AMFAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, will award more than $1.4 million in grants to fund 12 new research projects whose findings may fundamentally change the way HIV/AIDS is treated, Dr. Rowena Johnston, AMFAR’s vice president of research, announced today.

The 12 new projects will address factors, in particular beliefs and attitudes surrounding HIV, which negatively impact the effectiveness of available treatments. At the same time, AMFAR is seeking a longer-term solution to difficulties associated with lifelong treatment by supporting projects aimed at eradicating HIV infection.

“Advances made in HIV treatment have arguably been the great success story of AIDS research, and yet two limitations continue to dog our efforts,” Dr. Johnston said. “One is that not all people, even in the United States, benefit equally from these treatment advances. And second, there is still no cure for HIV.”

The social/behavioral projects being funded by AMFAR focus on the role that certain beliefs, especially those pertaining to the origin of HIV or the availability of alternative treatment or prevention interventions, play in a person’s decision to follow the advice of healthcare professionals. Through in-depth interviews, Dr. Scott Rhodes of Wake Forest University Health Sciences, will attempt to identify the beliefs and other factors that influence Latinos’ decision to access science-based HIV treatment and prevention services.