CAHR Professional Development Awards Highlights
Dr. Aniqa Shahid

Portrait of Dr. Aniqa Shahid

Dr. Aniqa Shahid is a second-year post-doctoral fellow in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University. Her research focuses on addressing gaps in our understanding of archived HIV drug resistance within the persistent HIV reservoir. Thanks to the support from a CAHR Professional Development Award, Dr. Shahid was able to attend the 35th Annual Canadian Conference on HIV/AIDS Research (CAHR 2026) in Winnipeg and participate in the New HIV Researcher Workshop. This funding allowed her to build new connections with researchers, community partners, and potential collaborators while strengthening her skills as an emerging HIV researcher.

The CAHR Professional Development Awards are designed to offer support for the next generation of HIV researchers seeking to build their skills in the field of HIV research. Awards are available across CAHR’s four tracks (basic, clinical, social sciences, epidemiology and public health) as well as community-based research.

Without support from CAHR, Dr. Shahid would not have been able to participate in this opportunity or gain exposure to the practical training offered through the workshop.

“These travel awards enable postdoctoral fellows like me to share their research, expand our professional networks, and foster collaborations,” said Dr. Shahid. “This can shape the next stages of our academic careers.”

Through this experience, Dr. Shahid gained practical insight into preparing narrative-style CVs and was exposed to various funding opportunities such as the CIHR REDI award for new investigators. She also deepened her understanding of how important community perspectives are in HIV research and will use these new insights to guide her future work.

“As I plan to apply for the CIHR REDI Award, this workshop was extremely valuable in helping me understand the program’s objectives, eligibility requirements, and application process,” added Shahid. “It provided practical insights that will help me prepare a stronger and more competitive application in the future.”

The experience influenced her future career goals by enhancing her funding application skills, expanding her professional network, and facilitating future research collaborations.