CAHR Professional Development Awards HighlightsAna Karla Diego Matos
Ana Karla Diego Matos is a first-year PhD student at Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM). Her research focuses on chronic inflammation and immune-metabolic signatures associated with non-AIDS comorbidities in people with HIV receiving antiretroviral therapy. Thanks to the support from a CAHR Professional Development Award, Ana was able to attend the 35th Annual Canadian Conference on HIV/AIDS Research (CAHR 2026) in Winnipeg, MB. The funding allowed her to participate in scientific sessions covering basic, clinical, and community-based HIV research, and to connect with researchers from across Canada.
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, Ana would not have been able to attend the conference or share her oral presentation with the national HIV research community. She would also have missed the sessions and conversations that helped her strengthen her communication skills and refine her research.
“Attending CAHR 2026 was a valuable experience early in my PhD, and an opportunity to present my work and learn from the discussions across the conference.”
Through this experience, Ana acquired new knowledge related to viral persistence, HIV reservoirs, and prevention strategies. She learned about new experimental approaches used to study host-virus interactions. The sessions also enabled her to strengthen her ability to critically analyze research findings by comparing methods and examining data presented across different fields. Additionally, interacting directly with other researchers allowed her to ask questions, gain clarity on certain concepts, and improve the way she interprets her own findings. These conversations also helped her improve how she communicates her research in manuscripts, presentations, and future scientific forums.
“The conference was a great opportunity to connect with other researchers and to feel more comfortable presenting my work early in my career.”
Participating in CAHR 2026, supported by a CAHR Professional Development Award helped Ana expands her professional network and gain confidence as an emerging researcher, both of which will be important as she moves forward in her career.