Going anti-Viral

In episode 73 of Going anti-Viral, we represent a panel discussion from March 26, 2026, as part of the IAS–USA Dialogue series Emerging Infections and Health Threats. This Dialogue is a must listen as our distinguished panel of infectious disease experts dives deep into some of the most pressing public health challenges facing the world today. Moderated by Carlos del Rio, MD, a Distinguished Professor of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Emory University School of Medicine, this Dialogue brings together world-class experts Yvonne Maldonado, MD, and Peter Chin-Hong, MD. The panel discusses a recent federal court ruling regarding the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and addresses the latest news on rates of vaccination and an update on emerging viral outbreaks, including measles, influenza, COVID-19, meningitis, tuberculosis, mpox, and RSV. The panel also reflects on the implications of the lack of leadership at the CDC on public health.
0:00 – Introduction 
2:33 – March 2026 federal court ruling pausing the work of the ACIP
7:08 – Review of the reduction in immunization rates in the US
12:51 – Measles cases in the US and efforts to address misinformation
20:28 – Breaking down recent influenza rates 
25:42 – Update on COVID-19 – variants and vaccination
33:42 – Leadership gap at the CDC and implications for public health 
41:35 – Meningitis outbreak in England and status of vaccination in the US
49:46 – Increase in cases of tuberculosis in the US
56:45 – Update on mpox cases and vaccination
59:12 – Brief review of RSV cases and vaccination and closing remarks 
__________________________________________________

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 [email protected] to send feedback, show suggestions, or questions to be answered on a later episode.

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In episode 72 of Going anti-Viral, Dr Alan Winston joins host Dr Michael Saag to discuss a presentation he gave at the 2026 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) entitled Neurodegeneration and Dementia Risk in Older Adults With HIV: Biomarkers and Epidemiology. Dr Winston is a Professor of HIV and Genitourinary Medicine at Imperial College London and Consultant Physician at St. Mary's Hospital, London. His research focuses on noninfectious comorbidities associated with HIV in the modern antiretroviral era, with a strong focus on central nervous system complications. He is the principal clinical investigator on the POPPY study, a cohort study describing the incidence and nature of comorbidities in HIV. Dr Winston and Dr Saag discuss the history and current understanding of neurodegeneration and dementia risk in older adults with HIV and review the impact of antiretroviral therapy and neuroinflammation. They review clinical assessment and screening for dementia and neurodegenerative disease including a detailed discussion of imaging techniques and cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) examination.
0:00 – Introduction 
1:30 – HIV and neurodegeneration
4:37 – Current manifestations of CNS disease in older adults with HIV
8:28 – Assessing cognitive health in older adults with HIV
12:29 – Screening for dementia and neurodegenerative disease
18:20 – Neuropsychometric testing, CSF examination, and management of CSF escape
24:23 – Imaging techniques and future directions
Resources:
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 [email protected] 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 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 [email protected] 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 [email protected] 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 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 [email protected] to send feedback, show suggestions, or questions to be answered on a later episode.

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