ABOUT THE CARE CENTER

UCLA has been a leader in AIDS and HIV-related research, education, and patient care since 1981 when the nation's first cases of AIDS were identified at the UCLA Medical Center. Since then, UCLA investigators have developed research programs that have contributed substantially to our understanding the epidemiology, immunology, virology, and clinical management and treatment of patients with AIDS and HIV-related diseases.

The UCLA Center for Clinical AIDS Research and Education (CARE) was established in 1983 to facilitate clinical research projects and to integrate current research findings with teaching and patient care.

The UCLA CARE Center is dedicated to:

• Developing innovative and effective treatments for persons with AIDS and HIV-related diseases
• Conducting progressive basic science and clinical research to better under stand the disease processes involved in human retroviral infections
• Creating and presenting HIV-related education programs for medical professionals, patients, and the public

We are firmly committed to fighting AIDS and HIV infection by developing new programs to combat the epidemic on many fronts. This interdisciplinary approach includes programs in basic biomedical research, retroviral genetics, molecular biology, and immunology. In addition, clinical research studies and experimental therapy trials are integral components in the development of effective treatments. As research results flow from these efforts, the UCLA CARE Center disseminates these findings on a regular basis to help healthcare professionals meet urgent medical, social, and educational needs related to HIV.

The UCLA Center for Clinical AIDS Research and Education maintains active core facilities such as a retrovirology laboratory, a serologic and immunologic testing laboratory, a fully integrated data management and statistics unit, and a specimen bank for serum storage and distribution. An education and outreach program distributes information on AIDS and HIV infection to healthcare providers and the community, and coordinates a Community Advisory Board.