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DeAnna Zanet

The road to HIV research is winding, many of the students that CAHR has supported have come into HIV research from various other disciplines and interests. DeAnna Zanet, currently completing her MSc at UBC, studied postharvest pathogens of apples during undergrad but became interested in HIV research in her fourth year. “It was quite a leap!” DeAnna says, “I took an in-depth course on the biochemistry of HIV infection and really got into HIV at a basic science level.” For her Masters research, DeAnna has joined Dr. Helene Côté’s laboratory, and in collaboration with other Canadian researchers, is studying the effects of HIV and antiretroviral therapy on cellular markers of aging in HIV infected and uninfected people.

DeAnna looks at telomeres, the protective ‘caps’ at the ends of our DNA that shorten as our bodies go through a lifetime of cell division and replication, to measure aging. Shorter telomeres are associated with accelerated aging and age related illnesses such as cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. HIV+ individuals tend to age faster than HIV- individuals, which may be due to antiretroviral therapy, viral proteins, co-morbidities and other factors. DeAnna’s research has already touched on the impacts of smoking, age, HIV status, income, and Hepatitis C co-infection on telomere length. At CAHR 2013, DeAnna shared her research into the effects of smoking on telomere length, where she discovered that current smoking status, rather than cumulative exposure, had the biggest impact.

Dr. Côté, DeAnna’s MSc supervisor points out that DeAnna’s research has already brought to light important new knowledge that is guiding the future research of the lab. And, she’s an asset to other lab members as well; “She promotes discussion in our lab,” explains Dr. Côté, “she encourages other members to contribute and keeps them up to date on current publications and news in the field”.

The CAHR is proud to support students like DeAnna with funding for annual CAHR/CIHR Master’s Awards. Thanks to this year’s CAHR/CIHRe award, DeAnna is progressing in her research. “The award has allowed me to take more of an independent leadership role in my project,” explains DeAnna. “With its support, I have been fortunate to present some results from my MSc at national and international conferences.” DeAnna says she benefits from the exchange of knowledge at these conferences, and is particularly inspired by current research in social sciences.

It’s not hard to see the value of DeAnna’s research, not only for the HIV research community, but to the aging research community as well. “My research has shed light on what factors may be contributing to accelerated aging at the cellular level,” explains DeAnna “from this, we can determine how modification of lifestyle and other factors could prevent this acceleration.“ Though time marches on for everyone, DeAnna hopes that her research can help to improve health and prolong life.

Congratulations on your research thus far DeAnna, and good luck in your future!

 

Our Mission

  • Promote excellence in HIV research
  • Foster collaboration and cooperation among HIV research communities, including basic science, clinical science, epidemiology & public health and social science
  • Promote education and the development of new researchers
  • Provide a unified voice for Canadian HIV researchers and engage diverse stakeholders (community, industry, Government, NGO’s etc.) in ongoing dialogue and knowledge exchange to ensure that HIV research remains responsive to their needs

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April 27 to 29, 2022

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About CAHR

With a membership of more than 1,000 researchers and others interested in HIV research, the Canadian Association for HIV Research (CAHR) is the leading organization of HIV/AIDS researchers in Canada. CAHR is the organizing body for the Annual Canadian Conference on HIV/AIDS Research (CAHR Conference).

CAHR encourages Canadian researchers to be leaders in knowledge translation and to effectively respond both to the Canadian and global HIV/AIDS epidemics. Since its founding in 1991, CAHR has promoted excellence in HIV research, including mentorship and career development of investigators entering the field.

CAHR fosters collaboration and co-operation among HIV research communities, including basic, clinical and social sciences, epidemiology and public health. CAHR also engages people living with HIV/AIDS and AIDS service organizations in ongoing dialogue and information exchange to ensure that HIV/AIDS research remains responsive to the epidemic and its stakeholders.

CAHR is a registered charity.

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