[Spotlight originally posted November, 2010]
The Global Community Advisory Board (GCAB) is an important part of the ACTG, providing insight into community concerns regarding current and future research and taking research information back to the members’ CRS CABs. Community participation in the ACTG began in 1989 and has increased steadily over the years, with community members sitting on each protocol team and ACTG committee, reviewing developing studies, commenting on proposed research, contributing to the CAB newsletter and participating in educational calls.
In June 2010, 82 community members from 70 sites attended the ACTG Group Meeting, discussing several research issues and needs in their communities and participating in the science and support sessions. Getting to know a group that large, which meets annually, is a challenge. This year attendees were asked to share what is beautiful about their homes. A display of flags was created by a CAB member, including all the states and countries represented by the ACTG. It helped everyone feel like they were connected and had a stake in the far flung homes of their peers.
Pictured top: Don MacIver and Sharon Maxwell, GCAB cochairs