Attendees to the CYFAM 4th annual conference held in California visit participating booths | Photo via CYFAM website
Philadelphia, PA — Dr. Katherine Luzuriaga will receive a Legacy Award this year at the 5th Annual Conference in Philadelphia of the Council of Young Filipinx Americans in Medicine (CYFAM), a national network dedicated to fostering leadership, reinforcing educational pathways, and addressing structural inequities in health through advocacy, scholarship, and community engagement.
The conference will be held on February 15–16, 2025, at the Dorrance H. Hamilton Building, Thomas Jefferson University – Sidney Kimmel College of Medicine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
This year’s conference theme is “Tulay ng Pag-asa (Bridge of Hope): Bridging Gaps through Medical Innovation and Cultural Understanding.” It reflects CYFAM’s mission to advance healthcare, research, and community engagement rooted in the Filipinx spirit. Program Highlights Include:
- Keynote: Dr. Luzuriaga on her groundbreaking work
- Research Symposium: Public health, clinical innovations, and community health
- Workshops: Medical education, healthcare equity, and health disparities
- Mentorship: Connect through small group sessions and networking opportunities
- Cultural Celebration: Performances and storytelling
Born to a nurse mother and an engineer father, Luzuriaga is the second of six children from Bacolod, Philippines. She came to the U.S. for her higher education. She attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Science, followed by a medical degree from Tufts University.
She is a leading physician and pediatric immunologist known for her groundbreaking work in HIV/AIDS research, which includes her work in early diagnostic methods for pediatric HIV infection and leading clinical trials of antiretroviral therapies for children. She was part of the team that achieved a “functional cure” for a newborn with AIDS in 2013.
In addition to her research, Luzuriaga has served as a consultant to the World Health Organization and has been recognized with numerous awards, including being named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2013.
Her work continues to impact the field of pediatric infectious diseases and improve health outcomes for children worldwide. Her work focuses on improving health through scientific investigation, translating scientific insights and new technologies to the clinic, and training the next generation of scientists.
Luzuriaga’s research is devoted to understanding viral and host factors contributing to the establishment and persistence of viral infections in children, using insights to inform prevention and treatment strategies.
Although she has not authored any books about her work, she has published numerous research papers and articles in scientific journals focusing on pediatric infectious diseases, particularly HIV/AIDS. These publications document her contributions to the field.
She is the vice provost at the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS) and the director of the UMass Center for Clinical and Translational Science.
The Legacy Award recognizes individuals who create lasting change in healthcare through leadership, mentorship, and advocacy. CYFAM said Luzuriaga exemplifies these qualities by advancing research on viral infections in children and leading pivotal clinical studies that improved pediatric HIV treatment.
