Vincent Lo Re, III, an assistant professor of infectious disease in Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine, was honored with the 2016 HIV Medicine Association (HIVMA) Research Award for his significant contributions to the field of HIV medicine. The award was presented on October 27 as part of IDWeek 2016 in New Orleans.

“It is an honor to be recognized with the HIVMA Research Award,” Dr. Lo Re said. “This Week is about advancing science and research in order to better understand and treat infectious diseases and I am humbled that my work can contribute to this larger effort in some way.” 

The annual award recognizes researchers who have made outstanding contributions to HIV medicine in clinical or basic research early in their careers. Dr. Lo Re’s research has advanced the understanding of hepatitis infection in HIV-infected patients. He developed new methods to identify liver-related outcomes—particularly decompensated cirrhosis, acute hepatic failure and hepatocellular carcinoma—which are used by researchers throughout North America. Clinicians and policymakers cite his findings to justify initiating HCV treatment in chronic HIV-infected patients even in the absence of advanced hepatic fibrosis or cirrhosis.