Jerika Lam, Pharm.D., in collaboration with fellow CUSP faculty Enrique Seoane-Vazquez, Ph.D., has received a grant from Gilead Sciences in the amount of $195,430 for her research proposal “Evaluating the effectiveness of implementing lenacapavir as PrEP in underserved populations at a Federally Qualified Health Center.” Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) drugs are highly effective to prevent individuals from getting HIV infection before potential exposure from sex.

“I’m honored to receive this grant and to continue my research. HIV PrEP is a critical tool to help end the HIV epidemic in the US. We look forward to exploring the applications of the new long-acting injectable medication, lenacapavir,” says Lam, who has nearly 20 years of both research and clinical experience in HIV treatment and prevention.

Lam has established ambulatory care practice sites for pharmacy students and residents at the Desert AIDS Project Clinic, Riverside Neighborhood Health Center, Perris Family Care Center, and AltaMed Health Services clinics. She currently practices in a multidisciplinary medical team treating HIV and HIV/HCV coinfected patients at the AltaMed Clinic in Anaheim, CA.