Going anti-Viral

In episode 81 of Going anti -Viral, Dr Steven Deeks joins host Dr Michael Saag to discuss recent research demonstrating the promise of a single shot in a functional cure of HIV. Dr Deeks is a Professor of Medicine in Residence at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and is a faculty member in the Division of HIV, Infectious Diseases and Global Medicine at Zuckerberg San Francisco Gen...

In episode 80 of Going anti -Viral, Dr Jason Zucker joins host Dr Michael Saag to provide an update on the Trichophyton mentagrophytes genotype VII (TMVII) infection. Dr Zucker is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Columbia University and Assistant Medical Director of the New York City STD Prevention Training Center. Dr Zucker is an experienced HIV, HIV prevention, and sexual health care provid...

In episode 79 of Going anti -Viral, we represent a panel discussion from June 9, 2026, as part of the IAS–USA Dialogue series Emerging Infections and Health Threats . This Dialogue is a must listen as our distinguished panel of infectious disease experts dives deep into some of the most pressing public health challenges facing the world today. Moderated by Carlos del Rio, MD, a Distinguished Profe...

In episode 78 of Going anti -Viral, Dr Rajesh T. Gandhi joins host Dr Michael Saag to discuss the process of guidelines development. Dr Gandhi is a Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Principal Investigator and Co-Director of the Harvard University Center for AIDS Research (CFAR). Dr Gandhi is the Vice-Chair of the ACTG, Vice-Chair of the Infectious Diseases Society of America COVI...

In episode 77 of Going anti -Viral, Dr Debika Bhattacharya joins host Dr Michael Saag to discuss the management of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and vaccination. Dr Bhattacharya is a Clinical Professor at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) David Geffen School of Medicine and specializes in the management of HIV and HIV/viral hepatitis coinfection and sees patients with viral hepat...

In episode 76 of Going anti -Viral, Dr Kelly Gebo joins host Dr Michael Saag to discuss the impact of long-acting injectable HIV treatments on public health. Dr Gebo is Dean of the Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University. An infectious disease physician-scientist, educator, and accomplished academic leader, Dr Gebo’s work focuses on health equity, access to car...

In episode 75 of Going anti -Viral, Dr Shibani Mukerji joins host Dr Michael Saag to discuss a presentation she gave at the 2026 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) entitled Cognitive Aging in HIV: Clinical Assessment and Management. Dr Mukerji is an Associate Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School and is a practicing neurologist in the Department of Neurology...

In episode 74 of Going anti -Viral, Dr John Frater joins host Dr Michael Saag to discuss a presentation he gave at the 2026 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) entitled Immunology of HIV Cure and Beyond: Navigating Immunology Presentations at CROI 2026.  Dr Frater is a Professor of Infectious Diseases at the University of Oxford where he leads the HIV Reservoir and Cure...

In episode 73 of Going anti -Viral, we represent a panel discussion from March 26, 2026, as part of the IAS–USA Dialogue series Emerging Infections and Health Threats . This Dialogue is a must listen as our distinguished panel of infectious disease experts dives deep into some of the most pressing public health challenges facing the world today. Moderated by Carlos del Rio, MD, a Distinguished Pro...

In episode 72 of Going anti -Viral, Dr Alan Winston joins host Dr Michael Saag to discuss a presentation he gave at the 2026 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) entitled Neurodegeneration and Dementia Risk in Older Adults With HIV: Biomarkers and Epidemiology . Dr Winston is a Professor of HIV and Genitourinary Medicine at Imperial College London and Consultant Physician...

In episode 71 of Going anti -Viral, Dr Peter Hunt joins host Dr Michael Saag to provide a review of the science presented at the 2026 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI). Dr Hunt is a Professor of Medicine at the University of California San Francisco and is the Associate Chief for Research in the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital Department of Medicine, and Co-D...

In episode 70 of Going anti -Viral, Peter Staley joins host Dr Michael Saag after giving the Martin Delaney presentation at the 2026 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) entitled ''Annus Horribilis" and The War on Science: Thoughts on Resisting and Rebuilding. Mr Staley shares his inspiring story as a pioneering HIV and LGBTQ+ rights activist, recounting hi...

In episode 69 of Going anti -Viral, Dr Kevin Saunders joins host Dr Michael Saag to discuss a plenary presentation he gave at the 2026 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) entitled Successes in HIV-1 Vaccine Design: Accelerating Completion of One of Sciences’ Most Difficult Vaccines. Dr Saunders is the associate director for the Duke Human Vaccine Institute and the Norman...

In episode 68 of Going anti -Viral, Dr Ruanne Barnabas joins host Dr Michael Saag to discuss topic of a symposium session at the upcoming the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) entitled Strategic and Resilient Responses to the Funding Crisis Across Africa. Dr Barnabas is the Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital. Her work is focu...

In episode 67 of Going anti -Viral, Dr Martin Hirsch joins host Dr Michael Saag to discuss his career in HIV medicine, mentorship, and his scientific legacy. Dr Hirsch is a Professor Emeritus at Harvard Medical School and was Director of the Harvard Collaborative AIDS Treatment Evaluation Unit from 1986 to 2003 and Director of the Harvard Multidisciplinary AIDS Research Training Grant. Dr Hirsch’s...

In episode 66 of Going anti- Viral, Dr Nicolas Chomont joins host Dr Michael Saag to provide a preview of the 2026 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI). Dr Chomont is Chair of the Scientific Program Committee for CROI 2026 and is a Professor in the Department of Microbiology, Infectious Diseases, and Immunology at the Université de Montréal and a researcher at the CHUM Re...

In episode 65 of Going anti -Viral, Dr Gerald Friedland joins host Dr Michael Saag as the recipient of the IAS–USA Lifetime of Leadership Award, established nearly 15 years ago to honor individuals whose contributions have left a profound and lasting impact on HIV medicine, scientific education, and the mission of the IAS–USA. Dr Friedland discusses his extensive journey in the field of HIV/AIDS a...

In episode 64 of Going anti -Viral, we look back at the past year and beyond to share highlights from past episodes of the Going anti -Viral Podcast. In this selection of highlights, we share the remarkable outcomes of scientific research, hearing from researchers, clinicians, and survivors. These outcomes are the result of the tremendous work and innovation of our guests and the entire scientific...

In episode 63 of Going anti -Viral, Dr Mari Kitahata joins host Dr Michael Saag to discuss the role of outcomes research on clinical decisions for patient care. Dr Kitahata is a Professor of Medicine at the University of Washington (UW) in the Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. For more than 3 decades, she has directed the UW/Fred Hutch Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) Clinical Research C...

In episode 62 of Going anti -Viral, Dr Rochelle Walensky joins host Dr Michael Saag on World AIDS Day 2025 to discuss her experience as the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) during the COVID-19 pandemic and the current state of public health in the United States. Dr Walensky is a Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and has published over 300 research arti...

In episode 61 of Going anti -Viral, Dr Yvonne Maldonado joins host Dr Michael Saag to discuss the evidence for vaccine safety and effectiveness. Dr Maldonado is a Professor in the Stanford University School of Medicine where she has achieved national and international recognition for her scholarship in the epidemiology and control of infectious diseases. She has served on several national and inte...

In episode 60 of Going anti -Viral, Dr Donald Abrams joins host Dr Michael Saag to discuss medical cannabis. Dr Abrams is a professor emeritus at the University of California San Francisco and a specialist in integrative oncology at the Osher Center for Integrative Health. Dr Abrams has studied complementary and alternative therapies, including mind-body treatments, botanical therapies, medical us...

In episode 59 of Going anti -Viral, Dr Demetre Daskalakis joins host Dr Michael Saag to discuss his career in public health and the turnover in leadership at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Dr Daskalakis is an infectious diseases physician who served in leadership roles at the CDC from 2020 to 2025. He was director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Di...

In episode 58 of Going anti -Viral, Dr Khalil Ghanem joins host Dr Michael Saag to discuss current challenges in the diagnosis and treatment of syphilis. Dr Ghanem is a Professor of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr Ghanem’s research focuses on reproductive tract infections in particular syphilis and the vaginal microbiome. He was a...

In episode 57 of Going anti -Viral, Dawn Averitt joins host Dr Michael Saag to discuss HIV advocacy and the importance of scientific research. Ms Averitt is a social justice advocate and founder of organizations focused on women with HIV and AIDS such as the Well Project and the Women’s Information Service and Exchange. Ms Averitt has served on several scientific and advisory committees, including...