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Conference Opening and Plenary
- Mark A. Wainberg Lecture
Thursday, May 13,
5:30-7:00pm
Dr. Françoise Barré-Sinoussi
Acting Director of the "Regulation of Retroviral Infections" Unit, Pasteur Institute
Paris, France
Copyright Institut Pasteur |
Françoise Barré-Sinoussi works at the Pasteur Institute in Paris where she is the acting Director of the "Regulation of Retroviral Infections" Unit. The research programmes in her laboratory focus on viral and host determinants of HIV/AIDS pathogenesis. Dr Barré-Sinoussi has been involved in retro-virology research since the early 1970's and is the first author of the publication that reported in 1983 the discovery of a new human retrovirus: the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). In 2008, she received together with Luc Montagnier the Nobel Prize of Medicine or Physiology for this discovery.
Françoise Barré-Sinoussi is member of a number of international scientific committees and of the Governing Council of the International AIDS Society. Along with her research activities, she has been strongly implicated in promoting integration between HIV/AIDS research and actions in resource limited countries, in particular through the Institut Pasteur International Network and the coordination of research programs of the French National Agency for AIDS and Viral Hepatitis Research (ANRS) in Cambodia and Vietnam, according to her strong commitment in building capacity, training and technology transfers on site in Africa and Asia, since the early 80’s. |
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Basic Sciences Plenary: The Tempo and Mode of SIV and HIV Outbreaks
Friday, May 14, 9:00-9:45am
Dr. Michael Worobey
Associate Professor, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona
Tucson, USA
The patterns of mutations that accumulate as SIV and HIV strains diverge over time leave a useful record of when and where important lineages emerged and spread at both local and worldwide levels. These patterns can also reveal the key evolutionary and ecological processes underlying successful epidemics.
My lab is exploiting the power of a ‘molecular archaeology’ approach by recovering viral RNA or DNA from old, archival human samples and from wild primates and using powerful ‘relaxed’ molecular clock phylogenetic methods to understand the timeline of SIV and HIV evolution. We have recovered (1) several ‘ancient’ HIV-1 sequences dating to 1960s Democratic Republic of the Congo; (2) HIV-1 sequences from early in the North American epidemic; and (3) SIV sequences from several wild primate populations in Africa.
The early sequences robustly orient and calibrate the group M phylogeny and show that phylogenetically distinct subtypes or their direct progenitors were already present in the DRC by 1960, placing the most recent common ancestor of the M group near the beginning of the twentieth century. The subsequent emergence of the virus from Africa appears to have begun as early as the 1960s and was characterized by a surprisingly low frequency of epidemically successful dispersal events. Analyses of SIV suggest it has a vastly longer history than the relatively young HIV lineages derived from it.
Colonial-era urbanization near the epicenter of the HIV-1 group M outbreak may have set the stage for the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Such chance events appear to have been important in the unfolding of the pandemic at a variety of scales. Taken together, these insights suggest that HIV-1 lives close to the edge of extinction:changes in ‘human ecology’ may have allowed it to become established, but compensatory changes could conceivably have similarly dramatic effects on reducing the viability of HIV-1 populations, at least in some settings.
Session presentation objectives:
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To explain the how evolutionary trees can be used to infer the landmark events in the origin and transmission of SIV and HIV.
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To describe the use of molecular clocks to place timelines on SIV and HIV evolutionary and epidemic history.
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To discuss recent findings related to the age of SIV and the various HIV epidemics to which it has given rise.
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To connect the basic science of SIV/HIV evolution with present and future control measures.
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Michael Worobey is an evolutionary biologist who grew up in BC and received a BSc in the Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University in 1997. He then moved to the University of Oxford, receiving a DPhil from the Department of Zoology (2001) and doing postdoctoral work as a Research Fellow of St. John's College. Since 2003 he has been a faculty member in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Arizona, where he is an Associate Professor. He uses an evolutionary approach to investigate the origins, emergence, and control of pathogens, in particular rapidly evolving retroviruses and RNA viruses such as HIV and influenza virus |
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Epidemiology and Public Health Plenary: After AIDS
Friday, May 14, 9:45-10:30am
Dr. Mark Tyndall, MD, ScD, FRCPC
Head, Division of Infectious Diseases,
Providence Health Care Vancouver, Canada
AIDS has been with us for over 25 years and much has been learned about the virus, the pathogenesis, and the global epidemic. Successful prevention strategies have been established and effective treatments are available. A push to scale up both prevention and treatment on a global scale has been slow but gaining momentum. Where is this leading in the coming years? Will there be an “After AIDS”? The presentation will:
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Review recent changes in the global epidemiology of HIV
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Discuss the available prevention interventions and how they are working
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Identify the social and environmental determinants of HIV infection and how they should influence prevention strategies
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Dr. Mark Tyndall is a Professor of Medicine at the University of British Columbia and is the head of the Infectious Diseases division at St. Paul’s Hospital. He received his Medical degree from McMaster University and a Doctoral degree in Epidemiology from the Harvard School of Public Health. He joined the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS in 1999 where he is the Program Director for Epidemiology. He is currently conducting a number of research projects in Vancouver, including epidemiologic studies of HIV and Hepatitis C transmission, antiretroviral access among injection drug users, and health care utilization among marginalized populations. |
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Clinical Sciences Plenary: A Panel Discussion on the Recent Epidemic of HIV in Saskatchewan
Saturday, May 15, 9:00-9:45am
Panelists:
Dr. Kurt Williams
Director, Internal Medicine Residency Training Program, University of Saskatchewan
Dr. Moira McKinnon
Chief Medical Health Officer, Province of Saskatchewan
Dr. John Mark Opondo
Deputy Medical Health Officer, Saskatoon Regional Health Authority
Margaret Akan
Chief Executive Officer, All Nations Hope AIDS Network, Regina, SK
Moderators:
Susanne Nasewich
RN, Regina Qu’Appelle Health Region
Curtis Cooper
MD, University of Ottawa
HIV/AIDS has affected Canadians for over two decades. Still, Saskatchewan had remained insulated with numbers of new HIV infections significantly less than other areas of the country. However, in recent years HIV incidence has been on the rise in Saskatchewan with the number of new infections in 2008 more than 4 times that in 2003. The rate of HIV in Saskatchewan is unparalleled across the nation and has increased from 4.0/100,000 (2003) to more than 16.0/100,000 in 2008. Those at-risk of infection in Saskatchewan are much different from the rest of Canada. A recent gender shift has been recognized where the majority of new infections are in women and over 70% are attributed to injection drug use. Aboriginal people are disproportionately affected, comprising most new cases despite making up a fraction of the total population.
The panel discussion will:
- Describe the current populations being affected by HIV/AIDS.
- Examine how HIV/AIDS care, treatment and support has been managed during this crisis.
- Provide insight on how this sudden rise in the rate of HIV in Saskatchewan can be effectively addressed.
- Identify the unique issues faced by those infected and affected by HIV in Saskatchewan and determine how they can be best supported.
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Social Sciences Plenary:
Meeting the Trickster and Learning Community-Based Research Practice
Saturday, May 15, 9:45-10:30am
Dr. Janice Ristock
Associate Vice-President of Research, University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, Canada
Randy Jackson
PhD Student at McMaster University in the School of Social Work
Ontario, Canada
In recent years, meaningfully engaging Aboriginal communities in HIV research has become an increasingly popular approach. However, community-based participatory action research is exceedingly complex and challenging for both communities and academics. Using a reflective Indigenous storytelling approach, we untangle the challenges and promise of community-based participatory research based on our experiences of a research project that was designed to explore Two-spirit women’s experiences of homophobia in HIV service provision. Storytelling, an approach often used in Aboriginal cultures, is a method of teaching that invites storytellers and listeners to find meaning through reflection of the narrative (Dumbrill & Green, 2008). This critical reflection on research practice will show that using Indigenous knowledge is important to improving research practice. Lessons learnt through this process will highlight ways research practice can reshape the community/academic transformative space of engagement and collaboration in more positive ways. The presenters would like to acknowledge Laverne Monette (Ontario Aboriginal HIV/AIDS Strategy), Joyce Seto, Shari Brotman (McGill University) and Kevin Barlow for their contributions to this presentation.
Learning objectives:
- To present an assessment of the strengths and limitations of community-based research
- To demonstrate the need for and value of critical reflection in social science research
- To provide a greater understanding of Indigenous knowledge and its value for improving CBR
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Dr. Janice Ristock obtained her BA (hons) at the University of Manitoba, MA in Applied Social Psychology at the University of Guelph and PhD in Community Psychology at the University of Toronto (OISE). Before assuming the position of Associate Vice-President (Research), she was Associate Dean (Research and Faculty Development) in the Faculty of Arts and served as Coordinator of the Women’s and Gender Studies Program. Dr. Ristock is Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies and Adjunct Professor in the Department of Anthropology and the Disability Studies Program. Her scholarly work reflects an overarching focus on community mental health and social justice. Her research is in three intersecting areas: gender and sexuality; interpersonal violence; and HIV/AIDS and stigma. She has gained international recognition for her research on violence in same-sex relationships and community-based research methodologies. She has authored, co-authored or co-edited numerous books, chapters, journal articles and government reports. She serves on several editorial boards and peer-reviews for journals and funding agencies both nationally and internationally. Dr. Ristock received an Rh Award for Outstanding Contributions to Interdisciplinary Research and an Outreach Award from the University of Manitoba. She also received a YMCA/YWCA Woman of Distinction Award in the area of Education, Training and Development, as well as a book award for No More Secrets: Violence in Lesbian Relationships from Division 44 of the American Psychological Association for making a distinguished contribution to psychology. She serves on the gender, sex and health peer review committee of CIHR and is currently SSHRC Leader for the University of Manitoba.
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Randy Jackson is currently completing his PhD at McMaster University in the School of Social Work. Currently on educational leave with the Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network (CAAN), Randy is a recent OHTN Community School graduate. Originally from the Chippewas of Kettle and Stony Point First Nation, Randy has been involved in a number of research projects that engage the community and incorporate Aboriginal values and perspectives. Reflecting his belief about the significance of Aboriginal self-determination, Randy helped develop CAAN's position statement "Principles of Research Collaboration". Randy has a research interest in historical trauma and has been involved in a number of research projects including arts-based HIV prevention for Aboriginal youth, cultural competence in service provision, HIV testing among Aboriginal, and HIV stigma. |
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CAHR Special Session
Saturday, May 15, 5:30-6:30pm
Participants:
Brian Conway, MD, FRCPC
Professor, Infectious Disease Specialist, Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology & Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine,
University of British Columbia, Canada
Harout Tossonian, MD, PhD
Research Manager, Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology & Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine,
University of British Columbia, Canada
Jonathan Angel, MD
Professor of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases,
University of Ottawa at the Ottawa Hospital, Canada
Allan Ronald, OC
Professor Emeritus,
University of Manitoba, Canada
John Gill, MD
Medical Director, Southern Alberta HIV Clinic,
Chair of CTN's Prevention& Vulnerable Populations Advisory Group, Canada
After more than a quarter of a century, the HIV epidemic is not going away. As we will hear at this week’s meeting, it is affecting new groups, and in times and places we would least expect. Can we just hang on until a vaccine is available? Do we need to stand together and design an integrated strategy to come to the aid of the most vulnerable among us? What lessons have we already learned that may be relevant to this burning question?
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CAHR Plenary: Reducing HIV Incidence in Resource Limited Societies: Partnership Roles for Canada and Canadians
Sunday, May 16, 9:20-10:00am
Moderator and Introductory Speaker:
Dr. Bill Cameron
Professor of Medicine,
Divisions of Infectious Diseases and Respirology
University of Ottawa at The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Ontario
Speaker:
Professor Allan Ronald
Distinguished
Emeritus Professor of the University of
Manitoba, Canada
This talk will highlight some of the scientific contributions Canadians are making in the global effort to help reduce the spread of HIV. It will focus on the critical importance of sustained leadership, and provide some suggestions as to how Canada could strengthen its investment in global efforts to reduce the spread of HIV in resource-limited countries.
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