The biopharmaceutical company Gilead has announced the winners of the 6th edition of the Gilead Grants for Biomedical Research 2018. Dr. Meritxell Genescà, principal investigator of the reseach group on http://en.vhir.org/portal1/grup-presentacio.asp?s=recerca&contentid=186952&idrefer=186953 Infectious Diseases at VHIR, has received an 50,000 euros grant for her project 'Novel CD1d ligands to reactivate dormant HIV and shift inflammation towards effector immunity'. The winners of the First Edition of Grants to Projects on Diagnosis and Referral of Patients with HIV to the National Health System have also been announced. Dr. Vicenç Falcó, principal investigator of the reseach group on http://en.vhir.org/portal1/grup-presentacio.asp?s=recerca&contentid=186952&idrefer=186953 Infectious Diseases at VHIR has been awarded a 30,000 euros grant for his 'Comprehensive project to increase the diagnosis of HIV hidden infection in the community and establish a swift circuit of referral to the HIV Unit'.Novel CD1d ligands to reactivate dormant HIV and shift inflammation towards effector immunityThe study of novel CD1d ligands in the context of HIV infected individuals treated with antiretroviral therapy will determine the therapeutic benefit of new generation glycolipids in order to restore the effective immunity against HIV, reduce inflammation and reactivate the latent reservoir of the virus by activating the invariant natural killer T cells (iNKT).To achieve this, they have shortlisted new iNKT modulators designed by Dr. Llebaria of the Institute of Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC-CSIC) and collaborator of this project. These compounds will be studied for their ability to induce a more effector and less inflammatory response to viral stimuli in samples of patients with chronic HIV infection treated with antiretroviral therapy. In addition, they will address the effect of these molecules on ex vivo viral reactivation by measuring the expression of HIV-1 RNA.Comprehensive project to increase the diagnosis of HIV hidden infection in the community and establish a swift circuit of referral to the HIV UnitThis project has three main objectives. First of all, to design educational programs that allow easier access to HIV testing in order to increase the number of diagnoses by HIV infection. Secondly, to implement effective swift referral circuits for patients recently diagnosed by primary care professionals and HIV specialists. Finally, to provide psychological assistance to people newly diagnosis with HIV that present a labile emotional or psychological situation or that need to learn how to integrate the diagnosis in their lives.