Clinical HIV Research Unit

Clinical HIV Research Unit is a specialized academic research center based in Johannesburg, South Africa. Established in 1994, it operates as a clinical research unit embedded within a leading public university and affiliated teaching hospitals. The unit focuses on infectious diseases in high-burden settings, with a strong emphasis on translational science, clinical trials, and implementation research.

Its publications highlight deep expertise in HIV and tuberculosis co-infection, drug-resistant TB, and optimization of antiretroviral therapy. The unit contributes to pivotal trials on novel TB regimens, drug candidates, and integrated HIV care, while also advancing evidence on vaccine responses and viral persistence among people living with HIV.

Research further spans hepatitis C treatment delivery, prevention strategies such as PrEP for young African women, and patient-centered economic evaluations. Strengths include multinational collaboration, pragmatic trial design, and policy-relevant findings that shape treatment guidelines and improve access to simplified, cost-effective care across Africa.