Claire Farel

Claire Farel, MD, MPH is a Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine. She serves as Medical Director of the UNC Infectious Diseases Clinic and Co-Director of the UNC Center for AIDS Research Clinical Core within the Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases. Dr. Farel maintains her clinical practice at the UNC Faculty Physicians Center at Eastowne in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Dr. Farel completed her medical education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1999-2004), followed by Internal Medicine training at Brigham and Women's Hospital including internship (2004-2005) and residency (2005-2008) with a focus on Internal Medicine and Global Health Equity. During this period, she simultaneously earned a Master of Public Health from Harvard University (2006-2008). She then completed an Infectious Diseases fellowship at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital (2008-2010).

Her research focuses on HIV prevention and outcomes in vulnerable populations, with particular emphasis on chronic pain management interventions for people living with HIV, innovative antiretroviral therapy monitoring tools, and improving HIV testing access for high-risk groups including those with incarceration histories. Dr. Farel's work bridges clinical practice with public health approaches to address health disparities in infectious disease management.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong trajectory in HIV care continuum research, with increasing focus on patient-centered interventions for chronic conditions associated with HIV. Her work spans clinical trials, systematic reviews, and epidemiological studies across multiple disciplines including pain management, oncology, and geriatrics as they intersect with HIV care.

Dr. Farel is board certified in both Internal Medicine (2008) and Internal Medicine-Infectious Disease (2011). Through her leadership roles at the UNC Infectious Diseases Clinic and the Center for AIDS Research Clinical Core, she oversees clinical operations while contributing to research that directly informs HIV treatment guidelines and public health approaches to infectious disease management in vulnerable populations.