Introducing OHA's Leadership
We invite you to learn more about our leaders in the Office of HIV/AIDS (OHA).
Doug Arbuckle, OHA Director
OHA welcomed Doug as its new Director on September 6. Doug brings tremendous depth with more than 27 years of experience at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), most recently from the Malawi mission, where he served as mission director since 2011. In Malawi, Doug oversaw a wide range of USAID programs that focused on promoting political and economic development, improved health and education services, strengthened food security through agricultural investments, decreased the country's dependence on humanitarian assistance, increased its ability to make positive contributions to security in the region and participated in the global community more broadly. Prior to his post in Malawi, Doug served as deputy mission director in Sudan, as well as the supervisory executive officer/executive officer at USAID missions in Iraq, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Zambia and Honduras. Before joining USAID in 1989, Doug worked for the Freedom from Hunger Foundation, the International Eye Foundation and the International Rescue Committee. He also served in the Peace Corps in Ethiopia where he worked on smallpox eradication efforts. As the Director of OHA, Doug assumes a significant leadership role, engaging stakeholders at the highest level and strengthening OHA’s role as a key implementer of the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Within the Bureau of Global Health, Doug’s experience and wide breadth of knowledge will be an asset as he guides the office to effectively reach the Agency’s goals in reaching an AIDS-free generation.
Lin Liu, OHA Deputy Director
Lin Liu brings her substantial skills in budget formulation, strategic planning and public sector governance to her post as the Civil Service Deputy Director in the Office of HIV/AIDS. Most recently, Lin served as the Deputy Associate Administrator in the Maternal and Child Health Bureau at Health Resources and Service Administration (HRSA) within the Department of Health and Human Services. However, she spent more than 20 years of her career with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in areas ranging from education, transportation and global health to her final post as Chief of the Treasury Branch. During her time at OMB, Lin worked very closely with USAID and the Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator regarding the implementation of PEPFAR funding. Prior to her service at OMB, Lin worked on policy from all angles, serving at the President’s Initiative on Race, the Department of Justice, the Rand Corporation and even the Hill as a legislative correspondent.
Michele Russell, OHA Deputy Director
Michele Russell began as the Foreign Service Deputy Director in OHA in May 2016, joining us from her most recent role as the Supervisory Health Officer and Office Chief for USAID/Haiti. Michele was born and raised in New York City and received her undergraduate degree from Tufts. Soon after, she joined the Peace Corps and was posted in what was then Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). After Peace Corps, she pursued a Master's in Social Work at the Hunter College School of Social Work. Michele worked as a clinical social worker for people living with and affected by HIV and AIDS. She then left the field of social work to pursue a Master of Science in Health Policy and Management at Harvard University. The skills she developed, both through academia and hands-on experiences, led her to accept a position as a Senior Technical Advisor in HIV and AIDS in USAID/South Africa where she started the first regional HIV and AIDS program for Southern Africa. From there, Michele joined the USAID/Regional Development Mission for Asia as the Senior Technical Advisor in HIV and AIDS for the Mekong region working in China, Burma, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. She joined USAID as a Foreign Service Officer in September 2004 and has since served in Afghanistan, Iraq, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominican Republic, Haiti and Peru.
HIV Research for Prevention (HIVR4P) Conference
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USAID-supported scientist, Julien Nyombayire, presents during a session on vaccines at HIVR4P. Photo credit: HIVR4P
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The HIVR4P Conference was held in Chicago, October 17–21. The biennial conference focused on vaccines, microbicides and antiretroviral-based prevention science. Major announcements at the conference included a presentation during the opening plenary by National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci on sustained virologic remission in SIV-positive macaques after antiretroviral and α4β7 antibody therapy. This year’s theme, “Partnering for Prevention,” placed a renewed emphasis on south-to-south partnership, African-centered research and user-centered design. Research findings presented by USAID-supported projects and partnerships spanned throughout the week and were the driving force behind the following two satellite sessions:
HIV Vaccine Design and Development Partnerships in Africa: Showcasing African-led Basic HIV Prevention Science Research
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USAID-supported scientist, Gladys Macharia of IAVI, presents research at HIVR4P on men who have sex with men's vulnerability to HIV in Kenya. Credit: USAID
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Developed and co-chaired by OHA's Senior HIV Vaccines Advisor, Margaret McCluskey, this early satellite session highlighted recent partnership models which are beginning to increase the engagement of Africans in Africa in basic HIV prevention research. The session brought together African scientists, policy makers, advocates and funding institutions involved in HIV prevention research to share successes, identify gaps and challenges, and propose opportunities for enhanced collaborations in the future, especially among young, emerging African scientists. Partnership models highlighted during the session included the USAID-supported VISTA model, the Medical Research Council South Africa model and the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership model.
Sex, Intimacy and HIV Prevention: What Do Women and Their Partners Really Want? Incorporating End-user Input and Developing a Market Launch Strategy for PrEP
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Social marketing under the MPii project aims to educate people about PrEP options and make products desirable and practical to use. Credit: USAID
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After some disappointing trial results from recent Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) studies in African women, it is clear that prevention products must be developed with implementation science and the end user in mind from the beginning. This session focused on findings from the five multi-year, multi-partner projects under the Microbicide Product Introduction Initiative (MPii), funded by USAID. MPii centers on end-user research, stakeholder engagement and PrEP implementation. MPii projects including EMOTION, OPTIONS and POWER, use human-centered design, evidence-based branding and communications, and public-private partnerships to make HIV prevention products, like dapivirine rings or vaginal inserts, desirable and practical to use. Lessons learned and best practices in social marketing, focus groups and PrEP awareness campaigns were also shared.
For more:
- Watch webcasts of all conference sessions here.
- Read and download conference abstracts available in an online supplement in AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses, found here.
- View and download conference posters in the ePoster repository.
- Follow AIDSMap’s coverage of major announcements at HIVR4P here.
- Check out social media coverage of the conference, found on Twitter by searching #HIVR4P2016.
- Discover daily rapporteur summaries of the HIVR4P conference below:
#HIV30x30 Campaign
 
A community volunteer counsels a couple in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, on the need to regularly attend antenatal care for prevention to mother-to-child transmission services and to get tested for HIV. Credit: Gwenn Dubourthoumieu
As we look ahead to World AIDS Day on December 1, we are reminded of the many milestones USAID has achieved in combating HIV and AIDS. This year is particularly significant as it marks USAID’s 30-year investment in the fight against HIV and AIDS. To celebrate, we are showcasing our 30 years of life-changing work and leadership through imagery and quotes on social media, via our #HIV30x30 campaign.
Starting November 1 and leading up to World AIDS Day, USAID’s Global Health Twitter account will post one photo, graphic or quote for each of the 30 days to convey the last 30 years of USAID’s work in combatting the epidemic. On World AIDS Day, all submissions will be shared via an electronic patchwork quilt.
We received a tremendous number of submissions from implementing partners, USAID missions and leaders in the HIV and AIDS field. Thank you to everyone who helped contribute content! Stay tuned to USAID Global Health social media throughout November to see the impact USAID has had over the last 30 years. You can also check out our OHA Flickr page to see the complete set of submissions after December 1.
OHA in the News
Margaret McCluskey Named Falobi Award Winner
Congratulations to OHA’s Senior HIV Vaccines Advisor, Margaret McCluskey, on being named one of the winners of the Omololu Falobi Award for Excellence in HIV Prevention Research Community Advocacy, announced at HIVR4P. Learn more.
Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision PLOS Collection Launched
The full Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (VMMC) PLOS Collection, Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision for HIV Prevention: New Mathematical Models for Prioritizing Sub-Populations by Age and Geography, developed in collaboration by USAID with PEPFAR funding, the World Bank and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, officially launched on October 26, 2016. The additional manuscripts published to the collection discuss the impact and cost of scaling up VMMC in the context of UNAIDS 90-90-90 treatment targets. Additionally, the collection models impact and cost-effectiveness of targeting 20–29 year olds in Zimbabwe and the unit cost, cost drivers, cost variances and client out-of-pocket costs of providing VMMC within the health system for being circumcised in South Africa. There is also an editorial that highlights the importance of VMMC and these models to help achieve the goals set out in the UNAIDS Fast Track Strategy.
For more:
OHA Publications
OHA staff have a tremendous amount of knowledge and expertise to share on the HIV and AIDS epidemic, which can often be seen in a wide range of medical journals. Check out the OHA-authored works below published between April 1–October 1, 2016.
Send Us Your Ideas!
We want your topic suggestions for blogs, success stories, videos or other media that highlight and tell the story of your organization's work under the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). We love featuring our partners’ work in HIV and AIDS on the Agency’s Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, and website platforms.
Contact OHA-Communications-Team@usaid.gov for more information.
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