Laurel Sprague, senior lecturer of political science in the Irvin D. Reid Honors College at Wayne State University, has accepted an invitation to speak at The White House during a global conference on HIV/AIDS on March 3, 2016.

Sprague will speak at The White House conference Translating Research into Action: Reducing HIV Stigma to Optimize HIV Outcomes, hosted by the Office of National AIDS Policy, in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of AIDS Research, National Institute of Mental Health and community partners. Her presentation is titled “Measuring HIV-Related Stigma and Monitoring Progress toward Stigma Reduction.”

A number of frameworks will be discussed aimed at addressing the global HIV epidemic, including the national HIV/AIDS strategy and identifying stigma and discrimination as barriers to successful implementation and uptake of HIV prevention, care and treatment. The conference will bring together crucial stakeholders —including researchers, program implementers and community leaders — from around the world for a day-long discussion to identify barriers to success and determine a way forward.  

On March 4, Sprague will meet with HIV/AIDS researchers to advance the research agenda to measure, monitor and address HIV stigma and track the impact on HIV outcomes. The meeting is hosted by the NIH Office of AIDS Research, National Institute of Mental Health, and the Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP), and will include a presentation and discussion by ONAP regarding its plans for an indicator to track HIV related-stigma in response to the national HIV/AIDS strategy.

Sprague is a political theorist focused on the politics of civil society and international institutions. She researches the human rights and political agency of marginalized peoples and their involvement in national and global governance. Sprague currently serves as an NGO Delegate for North America, Programme Coordinating Board, Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS.

The Irvin D. Reid Honors College provides a community of scholars within Wayne State University. Its mission is to promote informed, engaged citizenship as the foundation for academic excellence in a diverse global setting. Its curriculum is built on four pillars: community, service, research and career.