Caroline Sabin

Over the past 30 years I have undertaken world-leading research to document the changing global landscape of HIV since the introduction of combination antiretroviral therapy. My research has had a direct impact on those living with HIV, influencing national and international treatment and management guidelines, and I have provided leadership to many of the large cohorts and cohort collaborations in the field internationally. I have authored >680 original research publications (total citation count of >64K, h-index 124, Google Scholar, 05/24) and a grant income of >£35 million. I was elected as a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences in 2022 and have been an NIHR Senior investigator (now Emeritus) since 2015.

As the lead statistician on the Royal Free Hospital Haemophilia cohort, I was the first to demonstrate a continual increase in HIV RNA during untreated infection, challenging the viral load set-point hypothesis. As the co-lead/principal statistician for the D:A:D Study, I was the first to robustly demonstrate associations between antiretroviral drugs and cardiovascular disease; my findings of an increased myocardial infarction risk in people receiving abacavir led to an immediate shift in the HIV research agenda and to changes to national/international treatment guidelines. I was the first to demonstrate the extremely high risks of mortality and morbidity associated with late HIV presentation in the UK and the potential benefits that may be gained from earlier diagnosis, and was instrumental in international efforts to report and reduce the impact of this. As the principal investigator on the UK Collaborative HIV Cohort (UK CHIC) Study, one of the largest clinical cohorts of people with HIV with linked genotypic data worldwide, I identified host and viral predictors of treatment outcomes, highlighting key groups at risk of treatment failure and developed methodology to measure engagement-in-care and incorporate this into a longitudinal HIV care continuum. My research as the co-principal investigator of the POPPY Study has challenged the current mantra that people with HIV experience an accelerated ageing process, demonstrating a relatively small contribution of HIV to ageing biomarkers in comparison to that of other lifestyle/behavioural factors with findings favouring a model of accentuated ageing. More recently, I co-led the UK’s research into the impact of HIV on COVID-19 outcomes, generating the evidence-base to support guidelines for prevention and management of COVID infections in this group.

I have been the Director of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health Protection Research Unit (HPRU) in Blood-Borne and Sexually Transmitted Infections at UCL since 2014, working jointly with UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) colleagues, community partners, and stakeholders to develop and deliver an extensive research programme that supports UKHSA’s health protection needs. Through membership of PHE’s Sexual and Reproductive Health External Advisory Group, UKHSA’s National HIV Mortality Review Working Group and the National Strategic Group on Viral Hepatitis (NSGVH), I have influenced health protection policy in the UK. Under my leadership, the current HPRU in BBSTI has published >130 peer-reviewed papers and has presented >180 oral/poster presentations at national/international conferences, contributing to UKHSA’s core business of protecting the community against health threats. HPRU research findings have been shared with commissioners and key stakeholders, and translated into policy and guidelines. Working together with community groups, local authorities and commissioners, the HPRU has provided advice on the acceptability and feasibility of existing and proposed health promotion messaging and intervention strategies. The HPRU has conducted studies of the feasibility of BBV testing and case-finding initiatives in novel settings and has developed cost-effectiveness models for screening/testing. The HPRU also provided responsive-mode support to UKHSA during both the COVID-19 pandemic and recent mpox outbreak.

I am a strong advocate of the use of evidence to support the management of people with HIV, and work closely with key stakeholders, including the British HIV Association (BHIVA) to conduct research that will directly influence patient care. I was the vice-chair of BHIVA, the first non-clinical officer in its 26-year history. I am committed to supporting medical education, developing short courses to build research capacity among clinicians/researchers across Europe; my textbook with Aviva Petrie (Medical Statistics at a Glance) has sold >63,000 copies in 89 countries.