Dr. Alexandra King and Dr. Linda Chelico to co-chair the 28th Annual Canadian Conference on HIV/AIDS Research (CAHR 2019)

The Board of Directors of the Canadian Association for HIV Research (CAHR) is pleased to announce the co-chairs for the 28th Annual Canadian Conference on HIV/AIDS Research (CAHR 2019). Co-chairing the 2019 Conference will be Dr. Alexandra King, Cameco Chair in Indigenous Health (University of Saskatchewan); and Dr. Linda Chelico, Associate Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology (University of Saskatchewan) and a co-lead of the Saskatchewan HIV/AIDS Research Endeavor (SHARE).

“We are honoured that Drs. Chelico and King have taken on this important role and are looking forward to bringing the Conference back to Saskatchewan once again” said CAHR President Dr. Curtis Cooper (University of Ottawa). “The four-day event will bring much needed attention to the reality that Saskatchewan has the highest rates of HIV in Canada, and that Indigenous populations in Canada continue to be disproportionately affected by HIV. We look forward to learning from the many people and organizations making a difference in Saskatchewan”.

“By now, it is well-established that Saskatchewan persistently has the highest incidence of HIV in Canada, and that Indigenous peoples are dramatically affected” said Drs. King and Chelico. “The statistics for hepatitis C are similar, and Saskatchewan has amongst the highest coinfection rates in the country. What has been missing from these statistics, however, is the strength of the people who live here – the stories of communities coming together, passionate people working throughout the care continuum and in public health laboratories, and innovative researchers on the front lines of the epidemic. By hosting the CAHR conference in Saskatoon, researchers around the country will see firsthand the beauty of the land and the resiliency of the people who live here. CAHR 2019 presents an opportunity to meaningfully and respectfully engage with discourses of “epidemic” and uphold the scientific rigour for which CAHR researchers are known.”

Taking place May 9th-12th, 2019 in Saskatoon, the annual 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.