COBRA

Portrait of Professor Peter Reiss, Scientific coordinator of COBRA

Prof. Peter Reiss

Scientific Coordinator of COBRA, based at the Academic Medical Center in Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Research field

HIV, Age-related diseases

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Research Profile

Who?

“I’ve personally experienced HIV changing from a relentless lethal disease into one which can be well managed with appropriate treatment. We now have a responsibility to make sure that people living with HIV continue to experience good quality of life as they grow older”, says Peter Reiss, Professor of Medicine in Amsterdam.

Why?

HIV/AIDS is one of the most serious pandemic diseases of the modern era. Combination antiretroviral therapy is effective in many patients, but it seems that these people are prone to accelerated ageing. “The COBRA study can provide essential directions for ensuring healthy ageing in people with HIV”, says Peter Reiss.

What?

COBRA studies the link between HIV infection and age-related diseases. Professor Reiss explains: “We know that HIV-infected people on combination antiretroviral therapy are at an increased risk of age-associated diseases such as cardiovascular problems, diabetes and osteoporosis. We want to understand this link better.”

How?

COBRA studies HIV cohorts from Amsterdam and London. “We will compare the prevalence, incidence and age of onset of various diseases in these patients with non-infected control people. Bringing together European experts in HIV and ageing research, COBRA is in a strong position to unravel the interaction between HIV and ageing.”

Achieving healthy ageing in HIV-infected patients

In the Picture
In the Picture
COBRA project website European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control : HIV infection and AIDS World Health Organization: Q&A about HIV/AIDS THINPAD (another European study of HIV/AIDS) EuroCoord European AIDS Clinical Society The Graying of AIDS: Stories From an Aging Pandemic PDF versionPDF version
Image credits

Background image: COBRA study

Portrait of the project coordinator: COBRA study

Timeline (in chronological order): 1981: theincidentaleconomist.com; 1983: C. Goldsmith, P. Feorino, E. L. Palmer, W. R. McManus, CDC; 1996: Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation; after 1996: United Nations Photo; 2000s: Pedro Ribeiro Simoes