Funds Raised During Eighth Annual Kiehl's LifeRide For amfAR Accelerate Research Efforts Toward HIV Cure

NEW YORK, Aug. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- On the heels of the eighth annual Kiehl's LifeRide for amfAR, Kiehl's Since 1851, the venerable New York-based purveyor of fine quality skin and hair care products, and amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research have announced that the $150,000 raised at this year's LifeRide is helping fund the research of Daniela Fera, Ph.D., previously a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Boston Children's Hospital/Harvard Medical School, and now an Assistant Professor of Biochemistry at Swarthmore College.  

The 8-day, multi-stop, 1,200-mile motorcycle charity ride started in Minneapolis, MN, on July 31 and culminated in Nashville, TN, on August 7, raising HIV/AIDS awareness and a total of $150,000 for research at multiple high-profile events at Kiehl's stores along the way.

Dr. Fera is an accomplished scientist and teacher who has won several awards for her work in structural biology during her postdoctoral training at Boston Children's Hospital. She is also the recipient of one of amfAR's Mathilde Krim Fellowships, which support bright young scientists seeking innovative solutions to HIV/AIDS.

For her project, Dr. Fera is reengineering HIV proteins so that they lose their protective shield and elicit a more effective response from the immune system. This work could advance the search for both a vaccine and a cure.

"I was truly inspired by everyone's commitment to the cause," said Dr. Fera, who attended the Kiehl's LifeRide for amfAR finale event in Nashville. "I'm also incredibly grateful to amfAR and Kiehl's for being chosen as this year's LifeRide grant recipient."

"We are grateful that Kiehl's continues their support of our goal of finding a cure for HIV," said amfAR CEO Kevin Robert Frost. "Dr. Fera represents the new generation of young scientists working to end the AIDS epidemic, and we expect that her important contributions will help advance the field of HIV/AIDS research."

Since 2010, Kiehl's has generously raised $1.7 million to amfAR during the LifeRide, funding nine cure-related research projects.

"Kiehl's LifeRide for amfAR is a testament to the idea that we all have the power to make noise and inspire action," said Chris Salgardo, President of Kiehl's USA. "Through Dr. Fera's work and that of many other scientists working on finding a vaccine and a cure, we believe that we will ultimately end the AIDS epidemic once and for all." 

CONTACT: Joana Casas
T: 1.212.806.1602
E: joana.casas@amfar.org