amfAR AWARDS NEW MATHILDE KRIM FELLOWSHIP TO YOUNG SCIENTIST PURSUING HIV CURE
Fellowship will support innovative study harnessing the ability of antibodies to home in on cellular targets
NEW YORK, April 13, 2023 — amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, announced Wednesday the latest recipient of the Mathilde Krim Fellowship in Basic Biomedical Research: Steven de Taeye, Ph.D., of the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands.
Dr. de Taeye receives $150,000 to support a two-year study using antibody conjugates as a potential cure for HIV. Currently used in the treatment of certain cancers, antibody conjugates bind interventions to antibodies as a means of delivering them to specific cells. In this study, Dr. de Taeye will test several different approaches. The first is a toxin that can be delivered to T cells displaying specific surface signals. Another is an agent to stimulate the internal defenses of HIV-infected cells, leading to a cascade of events that results in destruction by the immune system.
“amfAR is particularly proud of our Krim Fellowships and their role in cultivating the next generation of talented AIDS researchers,” amfAR CEO Kevin Robert Frost said. “Dr. de Taeye will be mentored by Drs. Rogier Sanders and Marit van Gils, two former Krim fellows, illustrating the effectiveness of this program.”
amfAR has awarded the Mathilde Krim Fellowship in Basic Biomedical Research since 2008; it is named in honor of amfAR’s late founding chairman Dr. Mathilde Krim. Dr. de Taeye is the 59th Mathilde Krim Fellow. These fellowships provide crucial funding for young researchers who often have the most innovative and daring ideas, but for whom securing financial support can be difficult.
““HIV continues to need an influx of young researchers bringing bold new ideas to finally conquer this pandemic,””
amfAR Vice President and Director of Research Dr. Rowena Johnston
“HIV continues to need an influx of young researchers bringing bold new ideas to finally conquer this pandemic,” amfAR Vice President and Director of Research Dr. Rowena Johnston said. “Dr. de Taeye’s plan to use new technologies against this long-standing public health challenge embraces the spirit in which these fellowships were founded.”
About amfAR
amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, is one of the world’s leading nonprofit organizations dedicated to the support of AIDS research, HIV prevention, treatment education, and advocacy. Since 1985, amfAR has invested nearly $617 million in its programs and has awarded more than 3,500 grants to research teams worldwide.
