The STAR Program proudly celebrates our Medical Director, Jessica E. Yager, MD, MPH, who served as Debate Style Moderator at the 2025 IDWeek Conference, the nation’s premier forum for infectious disease professionals.

IDWeek brought together the brightest minds from across the world to advance research, treatment, and innovation in infectious diseases. This year’s Friendly Debates in HIV & ID session featured distinguished faculty including Amit Achhra, MD, MPH, PhD (Yale School of Medicine); Rami Kantor, MD (Brown University); Roger Paredes, MD, PhD (Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Catalonia, Spain); and Samuel Opara, MBBS, MPH (Emory University), under the overall moderation of Dr. Vivek Jain (UCSF).

Dr. Yager’s leadership at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University and the STAR Program has been instrumental in shaping data-driven, community-based HIV prevention and care models across Central Brooklyn. Her participation in this national conversation underscored STAR’s ongoing commitment to advancing science, fostering collaboration, and promoting equitable healthcare for all communities.

The STAR Program congratulates Dr. Yager for representing SUNY Downstate and the Brooklyn community on this national stage, continuing our shared mission of innovation, equity, and impact in infectious disease research and prevention.

Learn more about IDWeek at idweek.org