The Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) 2025 is set to deliver groundbreaking research findings and foster crucial discussions on viral infections from March 9-12 in San Francisco. The conference will bring together leading experts to address advances in HIV cure research, COVID-19 management, and emerging therapeutic strategies for various viral infections.
Opening Sessions and Key Leadership
The conference will commence with an opening session featuring distinguished hosts, including conference chair Diane V. Havlir, MD, from the University of California San Francisco, alongside Nicolas Chomont from Université de Montréal and Wafaa M. El-Sadr, MD, MPH, MPA, from Columbia University. The San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus will provide a special performance to mark the occasion.
HIV Cure Research and Global Perspectives
Ole S. Søgaard, PhD, from Aarhus University, and Chris Beyrer, MD, MPH, from Duke Global Health Institute, will lead Monday's plenary session, presenting crucial insights into HIV cure research and providing a comprehensive overview of the global HIV/AIDS pandemic landscape.
Novel Therapeutic Approaches and Clinical Trials
The conference will showcase several late-breaking research presentations, including phase III trial results for multiple therapeutic candidates. Notable studies include:
- Ensitrelvir's effectiveness in preventing household COVID-19 transmission
- VH3810109's safety and efficacy profile in virologically suppressed adults
- Clinical outcomes of switching to doravirine/islatravir from existing antiretroviral therapies
Innovative Prevention Strategies
A significant focus will be placed on prevention methodologies, particularly the implementation of doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis (doxyPEP). Jennifer Balkus, PhD, MPH, from Public Health Seattle and King County, will lead discussions on doxyPEP's application in high-risk populations and its impact on the microbiome of MSM and transgender women on PrEP.
COVID-19 Research Developments
Alex Sigal, PhD, from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, will spearhead sessions on COVID-19 persistence and evolution, covering critical topics such as:
- Intrahost viral evolution patterns
- Emerging immune evasion mechanisms
- Variant tracking and spread analysis
Technology and Healthcare Innovation
The conference will explore technological advances in healthcare delivery, featuring Julia Marcus, PhD, MPH, from Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, who will present on machine learning applications for:
- Predicting HIV care discontinuation
- Forecasting viral load suppression across 21 African countries
- Improving patient care outcomes through data analytics
Public Health Initiatives
Mateo Prochazka, MS, from the World Health Organization, will present findings on HIV self-testing programs, examining their impact on testing rates, diagnosis efficiency, and treatment initiation. The session will also address the effectiveness of home-based interventions for couples counseling and testing.
Comprehensive Viral Research
The conference will feature concurrent sessions addressing various aspects of viral infections, including:
- Viral neuropathogenesis in HIV and COVID-19
- Cardiometabolic complications of HIV
- New frontiers in STI prevention
- Antiviral strategies for HIV, Mpox, and COVID-19
The comprehensive program reflects CROI's commitment to advancing scientific understanding and clinical management of viral infections, while addressing crucial public health challenges in the field of infectious diseases.
