Auntie Body: Behind the Scenes

April 9, 2019

Auntie Body Behind the Scenes

Auntie Body: The Development Behind Her Character

Stephen Smith has done us the pleasure of helping create the character, Auntie Body. Smith, a former AMP participant, is still looking for ways to involve himself in HIV prevention. A theater major during college, he was a member of various activist groups, including the Lambda Student Union where he helped create anti-discrimination policies for students of various sexual orientations. Through his study participation with the CRU, Smith has found a way to still be an activist in his community while balancing the demands of living in New York City.

Acting and character development is nothing new for Smith. He plays Carmela Calamari of the Calamari Sisters, which is a set of ten different musicals in which they sing, dance and cook on stage. Steven Palmer, CRU Clinic Coordinator, saw Smith while he was on tour with the Calamari Sisters years ago. When it came time to develop a new campaign to promote our studies, Smith immediately came to mind. The name “Auntie Body” is a play on words incorporating our use of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) in HIV prevention. Auntie Body is here to create enthusiasm and new energy about participating in HIV prevention research.

Our newest study is now open for enrollment. You too can be an activist in HIV prevention! Fill out this survey to see if you may be eligible for one of our studies.