The Canadian Association for HIV Research provides awards, scholarships, and registration support in order to promote research excellence, knowledge exchange, and mentoring within and across various communities of researchers and the broader HIV community.  Past award recipients are:

2010 New Investigator Awards

Each year since 1992, CAHR has given out investigator awards to recognize promising new researchers from each of the association’s four tracks. Three of the four awards have been named in honour of three individuals, whose exceptional dedication to the cause of HIV research helped blaze the trails for the many scientific advances that have been achieved in this field during the past 15 years: Basic Sciences, Kalpesh Oza (died June 4, 1995); Clinical Sciences, Brian Farlinger (died July 3, 1995); and Epidemiology and Public Health Sciences, Randy Coates (died September 26, 1991). Many of the New Investigator awardees have continued to make significant contributions to HIV/AIDS research.

The 2010 New Investigator Award Recipients are:

• Basic Sciences: Alexandre Iannello
• Clinical Sciences: Jameeta Kurji
• Epidemiology: Margo Pearce
• Social Science: Tamil Kendall

2010 Red Ribbon Award

Dr. Allan R. Ronald, MD, FRCPC, OC

Professor Emeritus Allan Ronald of the University of Manitoba is one of this country’s foremost infectious disease physicians and microbiologists.

Born in Portage la Prairie, he has been a leader at the University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Medicine since 1968, when he was appointed Head of its Infectious Disease Unit.

Allan’s career in HIV/AIDS research had its roots in 1979, when he was invited to coordinate a research training centre in Nairobi, Kenya. Since then, he and his colleagues have significantly advanced HIV/AIDS prevention programs and the understanding of HIV transmission both in Africa and in Canada. He has been a visiting professor at the University of Nairobi on over 40 occasions,

In addition to this Red Ribbon Award, Allan has received many awards from a wide variety of medical and scientific organizations. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and an Officer of the Order of Canada. He has served on numerous boards and councils, including as President of the International Society of Infectious Diseases.

In 2002, Allan retired from a distinguished 35-year career as a professor and medical researcher at the University of Manitoba. Since then, however, he has continued to work tirelessly, both in Africa and in Canada. One of his roles is that of visiting Professor at Makerere University in Uganda, where he spends several months a year training African physicians in HIV prevention & care and supporting operational research initiatives and clinical trials. He has helped develop a comprehensive HIV/AIDS Care and Prevention Program there. And his successful launch of a drug distribution program has received worldwide media coverage.

In Canada, Allan continues to serve as Senior Advisor to the International Centre for Infectious Diseases. In that role he provides leadership to mobilize resources for Infectious Diseases to improve Public Health performance in Canada and globally, as well as to enhance collaboration between the private sector, academia, and government.

In addition to all that, and to his 400+ scientific publications, Allan continues to be a leading investigator in large international studies in ARV treatment and education.

2010 Mark A. Wainberg Lecturer

Dr. Françoise Barré-Sinoussi, co-discoverer of the AIDS virus, wonner of the 2008 Nobel Prize for Medicine and Director of the “Regulation of Retroviral Infections” Unit, Pasteur Institute, Paris, France.

2010 Community Scholarships

To support community attendance and participation at the conference, the CAHR Community Scholarship Program provides financial assistance and support for five individuals from across Canada and fifteen Registration Bursaries for Community Attendees from the Saskatchewan area.

Full Community Scholarships Awarded to:

• Tyler Cuddahy
• Mark Hanlon
• Mel Hennan
• Michael Liddell
• Bradford McIntyre

2010 CAHR Studentships

In December, 2009, CAHR announced the results of its first ever competition for HIV studentship awards, which were created for the purpose of supporting the training of new scientists committed to doing HIV research in Canada.

CAHR 2010 Studentships were Awarded to:

Basic Science: Winnie Apidi is a PhD student in Medical Microbiology at the University of Manitoba. Her supervisor is Dr. Blake Ball. Her project is: Epigenetics of Dipeptidyl Peptidase IV as a Novel Marker for HIV Resistance Among Nairobi Sex Workers.

Epidemiology: Shamara Baidoobonso is a PhD student in Population Epidemiology at the University of Western Ontario. Her supervisor is Dr. Greta Bauer. Her project is: Black African and Caribbean Health Study: an Analysis of the Social Context of HIV Vulnerability.

Social Science: Angela Picard is a PhD student in Health and Behavioural Science at the University of Toronto. Her supervisor is Dr. Peggy Millson. Her project is: Impact of a Peer-based Health Services Intervention Model on Treatment Access and Vulnerability to HIV/HCV Coinfection Among Injection Drug Users.

2010 Academic Scholarships

Two academic scholarships are awarded to researchers in each scientific track based on the abstracts they submitted. Recipients receive complimentary hotel, registration, and travel.

Track A: Basic Sciences Scholarships

• Alexandre Iannello, University of Montreal
• Jennifer Juno, University of Manitoba

Track B: Clinical Sciences Scholarships

• Reed Siemieniuk, Southern Alberta Clinic
• Jameeta Kurji, University of Toronto
• A. Brockman

2009 New Investigator Awards

Each year since 1992, CAHR has given out investigator awards to recognize promising new researchers from each of the association’s four tracks. Three of the four awards have been named in honour of three individuals, whose exceptional dedication to the cause of HIV research helped blaze the trails for the many scientific advances that have been achieved in this field during the past 15 years: Basic Sciences, Kalpesh Oza (died June 4, 1995); Clinical Sciences, Brian Farlinger (died July 3, 1995); and Epidemiology and Public Health Sciences, Randy Coates (died September 26, 1991). Many of the New Investigator awardees have continued to make significant contributions to HIV/AIDS research.  The 2009 New Investigator Awards will be presented on Sunday, April 26 at 11:45 in the Stanley Park Ballroom of the Westin Bayshore Hotel.

The 2009 New Investigator Award Recipients are:
Elliott Faller  – Basic Science
Darryl Tan – Clinical Science
Danya Fast – Social Sciences
Angela Kaida – Epidemiology and Public Health

2009 Red Ribbon Award

Dr. Evan Collins

Evan Collins is a physician, researcher, consultant, advocate and prominent person living with HIV in Toronto.

He has achieved the rare status of being as fully recognized for his achievements in the clinical and scientific area as for his achievements in the area of community leadership, education and advocacy.

In his professional life, Dr. Collins has served as:

• Staff Physician at the Hassle Free Clinic, a sexual health clinic and anonymous HIV testing site in Toronto (1984 – present);
• Clinical Adjunct Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto;
• Staff Psychiatrist, Toronto Western Hospital; Assertive Community Treatment Team, Toronto;
• Western Hospital, (1998 – present);
• As well as extensive work as an independent consultant in HIV/AIDS education, policy and organizational development.

Also, as a leader in the HIV/AIDS community, his many achievements include:

• Co-Chair of the Community Program for the 2006 International AIDS Conference (achieving an unprecedented level of community participation and establishing the model for community participation at future international AIDS conferences);
• Member and President of the OHTN Board of Directors;
• Member of the CIHR Canadian HIV Trials Network Community Advisory Committee;
• North American alternate to the NGO delegation of the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board, the government body of the Global Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS;
• Past member of the University of Toronto Research Ethics Board for HIV/AIDS; the Canadian AIDS Treatment Information Exchange (CATIE) Board of Directors; and the federal government’s Ministerial Council on HIV/AIDS
• Member of the Ontario Advisory Committee on HIV/AIDS (OACHA);
• and on and on, all the way back to 1984, when he served as an original member of the AIDS Committee of Toronto.

Throughout his career, Evan has promoted the collaboration of people living with HIV and vulnerable communities in research participation and governance.  His research work has been presented and referenced at several Canadian and International AIDS Conferences.   He has held research grants from various funding agencies, including CIHR, CANFAR and OHTN.  He has been an investigator in scientific studies of the psychosocial impact of lipodystrophy in HIV infection, and of mental health and wellness among aboriginal people living with HIV/AIDS as well as understanding and responding to depression.

Evan leads by example.  And as his many colleagues and friends will attest, his tireless dedication of time and talent to the cause of HIV/AIDS over the past 25+ years is truly an extraordinary record – most of which has been achieved through volunteer contributions.

In recognition of this extraordinary example of dedication and accomplishment in the cause of HIV/AIDS research, not only locally in Toronto, but also nationally and internationally, the Canadian Association of HIV Research is proud to invite Dr. Evan Collins to accept its highest and most distinguished award, “The Red Ribbon Award”.

2009 Mark A. Wainberg Lecturer

Dr. Eleanor Maticka-Tyndale, University Professor and Canada Research Chair in Social Justice and Sexual Health, University of Windsor, Canada

Community Scholarships

To support community attendance and participation at the 2009 Conference, the CAHR Community Scholarship Program provides financial assistance and support for five individuals from across Canada and fifteen Registration Bursaries for Community Attendees from the Greater Vancouver area.
The 2009 Community Scholarship recipients are:

• Matthew Allen
• Ghayas Fadel
• Broden Giambrong
• Billie-Erin Kozub
• Beverly Tsarera