Research

Elizabeth Glaser was one of the first public figures to advocate for research focused on the prevention and treatment of HIV and AIDS in children. Since Elizabeth’s initial efforts, EGPAF has continued to bring together leading international scientists to conduct basic, clinical, and operations research as part of our global efforts to eliminate pediatric AIDS.

Photo: Olivier Asselin

Over the last quarter century, the international research community has achieved great progress in deepening its scientific understanding of pediatric HIV and AIDS, leading to the development of a variety of tools to address the epidemic among children. Most notably, research breakthroughs have led to significant reductions in rates of mother-to-child transmission of HIV in even the most resource-limited settings, while improvements in pediatric HIV treatments have ensured that children living with HIV can now enjoy long and healthy lives.

Basic research refers to any research done in a controlled laboratory setting using nonhuman subjects. The focus is on understanding cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie a disease or disease process.

Clinical research is research that either directly involves a particular person or group of people or uses materials from humans, such as their behavior or samples of their tissue, that can be linked to a particular living person.

Operations research is a form of research that identifies and solves challenges in the implementation of health programs. The purpose of operations research is to increase the efficiency, effectiveness, and quality of health services, as well as the availability, accessibility, and acceptability of these services to people who need them.