CAHR Conference to examine local, global battles against HIV/AIDS

The 25th Annual Canadian Conference on HIV/AIDS Research will draw some of the top researchers from across the country to Winnipeg.

The theme of this year’s conference is: “Realizing Our Potential: Local to Global and Back.”

“The annual CAHR Conference is the premier gathering in Canada for those working in all disciplines of HIV/AIDS research, as well as policy makers, persons living with HIV and other individuals committed to ending the pandemic. The Conference Co-Chairs will be Drs Keith Fowke and Marissa Becker, both from the University of Manitoba,” said Andrew Matejcic, executive director of the Canadian Association for HIV Research.

Dr. Marissa Becker is an HIV physician and researcher and the associate director of the Manitoba HIV Program.

Dr. Keith Fowke is professor and head, medical microbiology, infectious diseases, Faculty of Health Sciences.

The CAHR Conference takes place from May 12 to 15, 2016 at the RBC Convention Centre.

It comes on the heels of the Visionary Conversations event on the U of M campus on April 27, which examined whether an end to HIV could be on the horizon, and looked at the role played by Manitoba researchers, physicians and other health workers in tackling the pandemic.

Manitoba’s key role in the fight against HIV is also evident in the CAHR Conference.

“The sheer number of posters, oral abstract and plenary sessions that will be led by Manitoba researchers at CAHR 2016, as well as the number of scholarships awarded to local students, speaks to the ongoing HIV/AIDS research excellence in Manitoba,” said Dr. Michael Grant, president of the Canadian Association for HIV Research.

Several Manitoba researchers will speak at the conference, including:

Mark A. Wainberg Lecturer

Dr. Stephen Moses

Dr. Stephen Moses, professor and head of community health sciences in the College of Medicine.

Red Ribbon Winner

Margaret Ormond

Social Sciences Plenary

Dr. Robert Lorway

Epidemiology and Public Health Sciences Plenary

Dr. James Blanchard

Special Session (several Manitoba presenters)

Immune Activation and HIV Target Cells: What do we know, what are the next big questions, and can we intervene?

Special Session (several Manitoba presenters)

The Future of Manitoba’s Global Impact in HIV Research

Ancillary Event  (several Manitoba presenters)

Manitoba HIV Collective Impact Research, Evaluation & Action Network – Networking Breakfast

The CAHR supports Manitoba students to attend and the conference. CAHR recently announced academic scholarship winners for the 2016 CAHR Conference, saying the scholarships are awarded to the “best and brightest” young minds in HIV research, based on their abstract submissions to the Conference.

More details on the CAHR Conference are available online.

UM Today Staff