Yale University

International Visiting Scholar Program

The primary purpose of the International Visiting Scholar Program (previously “International Visiting Fellow Program”) is to support CIRA investigators engaged in HIV research in an international setting to bring an established or prospective research partner to CIRA and Yale for a short visit (up to 9 days) to work on collaborative HIV research endeavors, present on their research plans, and network with CIRA’s research community. The program prioritizes visiting scholars residing in a country in one of the regions with the highest burden of HIV/AIDS, and the resulting research collaborations occurring in these locations.

Since 2016, CIRA has hosted 16 international HIV scholars through this program nominated by CIRA investigators affiliated with the Yale Schools of Public Health, Medicine, and Nursing. This program has demonstrated potential to sustain ongoing research partnerships, yield new multidisciplinary collaborations, and enhance the scope of CIRA’s research impact.

Call for Nominations: CIRA International Visiting Scholar Program 2026
CIRA is planning to host the next cohort of International Visiting Scholars in 2026 and support one (1) international scholar. CIRA affiliates who are Yale faculty members are eligible to apply. This is a competitive call with a preference for nominations by CIRA investigators who have not previously participated in the program. Click here to view further details including guidelines for nominations.

Key dates:
Letters of nominations due: 5:00 pm, Tuesday, January 20, 2026
Scholarship decision notification: week of January 26, 2026
Visit dates: between Monday, April 27, 2026, and Friday, May 8, 2026

For questions about this announcement or the visiting scholar program, please contact Dini Harsono (dini.harsono@yale.edu), Program Director. 

2025 Cohort

  1. Assel Terlikbayeva, MD, MSSW, MPH (Global Health Research Center of Central Asia, Kazakhstan) - Frederick L. Altice, MD, MA (Yale School of Medicine)

2024 Cohort

  1. Lucy Chimoyi, PhD (The Aurum Institute, South Africa) - Sheela Shenoi, MD, MPH (Yale School of Medicine) and Luke Davis, MD, MAS (Yale School of Public Health)
  2. Iryna Zaviriukha, MD (European Institute of Public Health Policy, Ukraine) - Julia Rozanova, PhD (Yale School of Medicine)

2019 Cohort

  1. Thomas Guadamuz, PhD, MHS (Mahidol University, Thailand) - Jeffrey Wickersham, PhD (Yale School of Medicine)
  2. Marina Njelekela, MD, MPH, PhD (Deloitte Consulting Limited, Tanzania) - Donna Spiegelman, ScD (Yale School of Public Health)
  3. Reena Rajasuriar, PhD (University of Malaya, Malaysia) - Frederick Altice, MD, MA; Julia Rozanova, PhD; Sheela Shenoi, MD, MPH (Yale School of Medicine)

2018 Cohort

  1. Maretha Visser, PhD (University of Pretoria, South Africa) - Cindy Crusto, PhD (Yale School of Medicine)
  2. Yifei Hu, MD, PhD (Capital Medical University, China) - Sten Vermund, MD, PhD (Yale School of Public Health)

2017 Cohort

  1. Lisa McDaid, PhD (University of Glasgow, Scotland) - John Pachankis, PhD (Yale School of Public Health)
  2. Venkatesan Chakrapani, MD (Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) and Centre for Sexuality and Health Research and Policy (C-SHaRP), India) - Trace Kershaw, PhD (Yale School of Public Health)
  3. Iskandar Azwa, MBChB (University of Malaya, Malaysia) - Jeffrey Wickersham, PhD (Yale School of Medicine)
  4. Peter Cherutich, MBChB, PhD, MPH (Ministry of Health, Kenya) - Ann Kurth, PhD, CNM, MPH, FAAN (Yale School of Nursing)

2016 Cohort

  1. Richard Bränström, PhD (Karolinska Institutet, Sweden) - John Pachankis, PhD (Yale School of Public Health)
  2. Jose Sanchez Fernandez, MD, MPH (Asociación Civil Impacta Salud y Educación, Peru) - Frederick Altice, MD, MA (Yale School of Medicine)
  3. Veena Pillai, MBBS (University of Malaya, Malaysia) - Jeffrey Wickersham, PhD (Yale School of Medicine)
  4. Fouad M. Fouad, MD (American University of Beirut, Lebanon) - Kaveh Khoshnood, PhD (Yale School of Public Health)