Mark Wainberg Fund Highlights

Celene Titus

Celene Titus is a fifth-year PhD candidate at the University of Toronto, specializing in HIV virology and brain inflammation. Her research focuses on exploring the therapeutic potential of Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor gamma (PPARγ) agonists, particularly INT131, as a targeted approach to mitigate HIV- associated NCI. Thanks to the support from the CAHR Mark Wainberg Fund, Celene was able to attend the 35^th Annual Canadian Conference on HIV/AIDS Research (CAHR 2026) in Winnipeg and present her latest findings on INT131’s role in reducing neuroinflammation and restoring cognitive function in EcoHIV-infected mice. Funding allowed her to travel and participate fully in the conference, including plenary talks, symposia, special sessions, and the Mark Wainberg Lecture.

The Mark Wainberg Fund was established in 2017 to assist Canadian basic science researchers – working in the realm of HIV virology – to present their work at accredited meetings in Canada and internationally. The program aims to continue Dr. Wainberg’s vision of fostering innovative HIV research and knowledge sharing and is made possible thanks to the support of ViiV Healthcare ULC.

Without this award, Celene would not have been able to attend the conference due to limited departmental funding and the high costs associated with travel and accommodation.

“Attending CAHR 2026 was an inspiring experience that reinforced the importance of collaboration and innovation in HIV research. Thanks to the support of the Mark Wainberg Fund, I was able to share my research, learn from experts across Canada, and gain new perspectives that will strengthen both my current work and future career in HIV research.”

Through this experience, Celene strengthened her understanding of HIV research across both basic and clinical areas, particularly in viral persistence, inflammation, and therapeutic strategies. It also helped her better understand how mechanistic findings translate into clinical applications and encouraged her to think about her work in a more interdisciplinary and translational context. Presenting her work helped her grow as a communicator, improving her ability to explain complex ideas, respond to questions, and engage with feedback.

“As a graduate student, attending CAHR with the help of the Mark Wainberg fund reinforced how important it is to engage with the broader research community, both to improve my own work and to better understand how science moves from bench to real-world impact.”

This experience influenced Celene’s future career goals by reinforcing her commitment to HIV research and her interest in developing therapies that address brain inflammation and cognitive impairment. Attending CAHR helped her see how her work fits into the broader HIV research field and gave her confidence to continue building her career in this field.