Fernando

The BC-CfE is saddened to learn of the passing of Dr. Paula Braitstein, a world-renowned expert in public health and epidemiology. She conducted numerous research studies across the globe, mentored countless students and was an ardent advocate for healthcare equity. Born in Montreal, Dr. Braitstein completed her graduate studies at the University of British Columbia under BC-CfE Senior Research Scientist Dr. Robert Hogg and was a dedicated research associate with the BC-CfE from 2000-2005.

For the first time since BC-CfE Executive Director & Physician-in-Chief Dr. Julio Montaner welcomed the world to Vancouver in 2015, the International AIDS Society returned to Canada July 29th, bringing the 24th International AIDS Conference to Montreal (AIDS 2022). The world’s foremost meeting on HIV research, advocacy and policy-making, the biannual conference is the largest global gathering on any health issue in the world.

The BC Centre for Excellence (BC-CfE) Drug Treatment Program (DTP) is an unparalleled world-class clinical registry designed to facilitate access to provincially subsidized antiretroviral therapy (ART) free of cost to participants who are medically eligible persons living with HIV in BC.

After a hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the BC-CfE’s award-winning Intensive Preceptorship program has resumed. On May 9th, a small cohort of physicians and nurse practitioners began the first offering of the program since 2019, which will see them gain knowledge, skills, and confidence in providing care to people living with HIV (PLWH).

New BC-CfE research, published in the recent issue of AIDS, characterizes trends in the annual prevalence of drug interactions between antiretroviral therapy (ART) and other non-antiretroviral medications in relation to ART prescribing patterns. The study also describes drug interaction-related ART changes.