CIHR-sponsored Café Scientifique explores range of topics related to HIV
A CIHR-sponsored Café Scientifique titled Going Viral: Keeping HIV/AIDS on the Radar was held at the Gonzaga High School auditorium in St. John’s, NL on Dec. 1, 2011. Scheduled to coincide with World AIDS Day, the Café featured an expert panel that addressed a range of issues and topics related to HIV.
Over 50 people were in attendance, including members of the general public and media representatives, who had an opportunity to participate in a discussion that focused on current research, as well as dynamics around the treatment and awareness of HIV in the community. The choice of location for the Café was prompted by the efforts of a group of Gonzaga High School students who, in 2010, launched a fundraising effort to coincide with World AIDS Day and donated all proceeds to the AIDS Committee of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Host and principal investigator Dr. Deborah Kelly is the HIV program clinical pharmacist and an associate professor at Memorial University. She talked about the value of bringing together the expert panel in the collaborative, open forum that is enabled by the Café Scientifique format.
“It’s not often that you can sit with your colleagues from across a range of health disciplines, not to mention those who have such tremendous advocacy experience and those who have lived with the disease in our communities,” she said. “This particular group includes a biomedical researcher, the first HIV-treating physician in this province, and an individual who can give us direct insight about her experience living with HIV.”
The evening began with welcoming remarks from Ms. Aanchal Ralhan, a level 3 student at Gonzaga High School, followed by each panelist giving a short presentation. Dr. Michael Grant, a CIHR-funded researcher in the Faculty of Medicine at Memorial University, provided insight based on his latest research in HIV treatment and recent prevention studies. Dr. Ian Bowmer talked about treating patients with HIV since the 1980s, the stigma of the disease and the related effects on those who suffer from it. Finally, Robyn Pardy spoke about her experience living with HIV, how it has affected her family, and her outreach work with young people through school visits and other advocacy initiatives. Dr. Kelly noted that Robyn’s contribution was vital to the success of the dialogue.
“Robyn’s story of living with HIV and the experiences that she has encountered on that journey is the most critical piece of this discussion. She is able to reach people in a way that only someone who has lived with the disease can. Ultimately, what we all do in our respective roles is about trying to make a difference in the lives of people like Robyn.”
Immediately following the panel presentations, a short refreshment break allowed attendees to continue the discussion in an informal setting. Notable among those in attendance were Dr. David Allison, medical officer with Eastern Health; Dr. Bayan Missaghi, an infectious disease specialist who is a member of Memorial University’s Faculty of Medicine and the medical director of Eastern Health’s HIV Clinic; co-investigator Kimberley Burt, the HIV program nurse practitioner with Eastern Health; Andrea Doyle, public health nurse with Eastern Health who performs HIV testing; Consie Howley, the first HIV treating nurse in Newfoundland and Labrador; Philip Lundrigan, chair of the AIDS Committee of Newfoundland and Labrador; Cheryl Schulz, social worker for the HIV program at Eastern Health and Edward van Nostrand, principal of Gonzaga High School.
In keeping with the CIHR Café priorities, the refreshment break provided panelists and audience members with an opportunity to mingle, encouraging informal introductions and group discussion, a format that opened up the dialogue and contributed to the Q&A session that followed. During the formal question and answer period, a variety of issues were raised, but attention was particularly focused on the importance of reaching at-risk populations and youth with relevant prevention and awareness messages and the importance of mitigation through initiatives such as safe-injection sites and rapid HIV testing.
The Café was supported by an extensive social media campaign, including invitations to attendees via Facebook and a Youtube video featuring Robyn Pardy’s personal story. The video has been watched over 450 times since being posted a week before the Café. In addition, the event received extensive local media attention.
Most notably, the impact of the Café Scientifique event did not stop at the auditorium doors. In the week following the event, there were reports of several people who were motivated by the related media coverage to seek HIV testing. The Café also sparked the formation of a new multidisciplinary HIV/AIDS research interest group in the province. Community agencies and health professionals are particularly interested in pursuing funding for rapid HIV testing in Newfoundland and Labrador.