SYNC 2026 was held in Washington DC March 18–20, 2026.
Conference Guide
The digital Conference Guide is available in PDF.
Download as PDFSession Recordings
Credits are awarded for session attendance at the live conference and selected post-conference recordings.
Plenary 1
Forward in SYNChronicity through Access, Equity, and AI
CREDIT AVAILABLE THROUGH MARCH 31, 2027
In this dynamic SYNChronicity 2026 opening plenary, thought leaders from across the healthcare ecosystem will explore how we move forward in synchronicity to ensure that progress in policy, AI, and innovation translates into meaningful gains in healthcare access and equity.
Speakers examine how federal and state policy decisions, such as the Affordable Care Act and Inflation Reduction Act, are influencing patient access and who benefits from new innovation; how AI is reshaping care delivery, diagnostics, and patient engagement; and how innovation can either close or widen longstanding disparities. Speakers also highlight strategies to align policy, technology, and community-centered approaches so that advances in care reach those who need them most. Join us for a forward-looking conversation on how to synchronize efforts across sectors — leveraging data, design, and policy — to build a healthcare future that is more accessible, inclusive, and equitable.
Speakers
- Brian Hujdich, Executive Director, HealthHIV and the National Coalition for LGBTQ Health
- Elizabeth Kaplan, JD, Center For Health Law and Policy Innovation, Harvard Law School
- Gary A. Puckrein, PhD, President and CEO, National Minority Quality Forum
- Tori Cooper, Director of Strategic Outreach and Training, Human Rights Campaign
- Sam Tyner-Monroe, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP
- Paul Luehr, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP
- Katy Wendel, Vice President of Care Delivery Innovation, CAN Community Health
Participants can earn up to 1.5 credits/contact hours (CME, AAPA, ANCC, CPE, ASWB) for completion of this educational activity.
This activity is intended for healthcare professionals and support staff involved in the prevention, treatment, and coordination of HIV, HCV, STI, and LGBTQ health care, including physicians, nurses, pharmacists, physician associates, and behavioral health providers. It is also designed for public health professionals including state and local health department directors and staff, federal agency leads, and prevention program administrators. Additionally, this activity is relevant for allied health professionals, case managers, social workers, harm reductionists, health advocates, ASO and CBO leadership and staff, fiscal managers, students, researchers, and consumers with an interest in advancing equitable, person-centered care.
- Media: Enduring Material
- Start date: 06/01/2026
- Expiration date: 03/31/2027
- Time to Complete: 90 minutes
Plenary 3
Forward in SYNChronicity through Research and Care
CREDIT AVAILABLE THROUGH MARCH 31, 2027
This plenary session will bring together nationally recognized leaders who exemplify true synchronicity across scientific discovery, clinical practice, policy, and real-world implementation. “Forward in SYNChronicity through Research and Care” highlights how aligning research, care delivery, advocacy, and public health strategy accelerates meaningful impact, advances innovation, and improves outcomes—particularly for communities most affected by HIV and related conditions. Featuring speakers who will provide critical updates on biomedical HIV prevention, vaccine preparedness, and key current research studies shaping the prevention landscape; the intersection of HIV care and drug user health, highlighting models that bridge treatment, harm reduction, and community-based support; lessons from long COVID research and chronic disease management that draw connections to HIV advocacy, research equity, and patient-led movements; and synchronizing policy and research with public health priorities and marginalized community needs.
Together, these leaders will illuminate how coordinated action across research, care, policy, and advocacy is not aspirational—it is essential. This session challenges us to move beyond silos and forward in deliberate synchronicity to drive equitable, durable progress in HIV and related health outcomes.
Speakers
- Congressman Herb Conaway, M.D., (NJ-03)
- Gregorio Millett, MPH, Vice President and Director, Public Policy, amfAR.
- Mitchell Warren, Executive Director, AVAC.
- JD Davids, Strategist, HIV Activist, and Long Covid Advocate.
- Judith Feinberg, MD, Professor, Infectious Diseases, West Virginia University.
Participants can earn up to 1.5 credits/contact hours (CME, AAPA, ANCC, CPE, ASWB) for completion of this educational activity.
This activity is intended for healthcare professionals and support staff involved in the prevention, treatment, and coordination of HIV, HCV, STI, and LGBTQ health care, including physicians, nurses, pharmacists, physician associates, and behavioral health providers. It is also designed for public health professionals including state and local health department directors and staff, federal agency leads, and prevention program administrators. Additionally, this activity is relevant for allied health professionals, case managers, social workers, harm reductionists, health advocates, ASO and CBO leadership and staff, fiscal managers, students, researchers, and consumers with an interest in advancing equitable, person-centered care.
- Media: Enduring Material
- Start date: 06/01/2026
- Expiration date: 03/31/2027
- Time to Complete: 90 minutes
Plenary 4
Forward in SYNChronicity through Advocacy
CREDIT AVAILABLE THROUGH MARCH 31, 2027
This closing plenary session examines how advocacy at different levels of the healthcare and prevention continuum can better move in concert together. Leading advocates discuss how policy change and service delivery can move together—from national strategy to community implementation. Drawing on experience from community organizing to global policy leadership, the session focuses on how coordinated advocacy turns uncertainty into durable systems change—and where misalignment continues to slow prevention and care delivery and long-term sustainability.
Speakers
- Lynn Albizo, JD, Chief Public Policy Officer, Immune Deficiency Foundation
- Max Boykin, Campaign Manager, SaveHIVFunding Campaign
- Drew Gibson, MSW, Director of Advocacy, AIDS United
- Frank Hood, MPS, Associate Director – Policy & Partnerships, Hepatitis B Foundation; Director, Hep B United
- Amanda Jezek, Senior Vice President, Public Policy and Government Relations, Infectious Diseases Society of America
- Jeremiah Johnson, MPH, Executive Director, PrEP4All
- José Zuniga, PhD, MPH, President & Chief Executive Officer, Fast-Track Health, IAPAC, and Fast-Track Cities Institute
- Stephanie Arnold Pang, Senior Director, Government Relations and Programs, NSCD
- Abdur-Rahim Briggs, Founder and CEO, Project Briggs
- Shawn Tinsley, President/Executive Director, HIV Possible; Chair-Woman SOS Broward Chapter
Participants can earn up to 1.0 credits/contact hours (CME, AAPA, ANCC, CPE, ASWB) for completion of this educational activity.
This activity is intended for healthcare professionals and support staff involved in the prevention, treatment, and coordination of HIV, HCV, STI, and LGBTQ health care, including physicians, nurses, pharmacists, physician associates, and behavioral health providers. It is also designed for public health professionals including state and local health department directors and staff, federal agency leads, and prevention program administrators. Additionally, this activity is relevant for allied health professionals, case managers, social workers, harm reductionists, health advocates, ASO and CBO leadership and staff, fiscal managers, students, researchers, and consumers with an interest in advancing equitable, person-centered care.
- Media: Enduring Material
- Start date: 06/01/2026
- Expiration date: 03/31/2027
- Time to Complete: 60 minutes
