Organization: University of British Columbia
Region: USA and Canada
Nationality: Canada
Country: Canada
Interests & expertise: Ageing with HIV
Profession or occupation: Researcher
What inspires you to work in the HIV field?
My journey in HIV research has been shaped by invaluable lessons learnt from community engagement and the pursuit of health equity. I have had the privilege of working with three community groups: Sunshine House in Winnipeg, Canada, dedicated to supporting street-involved individuals; Baba Dogo and Pumwani community clinics and the Sex Worker Outreach Program (SWOP-K) in Nairobi, Kenya, which employ peer outreach and conduct clinical trials to prevent new HIV acquisitions and understand the dynamics of HIV within the community; and British Columbia CARMA–CHIWOS Collaboration (BCC3), a community-based research study focused on women’s health across their lifespan, based at the Oak Tree clinic and University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada.
Working with these unique communities has shaped who I am as a researcher and inspired my appreciation of the human voices behind every data point to view data within the broader context of a person’s lived reality and experience.
What are your goals as an IAS change maker?
My long-term career goals as an IAS change maker are varied. First, I intend to work hand in hand with community partners to improve healthcare client care and outcomes. My past nine years of engagement with diverse communities have made it abundantly clear that research that engages the community throughout all stages generates more meaningful findings and favours real-world applications by directly answering questions important to the community.
Second, I intend to utilize “big data” approaches to understand the intricate relationships between the immune system, social demographics and health outcomes, focusing on strength-based approaches to improve treatment and care for people living with HIV and chronic conditions.