PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The sustained global impact of the HIV pandemic and the challenges to the management and prevention of HIV disease requires the training and development of talented new researchers. Since 1990 we have had an AIDS post-doctoral training program at UCSD designed to produce young investigators capable of conducting independent and productive research in important areas of HIV biology and pathogenesis, including translational research. This application represents a renewal of this training program by a faculty of 15 who all have active, productive research programs and who have an extensive history of collaborations. This faculty is committed to identifying a mix of talented and committed M.D. and Ph.D. trainees and to providing the environment and opportunities that will yield young, independent investigators in the areas of medically relevant basic, translational, clinical, and epidemiologic HIV-related research. The UCSD AIDS training grant has had remarkable success in generating such new investigators. We will strengthen this already successful program by adding outstanding new faculty and by enhancing programmatic aspects of career-development. The research interests and activities of our faculty support the evolving focus and priorities of HIV-related research in general and specifically within our program. These priorities include prevention, improved antiviral therapies and implementation, cure, and the understanding and treatment of long-term comorbidities. We propose to support six post-doctoral trainees for a training period of two to three years each. We aim to continue and improve on our success in training underrepresented minorities and women. Through our program of closely mentored trainee-driven research, interactive research-review, and career-development activities, we aim to produce young investigators capable of launching HIV-related research careers in academia, industry, or public health.