South East Asia Research Collaboration with the University of Hawaii (SEARCH)
South East Asia Research Collaboration with the University of Hawaii (SEARCH) is a research and training partnership in Thailand involving the Hawaii AIDS Clinical Research Program of the John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at Manoa, the Thai Red Cross AIDS Research Centre (TRCARC), the parent organization of the HIV Netherlands Australia Thailand Research Collaboration (HIV-NAT), and the U.S. Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences (AFRIMS).
SEARCH began in 2005 with a goal of accomplishing mutual objectives in HIV/AIDS research in the South East Asia region. The SEARCH offices are located at the Thai Red Cross AIDS Research Centre and the Phramongkutklao Hospital (link in Thai), both in Bangkok, Thailand.
SEARCH has expertise and interest in:
Neuro AIDS
Particular interest is in HIV dementia. A pilot study is ongoing at Phramongkutklao site to compare clinical dementia and peripheral
blood macrophage activation in HIV negative and positive Thais.
Microbicides
Human papillomavirus-related cervicovaginal and anal diseases.
Women’s Issues
Innovative contraceptive methods.
Metabolic Toxicity
Particular interests are mitochondrial, cardiovascular and metabolic complications from HAART in the aging population.
Vaccine Development
Preventive and therapeutic HIV vaccine trials.
Immunologic Studies
Novel concepts in immunomodulatory therapy.
HIV Clinical and Laboratory Training in South East Asia
Current training programs in Bangkok and Vietnam are through grants from
the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS relief (PEPFAR)
and Gilead Pharmaceutical Company.