This episode was made in partnership with the International AIDS Society (IAS), Young Leaders Programme.

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Host Ben Plumley records from a windy Rio de Janeiro at AIDS 2026 with IAS Young Leaders guests Zarawu Adams (Ghana), Xandro Xu (USA), and returning guest Mengfei Li (Hong Kong). Adams discusses research on antiretroviral therapy–related metabolic complications and an app concept to monitor metabolic panels to prevent type 2 diabetes among patients on treatment. Xu presents research on how civic engagement and political empowerment relate to more frequent HIV testing among LGBTQ+ people in the United States, with findings highlighting benefits for transgender communities. Li shares success from a hand-dance campaign and a poster on why U=U messaging struggles to gain traction across Asia Pacific, noting ongoing knowledge gaps. They reflect on conference networking, stigma, funding uncertainty, integration with broader health priorities, optimism, collaboration, communication, and self-care as they commit to long-term HIV work.

00:00 Welcome and Guests

00:49 Metabolic Crisis Research

02:39 Civic Engagement and Testing

05:19 Hand Dance Campaign Wins

06:38 U Equals U Awareness Gap

08:43 Conference Takeaways

13:09 Why We Chose HIV Work

16:58 Can We End HIV

22:42 What Fuels Optimism

25:13 Family and Health Advocacy

28:31 HIV Fatigue and Funding Cuts

31:10 Lessons and Final Advice

37:37 Closing Thanks

Guests:

Zarawu Adams

IAS Young Leader

Medical Scientist, Salama Clinic Accra, Ghana

Xandro Xu

IAS Young Leader

Researcher & Advocate, University of Pennsylvania alum

Mengfei Li

IAS Young Leader

PhD Candidate, The University of Hong Kong

AIDS 2026

https://www.iasociety.org/conferences/aids2026

Check Out Ben’s Substack:

https://substack.com/@benplumley1

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