HIV Implementation Science to Optimize Research Impact (HISTORI)

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2026 HIV Implementation Science to Optimize Research Impact (HISTORI) Scientific Congress Meeting

• May 27–28, 2026
• Montgomery, Alabama

Renaissance Montgomery Hotel & Spa
The HIV Implementation Science to Optimize Research Impact (HISTORI) Scientific Congress returns in 2026 with a continued focus on advancing implementation science that is accountable to Black communities and grounded in long-term impact. The 2026 Congress will be held in Montgomery, Alabama, in conjunction with the NAESM Conference and the HPTN 096 Protocol Team Meeting.

Guided by the theme “Community as Capital, Impact as Return,” HISTORI 2026 builds on prior convenings to further articulate and advance an economic and scientific model of HIV research that invests in community capacity, leadership, and sustainability, rather than extracting short-term academic gains. The Congress will bring together investigators, community partners, clinicians, and industry stakeholders to engage in dialogue, planning, and collaboration focused on execution and measurable impact.

The 2026 Scientific Congress will take place in person over two days and will include plenary sessions, facilitated discussions, and collaborative working sessions aligned with the HISTORI mission.

More information, including registration details and a tentative agenda, will be shared as planning continues.

2025 Scientific Congress Meeting

• June 25–26, 2025
• Los Angeles, CA

The 2025 HISTORI Scientific Congress marked a strategic shift in the network’s evolution, centering execution, adaptability, and accountability in response to persistent structural barriers shaping HIV prevention and treatment in Black communities. Under the theme “Standing on Business: Executing Our Response to the HIV Epidemic in Black America,” the Congress moved beyond agenda setting to focus on how implementation science, design thinking, and cross-sector alignment can translate evidence into durable impact. The Congress was held on June 25–26, 2025, in Los Angeles, California, at the Sheraton Gateway Los Angeles, as part of the NAESM National Leadership Conference, and was co-chaired by Dr. LaRon E. Nelson and Louis Shackelford. Participants included investigators, community leaders, clinicians, and industry partners from across the United States, representing a broad range of expertise in HIV prevention, treatment, implementation science, and community-based practice.

Congress Day 1: Execution, Design, and Innovation

June 25, 2025

Day 1 focused on redefining how HIV implementation science is designed, evaluated, and operationalized. The opening session, HISTORI Research Network: A New Value Proposition for HIV Implementation and Impact-Focused Science, examined the network’s evolving role in supporting scholarship that is not only rigorous, but deployable. Presentations by Dr. LaRon E. Nelson, Danielle Campbell (PrEP in Black America), Dr. Donna Spiegelman (Yale School of Public Health), and Dr. Marlon M. Bailey (Washington University in St. Louis) emphasized the need to align research incentives with real-world outcomes.

This conversation set the stage for Balanced Breakthroughs in HIV Prevention, where Dr. Uzoji Nwanaji-Enwerem introduced a framework for aligning human desirability, technological capability, and business viability - challenging participants to consider why effective interventions often fail to scale.

The afternoon pivoted toward applied design. In Built to Break: The Power of Prototypes, participants explored rapid testing and iteration as necessary responses to uncertainty in funding and policy environments. Taking a Human-Centered Design Approach to HIV Implementation Science, led by Jackson Jr. Ndenkeh and Daniel Davidson, translated design principles into practical tools for HIV research teams working under constraint.

The day concluded with HIV Science Flash Talks, moderated by Daniel Driffin and Daniel Davidson, highlighting work by Obinna Oleribe, Tasia Baldwin, and Richard Williams, each illustrating different pathways for translating science into community-responsive action. An evening dinner presentation on emerging PrEP choices, delivered by Chiree Graham, PharmD (Gilead Sciences), connected scientific innovation to patient-centered decision-making.

Congress Day 2: Reflection, Recovery, and Alignment

June 26, 2025

Day 2 centered reflection and course correction. The morning session, Falling Forward: Turning Past Losses into Future Wins, featured Darren Whitfield and Gamji-Rabiu Abu-Ba’are, who addressed the realities of grant cancellation, stalled pipelines, and the emotional and structural toll of disrupted research — while emphasizing adaptation rather than retreat.

Participants then engaged in Design Thinking I and II, facilitated by Dr. LaRon E. Nelson and Jackson Jr. Ndenkeh, applying empathy mapping, jobs-to-be-done frameworks, and prototyping to current HIV implementation challenges. These sessions emphasized learning from failure, testing assumptions, and designing interventions that remain viable amid uncertainty.

The lunchtime session, Preparing for the Pipeline, shifted focus to the future of HIV prevention and treatment. Ayanna Elliott (ViiV Healthcare), Cathy Chien, MD (Gilead Sciences), and Rafael E. Campo, MD (Merck) discussed emerging prevention modalities, pipeline disruptions, and the implications for implementation planning in Black communities.

The afternoon featured Design in Action: Think Big, Start Small, Move Fast, followed by Getting Down to the “ABC” of It, which addressed the necessity of aligning academic priorities, business realities, and community accountability. The Pharma Reflection and Response, moderated by Paul Thomas, created space for industry leaders Gina Brown, Rafael E. Campo, and Ayanna Elliott to reflect on responsibility, partnership, and trust.

The Congress closed with a collective reflection led by United We Rise, represented by Chioma Nnaji and Justin Smith, before final remarks and next steps from Dr. LaRon E. Nelson and Louis Shackelford, reinforcing HISTORI’s commitment to execution-focused science and community-anchored impact.

This event was made possible thanks to the generous sponsorship of:

• NAESM National Leadership Conference
• Gilead Sciences
• ViiV Healthcare
• HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN) 096
• HIV Vaccine Trials Network
• PrEP in Black America
• United We Rise
• Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS (CIRA)
• HISTORI Lab

2024 HIV Implementation Science to Optimize Research Impact (HISTORI)

• June 26-27, 2024
• New Haven, CT

The HIV Implementation Science to Optimize Research Impact (HISTORI) Scientific Congress aims to help Black communities in the United States end the HIV epidemic by providing an inclusive, self-determined platform for Black investigators to connect, learn and engage in collective advocacy. This year’s Congress will be held in-person in New Haven, CT (no virtual attendance is available) and is a full-day event (June 27th) at the Omni preceded by an optional half day of workshops and networking (June 26th). There is no cost to attend beyond your own travel and accommodations; some meals will be provided, and a very limited number of scholarships are available to help support travel.

2023 Scientific Congress Meeting

• June 7-8, 2023
  Atlanta, GA

The 2023 HISTORI Scientific Congress was a multi-culturally affirming, self-determined forum for Black investigators involved in research that contributes to ending the HIV epidemic in Black communities in the United States. The event was co-chaired by Dr. Ijeoma Opara and Dr. Stephaun Wallace, with special support from Dr. LaRon Nelson. The Congress was held from 7-8th June 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia, hosted by NAESM as part of its 2023 National Leadership Conference. Over 75 Black investigators, activists, and community members from across the country came together to collectively engage in priority setting, knowledge exchange, and capacity building. The event further built on the HISTORI network of passionate researchers, community advocates and leaders in academia, community settings, health service organizations and industry motivated to bring an end to HIV in Black communities.

2022 Inaugural Congress Meeting

The HISTORI Scientific Congress was a multi-culturally affirming, self-determined forum for Black investigators involved in research that contributes to ending the HIV epidemic in Black communities in the United States. The event was convened by a group of thirteen leaders in the fight against HIV in black communities and took place in June 2022 in Dallas, Texas. It was graciously hosted by Dallas Southern Pride as part of the launch of their annual Juneteenth Unity Weekend celebration. The congress brought together over 50 Black investigators from across the country to collectively engage in priority setting, knowledge exchange, research methods capacity building, and science generation. It established a network of passionate researchers, community advocates and leaders in academia, community settings, health service organizations and industry motivated to bring an end to HIV in Black communities.