The presence of HIV/AIDS in the United States has been acknowledged since the early 1980's. Over the past three decades much has been learned about the HIV virus which causes AIDS, the prevalence and incidence of the virus, as well as prevention and treatment modalities. This seminar will be focused mainly upon the surveillance aspects of the epidemic. Participants will explore the changes in New Jersey HIV/AIDS reporting legislation and discuss the relevance of surveillance as a basis for public health action. They will be presented with techniques used to conduct surveillance, and address the national and statewide trends in the epidemic. Finally, participants will be given an overview of programs and services that are available in New Jersey for HIV prevention, care, and treatment.

Barbara J. Bolden, Ph.D., CPM is Acting Director of the Division of HIV/AIDS Services, Epidemiology Services for the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Service, which conducts HIV surveillance and supplemental HIV behavior studies. Dr. Bolden's previous experience has included positions as a Research Scientist I and Analyst for the Division of HIV/AIDS Services where she prepared grant applications and carried out studies regarding incidence and prevalence studies, performed standard and adhoc data requests, and prepared reports and presentations based on the data. She has also worked for Johnson and Johnson Health Care Systems, Inc. where she was a Senior Health Care Analyst and for the Clinical Directors Network of Region II in New York where she coordinated research activities for HIV/AIDS Clinical Trials within several community health centers. Dr. Bolden is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, received her Master in Community Health Education at the University of Massachusetts, and her Ph.D. in Health Services Organization and Policy from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. She has numerous publication, research, and presentations.