NEW YORK--29 May--PRNewswire-AsiaNet/InfoQuest Renowned pediatrician will lead AIDS research foundation’s international program, including its TREAT Asia initiative amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, has appointed Annette Sohn, MD, as vice president for global initiatives and director of TREAT Asia (Therapeutics Research, Education, and AIDS Training in Asia), announced Kevin Robert Frost, amfAR’s chief executive officer. Dr. Sohn will take up her appointment on September 1, 2008. Dr. Sohn is a highly regarded pediatrician and researcher with extensive experience treating HIV/AIDS among women and children in Southeast Asia. She is an assistant professor in the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), and former Vietnam country representative for the UCSF Institute for Global Health. Dr. Sohn is based in Ho Chi Minh City, where she has directed a pediatric HIV research program in collaboration with Children’s Hospital #1 and the Ho Chi Minh City AIDS Committee. Her projects there included studies of diagnostic testing and monitoring in HIV-exposed infants, stigma and discrimination in the context of prevention of mother-to-child transmission, and contraception and reproductive health outcomes of HIV-positive women. She is a former member of amfAR’s TREAT Asia steering committee, pediatric network, and the Pediatric HIV Observational Database working group. Dr. Sohn also is a technical advisor to PEPFAR-Vietnam, assisting in-country programs on coordination, protocols, and capacity building for scaling up their comprehensive pediatric antiretroviral treatment programs. “I am delighted that Annette Sohn will join amfAR in a leadership capacity,” Frost said. “Dr. Sohn brings a unique combination of practical medical experience, cultural understanding, groundbreaking research, and a dedication to amfAR’s global efforts to defeat the HIV/AIDS epidemic.” Recently, amfAR has expanded its global efforts to eradicate HIV/AIDS. In addition to TREAT Asia, which has its main office in Bangkok, amfAR’s MSM Initiative is working to reduce rates of HIV infection and transmission among men who have sex with men in resource-limited countries. Dr. Sohn will also oversee the MSM Initiative. In her role with amfAR, Dr. Sohn will be based in amfAR’s Bangkok, Thailand, office and will lead a staff of 20. “I welcome the opportunity to work full-time on amfAR’s global initiatives,” Dr. Sohn said. “The battle against HIV/AIDS demands the commitment of all sectors of society and must be grounded in evidence-based research, policy and practice. amfAR has a well-deserved reputation as a leader in the fight against this global epidemic and addressing the suffering it brings to vulnerable populations.” “Asia has become one of the world’s epicenters of the AIDS epidemic, and as such is an extremely important front in the war against AIDS,” said Dr. Adeeba Kamarulzaman, head of the Infectious Diseases Unit at the University of Malaya Medical Centre and chair of the TREAT Asia steering committee. “Although there is still no cure for AIDS, recent scientific advances have provided exciting opportunities for refining AIDS treatments. Dr. Sohn’s background, accomplishments, and experience in Asia make her the ideal candidate to lead amfAR’s Global Initiatives and the TREAT Asia program.” About amfAR amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, is one of the world’s leading nonprofit organizations dedicated to the support of AIDS research, HIV prevention, treatment education, and the advocacy of sound AIDS-related public policy. Since 1985, amfAR has invested nearly $275 million in its programs and has awarded grants to more than 2,000 research teams worldwide. For moreinformation about amfAR, visit www.amfar.org SOURCE: American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR) CONTACT: Donald Kaplan, Director of Program Communications, +1-212-806-1602, [email protected], or Jennifer Samuels, Senior Assistant Coordinator, Program Communications, +1-212-806-1756, [email protected], both of American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR) Web site: http://www.amfar.org --Distributed by AsiaNet ( www.asianetnews.net )--