CAHR Professional Development Awards Highlights
Shelly Tognazzini

Portrait of Shelly Tognazzini

Shelly Tognazzini is a Community Research Associate with the British Columbia CARMA CHIWOS Study (BCC3 Study); a community-based, women-centered, cell-to-society study. BCC3 brings together women living with HIV, researchers, clinicians, and community partners, with the goal of better understanding how to improve and support healthy aging for women living with HIV. Thanks to the support from a CAHR Professional Development Award, Shelly was able to attend the 35th Annual Canadian Conference on HIV/AIDS Research (CAHR 2026). At this conference, Shelly presented her first two first-author posters, she co-presented two oral abstracts in the Social Sciences stream, and she participated in the New HIV Researcher Workshop as a panelist and mentor. Funding allowed her to participate fully across multiple conference streams and deepen her engagement with national HIV research networks.

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 this support, Shelly may not have been able to attend the conference and gain hands-on experience presenting community-based research. Further, she would not have made such strong new connections with researchers, clinicians, and community partners from across Canada.

“As a woman living with HIV in my community, I see the vast difference between Community-Based Research done in a truly good way, involving community every step of the way, from grant writing, to survey design and administration, to delivering results and knowledge mobilization back to the community it serves – compared to tokenistic seats at the table to check the boxes for funding.”

Through this experience, Shelly was able to strengthen her confidence in terms of public speaking and knowledge sharing, as well as deepen her understanding of HIV research across all four streams (social, clinical, epidemiological, and basic sciences).

She gained new ideas for knowledge mobilization and community-engaged research practices, and learned from mentorship and leadership opportunities that supported her growth as a Community Research Associate.

“This conference reminded me that research is not just about knowledge and science, but about people, relationships, and accountability,” Shelly shared. “I leave deeply grateful, grounded in community, strengthened by connection, and committed to carrying this work forward with intention and care. Thank you for making that possible.”

The experience shaped Shelly’s future career goals by deepening her commitment to community-driven HIV research, strengthening her national research connections, and boosting her confidence in representing community-based work on national platforms. It also supported her long-term goal in contributing to research that is impactful, accessible, and truly meaningful for women living with HIV.