About

The Comprehensive NeuroAIDS Center (CNAC) at Temple University is one of nine Centers of its kind in the United States funded by the National Institute of Mental Health. It was founded in 2011.

Mission Statement

The Comprehensive NeuroAIDS Center’s mission is to improve and extend public health impact of bench-to-clinic research associated with HIV-induced neurological diseases and cognitive disorders.

Overview

Neurological complications and cognitive disorders are among the most devastating clinical manifestations of HIV-1 infection in AIDS patients today – including patients receiving treatment with antiretroviral therapy.

In the Philadelphia area, the rate of HIV-1 infection is five times the national average, with more than 19,000 individuals currently infected with the virus. Temple University Hospital’s Comprehensive HIV Program treats more than 10% of AIDS patients in Philadelphia, and 10% of its inpatient neurology discharges are HIV-1 positive individuals with neurological disorders.

CNAC’s goal is to improve and extend the public health benefits of bench-to-clinic research related to NeuroAIDS in the Philadelphia region and beyond.

To this end, we bring together a large group of AIDS and neuroscience investigators based at Temple and other leading academic medical centers. We offer expert research services and technologies, an established clinical HIV program including neuropsychiatric and neurocognitive assessment, mentorship/training programs, and seed funding for new translational research projects addressing NeuroAIDS and HIV-1 associated neurocognitive and behavioral disorders.

Our Strategy

The Comprehensive NeuroAIDS Center’s strategy is to achieve success in advancing HIV and AIDS research by providing services to the scientific community and fostering translational collaborative efforts for worldwide NeuroAIDS research.

We offer a multidisciplinary research approach by providing scientific services in cell culture and neurotropic viruses, animal model development and behavioral testing, proteomic biomarker discovery, as well as expertise and consultation in neuroscience and neuropathology.
CNAC presents an ideal clinical platform (the Temple Comprehensive HIV Program) for translational medicine, supplying a large patient population for investigating mechanisms of HIV-1 induced neurological disease.

In addition to offering seed funding for innovative pilot studies, CNAC offers mentoring opportunities for scientists and clinical investigators as well as advanced training programs for established researchers in the field of HIV and AIDS.