirth</a></li> </ul></li> <li class="expanded menu-mlid-2981"><a href="/resources-all" title="">Resources</a><ul class="menu"><li class="first last leaf menu-mlid-2136"><a href="/annual-reports">Annual Reports</a></li> </ul></li> <li class="last expanded active-trail menu-mlid-3006"><a href="/bixby-news-media" class="active-trail">Bixby News & Media</a><ul class="menu"><li class="first leaf active-trail menu-mlid-2141"><a href="/news" title="" class="active active-trail">Bixby News</a></li> <li class="leaf menu-mlid-2861"><a href="/media" title="">Media</a></li> <li class="last leaf menu-mlid-2161"><a href="/newsletter">Newsletter</a></li> </ul></li> </ul></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="breadcrumb" class="row-full-width"><div class="inside"><h2 class="element-invisible">You are here</h2><div class="breadcrumb"><a href="/">Home</a> > <a href="/bixby-news-media">Bixby News & Media</a> > <a href="/news" title="" class="active">Bixby News</a> > <span class="breadcrumb-page-title">Bixby News</span></div></div></div> <h1 class="title" id="page-title">Meet Mike Chirenje, researcher planting the seeds for a future without HIV</h1> <div class="content-top"> </div> <div id="main-wrapper"> <div id="main" class="clearfix"> <div id="content" class="column"> <div class="inside"> <a id="main-content"></a> <div class="tabs"></div> <div class="region region-content"> <div id="block-system-main" class="block block-system"> <div class="content"> <div id="node-30116" class="node node-news clearfix" about="/news/meet-mike-chirenje-researcher-planting-seeds-future-without-hiv" typeof="sioc:Item foaf:Document"> <span property="dc:title" content="Meet Mike Chirenje, researcher planting the seeds for a future without HIV" class="rdf-meta element-hidden"></span><span property="sioc:num_replies" content="0" datatype="xsd:integer" class="rdf-meta element-hidden"></span> <div class="content"> <div class="field-name-field-text-byline">July 26, 2024<div class="share-buttons"><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fbixbycenter.ucsf.edu%2Fnews%2Fmeet-mike-chirenje-researcher-planting-seeds-future-without-hiv&t=Meet+Mike+Chirenje%2C+researcher+planting+the+seeds+for+a+future+without+HIV" target="_blank" title="Share on Facebook" class="share-facebook"><span class="fa fa-facebook" aria-hidden></span><span class="text-indent">Facebook</span></a><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.twitter.com/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbixbycenter.ucsf.edu%2Fnews%2Fmeet-mike-chirenje-researcher-planting-seeds-future-without-hiv&text=Meet+Mike+Chirenje%2C+researcher+planting+the+seeds+for+a+future+without+HIV" target="_blank" title="Share on Twitter" class="share-twitter"><span class="fa fa-twitter" aria-hidden></span><span class="text-indent">Twitter</span></a><a rel="nofollow" href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#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" title="Share by Email" class="share-email"><span class="fa fa-envelope-o" aria-hidden></span><span class="text-indent">Email</span></a><span class="st_sharethis_custom"><span class="fa fa-share-alt" aria-hidden title="More Share options"></span><span class="text-indent">Share</span></span></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p><img alt="" height="450" src="/sites/g/files/tkssra8936/f/wysiwyg/3..jpeg" style="float:left" width="300" />The seeds that Mike Chirenje, MD, planted through the University of Zimbabwe Clinical Trials Unit thirty years ago have grown deep roots, changing the landscape of HIV treatment and prevention in Zimbabwe and around the world.</p> <p>The program started soon after Dr. Chirenje returned from his ob-gyn residency in the UK, where he had noticed how much lower the rates of cervical cancer were than in his home country. He and his team quickly set up a program to screen for cervical cancer. They were exploring alternatives to pap smears, which were too expensive for low-resource settings. They developed a simple test called visual inspection with acetic acid that became the gold standard for cervical cancer screening in low-resource countries. </p> <p>During those early studies, he recognized a pattern with women who had precancer cells and received treatment. If they were infected with HIV, the disease just came back and it was very difficult to treat. Dr. Chirenje quickly learned that the program had to have a focus on HIV whether that was their specialty or not.</p> <p>In the early 1990s in Zimbabwe, there were no drugs to treat the disease. It was distressing to care for pregnant women with HIV who would die after delivery. Thirty to forty percent of their babies were born with HIV and most wouldn’t make it to a year. HIV was spreading rapidly. “Everybody had lost someone,” he said. “You were living in a community where disease was around every corner.”</p> <p>The CTU started small, hiring 2 nurses and later applying for an NIH grant to become part of the <a href="https://www.hptn.org/">HIV Prevention Trials Network</a>. The program has blossomed beyond what they could have imagined, now with a team of 250 people and continuous funding for their work over several decades.</p> <p>The program has focused on 3 major pillars: testing drug combinations for HIV treatment, led by <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)00454-2/fulltext">Dr. James Hakim</a>; preventing transmission of HIV from pregnant women to their babies, led by <a href="https://academicmedicaleducation.com/lynda-stranix-chibanda-mbchb-mmed">Dr. Lynda Stranix</a>-Chibanda and <a href="https://www.impaactnetwork.org/about/directory/8378">Dr. Tsungai Chipato</a>; and conducting biomedical studies for preventing HIV, led by Dr. Chirenje and <a href="https://www.hptn.org/about/conversations/nyaradzo-mavis-mgodi-mbchb-mmed">Dr. Nyaradzo Mgodi</a>. Dr. Chirenje was one of the first scientists to sit in Washington, DC, in 2000 to design microbicides research for HIV prevention. His expertise in colposcopy was essential to ensuring that the products were safe, linking back to his start in cervical cancer screening work.</p> <p>The CTU’s research has transformed policy and practices around the world that have helped turn the tide of the HIV epidemic. Their research on HIV prevention led to the implementation of new evidence-based policies in Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Health and the wider region. The recommendations based on testing antiretroviral drugs influenced the approach to prevention of mother-to-child transmission, with the program’s researchers serving on policy committees to shape World Health Organization recommendations.</p> <p>Dr. Chirenje takes pride in the many ways the unit has provided services to the community in addition to their big-picture research and policy impacts. The community members who participate in the studies are grateful for the high-quality health care they receive. They know they’ll get good service, free screenings, vaccinations, and have their needs taken care of without having to pay. “Every time the community outreach team has a new study, the queues are huge because they know they’re going to get very good service, qualified doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and state-of-the-art equipment.” <img alt="" height="267" src="/sites/g/files/tkssra8936/f/wysiwyg/IMG_0706.JPG" style="float:right" width="400" /></p> <p>These roots that have grown in the past three decades help to ensure sustainability for decades in the future. Dr. Chirenje has mentored early-stage investigators who are now leading research and attracting funding to the unit. There’s infrastructure to assist communities with research and emerging infections that may come. The CTU’s jobs have created stability for employees and their families through tumultuous decades in Zimbabwe’s economy. </p> <p>Looking ahead, Dr. Chirenje has big ideas for what the CTU can achieve next. He’s looking toward a future where they eliminate mother-to-child HIV infections completely. The CTU is assisting in the research to identify an HIV vaccine, which would be a huge step forward for HIV prevention around the world. His work has also come full circle with the CTU joining the National Cancer Institute’s <a href="https://prevention.cancer.gov/major-programs/hivcervical-cancer-prevention-cascade-clinical-trials-network">CASCADE Network</a> working on clinical trials to optimize cervical cancer screening, management, and precancer treatment for women living with HIV.</p> <p>“The HIV epidemic will most likely evolve, and I am optimistic that, shortly, HIV will become increasingly endemic and much more manageable, and we will see better control of cervical cancer among women living with HIV in Zimbabwe.”</p> </div></div></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="sidebar" class="column"> <div class="sidebar_top"> <div class="region region-sidebar-top"> <div id="block-block-1" class="block block-block placeholder--block"> <div class="content"> </div> </div> <div id="block-menu-block-2" class="block block-menu-block"> <h3><a href="/bixby-news-media" class="active-trail">Bixby News & Media</a></h3> <div class="content"> <div class="menu-block-wrapper menu-block-2 menu-name-main-menu parent-mlid-0 menu-level-2"> <ul class="menu"><li class="first leaf active-trail menu-mlid-2141"><a href="/news" title="" class="active active-trail">Bixby News</a></li> <li class="leaf menu-mlid-2861"><a href="/media" title="">Media</a></li> <li class="last leaf menu-mlid-2161"><a href="/newsletter">Newsletter</a></li> </ul></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="sidebar"> <div class="section"> <div class="region region-sidebar"> <div id="block-block-6" class="block block-block"> <h3>Support our work</h3> <div class="content"> <p>Your tax-deductible gift helps to translate evidence into better policies.</p> <p> </p> <p><a class="btn--large btn--blue" href="https://makeagift.ucsf.edu/site/SPageServer?pagename=A1_API_GeneralGivingForm&Primary=Women%27s%20Health&ACode=B2872" target="_self">Donate Here</a></p> </div> </div> <div id="block-block-11" class="block block-block"> <h3>Subscribe to our newsletter</h3> <div class="content"> <p>Stay up to date on Bixby research, resources, and our members in the media.</p> <p> </p> <p><a class="btn--large btn--blue" href="https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/9X0tKia" target="_blank">Subscribe Here</a></p> </div> </div> <div id="block-block-21" class="block block-block"> <h3>Social media</h3> <div class="content"> <p><a class="btn--large btn--blue" href="https://bsky.app/profile/ucsfbixby.bsky.social">Follow us on Bluesky</a></p> <p> </p> <p><a class="btn--large btn--blue" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/ucsf-bixby-center-for-global-reproductive-health/?viewAsMember=true">Follow us on LinkedIn</a></p> <p> </p> <p><a class="btn--large btn--blue" href="https://www.youtube.com/@UCSFBixbyCenter">Watch us on YouTube</a></p> </div> </div> <div id="block-views-news-news-block" class="block block-views"> <h3>Bixby News</h3> <div class="content"> <div class="view view-news view-id-news view-display-id-news_block view-dom-id-868492026b9673ba2608ef3e0cec9dd4"> <div class="view-content"> <div class="ucsf-news"> <div class="ucsf-news-image"><a href="/news/what-physicians-think-about-self-sourced-and-managed-medication-abortion"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://bixbycenter.ucsf.edu/sites/g/files/tkssra8936/f/styles/news_listing_block/public/2025-02/Medication%20Abortion%20Insights.jpg?itok=UMV_0DSt" width="112" height="112" alt="" /></a></div> <div class="date">February 07, 2025</div> <h3><a href="/news/what-physicians-think-about-self-sourced-and-managed-medication-abortion">What physicians think about self-sourced and managed medication abortion </a></h3> </div> <div class="ucsf-news"> <div class="date">December 18, 2024</div> <h3><a href="/news/how-vaginal-birth-after-cesarean-section-calculator-%E2%80%9Cautomates%E2%80%9D-racism">How the vaginal birth after cesarean section calculator “automates” racism</a></h3> </div> <div class="ucsf-news"> <div class="date">December 04, 2024</div> <h3><a href="/news/how-dobbs-decision-threatens-contraceptive-care">How the Dobbs decision threatens contraceptive care</a></h3> </div> <div class="ucsf-news"> <div class="date">October 24, 2024</div> <h3><a href="/news/engaging-young-husbands-reproductive-health-india">Engaging young husbands in reproductive health in India</a></h3> </div> </div> <div class="more-link"> <a href="/news"> See more </a> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div></div> <div id="footer"> <div class="section"> <div class="footer-bottom"> <nav aria-label="Footer Navigation" class="footer--navigation"> <ul> <li><a href="/contact-us">Contact Us</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.ucsf.edu/accessibility-resources">Accessibility</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.ucsf.edu/website-privacy-policy">Privacy Policy</a></li> <li><a href="https://websites.ucsf.edu/website-terms-use">Terms of Use </a></li> <li><a href="https://websites.ucsf.edu/azlist">A-Z Website List</a></li> </ul> </nav> <div class="footer--copyright"> <p>© 2025 The Regents of the University of California</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script><script type="text/javascript" src="https://ws.sharethis.com/button/buttons.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> /*<![CDATA[*/ (function() { var sz = document.createElement('script'); sz.type = 'text/javascript'; sz.async = true; sz.src = '//siteimproveanalytics.com/js/siteanalyze_8343.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(sz, s); })(); /*]]>*/ </script> </body> </html>