The Campbell Foundation
Helping Make HIV/AIDS History Since 1995
Press Releases 2022
The Campbell Foundation Awards $60,000 in “Holiday Hug”
Grants to Florida Organizations Serving the HIV/AIDS Community
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL –– Dec. 20, 2022 – The Campbell Foundation is expanding its long‑running “Holiday Hug” tradition this year, increasing both the total funding and the number of nonprofits receiving support. Since 1995, the foundation has awarded unrestricted grants to organizations serving Florida’s HIV/AIDS community, helping them continue their mission during a time when many face year‑end financial strain. Fifteen nonprofits at the forefront of HIV prevention, outreach, education, and essential services will each receive $4,000, totaling $60,000 in support. Several organizations—Broward House, Latinos Salud, Pride Center of Fort Lauderdale, SunServe, and the World AIDS Museum—will also benefit from matching funds through AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s Florida AIDS Walk, doubling the impact of their Holiday Hug. This year’s recipients include AH Monroe, BASIC NWFL, Big Bend Cares, Broward House, Care Resource, Children’s Diagnostic & Treatment Center, Compass, FoundCare, Latinos Salud, McGregor Clinic, Oasis, Poverello, Pride Center of Fort Lauderdale, SunServe, and the World AIDS Museum. Executive Director Ken Rapkin noted that many organizations continue to face financial challenges due to COVID‑related impacts and diminishing traditional funding sources, emphasizing the vital services these nonprofits provide—from transportation to medical appointments to housing assistance, insurance navigation, and food security.
The Campbell Foundation Funds Research to Eliminate Hidden HIV Reservoirs
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL –– Aug. 26, 2022 – The Campbell Foundation has awarded an $85,000 grant to Iván D’Orso, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Microbiology at UT Southwestern Medical Center, to advance a promising new strategy aimed at exposing and eliminating hidden HIV reservoirs. D’Orso’s team is using chemical genetics to uncover how latent HIV persists in the body and what triggers its reactivation — knowledge that could identify new therapeutic targets capable of preventing viral rebound when antiretroviral therapy is stopped. “If successful, our studies will revolutionize the field by implementing a new technology for acute factor depletion and by identifying new targets for therapeutic interventions,” said D’Orso.
The Campbell Foundation Funds HIV Reservoir Research
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL –– May 23, 2022 ––The Campbell Foundation has awarded a $50,000 grant to Dr. Mathias D. Lichterfeld and Dr. Catherine Koofhethile to investigate why HIV continues to persist in adolescents and young adults in Botswana who began antiretroviral therapy (ART) within their first year of life. The team, based at the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, will examine how HIV‑infected cells survive for decades despite long‑term treatment and whether deep‑latent proviral sequences accumulate over time. Executive Director Ken Rapkin noted that Lichterfeld’s work on HIV reservoir cells represents a critical step toward cure‑focused research. The Campbell Foundation’s Peer Review Board praised the proposal for its potential to illuminate mechanisms behind functional cures and advance understanding of viral latency in pediatric patients. Reviewers also highlighted the project’s role in supporting a Botswana‑based female scientist, strengthening research capacity in a country with high HIV prevalence.
The Campbell Foundation Funds Novel CAR-T Research
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL –– March 7, 2022 –– The Campbell Foundation has awarded $90,000 to Otto Yang, MD, an infectious disease researcher at UCLA, to advance cutting‑edge work using chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T gene therapy to identify and eliminate HIV‑infected cells. HIV is known for its ability to hide, mutate, and evade treatment, making new strategies essential in the pursuit of a cure. Dr. Yang’s research focuses on understanding how HIV may mutate to escape recognition by CAR‑engineered T cells—an issue similar to the virus’s ability to evade drugs and antibodies. “A key concern is that HIV may be able to develop mutations that allow it to escape from binding by the CAR,” said Dr. Yang. “Our focus is to determine how HIV can mutate to escape. This is an important first step toward developing strategies to cope with the issue.” CAR‑T therapy has already shown remarkable success in cancer treatment, with recent reports of patients remaining in remission a decade after therapy. The Campbell Foundation sees similar promise in HIV applications. “We believe Dr. Yang’s research has great potential and we look forward to seeing the results of his work,” said Executive Director Ken Rapkin. Peer Review Board members praised the proposal as innovative, rigorous, and highly relevant, noting that the findings could not only advance HIV‑specific CAR‑T strategies but also broaden understanding of CAR‑T technology for other infectious diseases.