CANFAR and CAHR are excited to announce the recipients of the 2024 CAHR-CANFAR Excellence in HIV Research Awards. These awards, bestowed since 2017, honour mid-career researchers who, while at the prime of their careers, have achieved a track record of excellence and demonstrated a commitment to improving the lives of those living with HIV with or at risk.
The 2024 winners of the CAHR-CANFAR Excellence in HIV Research Awards are:
- Basic Sciences: Dr. Nicolas Chomont, Université de Montréal
- Clinical Sciences: Dr. Alice Tseng, University Health Network
- Epidemiology-Public Health: Dr. Kate Salters, Simon Fraser
- Social Sciences: Dr. Daniel Grace, Dalla Lana School of Public Health
- Community-Based Research: James Watson, St. Michael’s Hospital
Basic Sciences: Dr. Nicolas Chomont (Université de Montréal)
Dr. Nicolas Chomont is an associate professor in the Department of Microbiology, Infectiology and Immunology at the Université de Montréal. His laboratory is located at the CHUM Research Center (CRCHUM). Dr. Chomont obtained his PhD in medical virology at the Pierre and Marie Curie University (Paris VI) under the supervision of Prof. Laurent Bélec in the laboratory of Prof. Michel Kazatchkine. He studied the interactions between HIV and genital mucosa and their implications on the sexual transmission of the virus.
Between 2004 and 2009, he completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the laboratory of Dr. Rafick Sékaly at the Université de Montréal and the CRCHUM. His work led to the identification of HIV cellular reservoirs that are responsible for the persistence of the virus during antiretroviral therapy. Dr. Chomont then moved to VGTI-Florida where he was named “Associate Member”. As an independent researcher, he continued his work to characterize viral reservoirs that constitute the major obstacle to the eradication of HIV. Since January 2015, Dr. Chomont has joined the University of Montreal and the CRCHUM where he leads a research program aimed at dissecting the molecular and immunological mechanisms involved in viral latency and developing new therapeutic strategies aimed at eliminating HIV reservoirs.
Clinical Sciences: Dr. Alice Tseng (University Health Network)
Alice Tseng obtained her Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy and Doctor of Pharmacy degrees from the University of Toronto, and completed a hospital Pharmacy Residency at Toronto Western Hospital. Dr. Tseng was one of the first pharmacists in Canada to establish a specialty practice in HIV ambulatory care, and co-founded the Ontario HIV Pharmacists Specialty Group and the Canadian HIV and Viral Hepatitis Pharmacists Network. She has authored or co-authored over 100 publications and book chapters, presented over 75 papers at national and international research conferences, and maintains comprehensive websites on both HIV and hepatitis C drug interaction and pharmacology information (https://hivclinic.ca and https://hivclinic.ca/app).
Dr. Tseng coordinates an HIV specialty pharmacy residency in partnership with McGill University Health Centre and the University of Toronto, serves on numerous professional and scientific committees, and has participated in various international HIV/AIDS collaborative strategies. She has volunteered on various community AIDS service initiatives, and previously served on the Board of Directors of the AIDS Committee of Toronto. Her interests include drug interactions, pharmacokinetics and polypharmacy in the aging HIV population.
Dr. Tseng is a recipient/co-recipient of over two dozen national and provincial pharmacy awards, a Fellow of the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists and is credentialed as an HIV Pharmacist through the American Academy of HIV Medicine. Dr. Tseng was awarded the inaugural Hall of Distinction Alumni Award from the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy in 2020, recognizing her significant achievements in the profession of pharmacy.
Epidemiology-Public Health: Dr. Kate Salters (Simon Fraser)
Kate Salters joined the faculty at Simon Fraser as an instructor in 2012 and was appointed as an adjunct faculty member in January 2019. Dr. Salters is a Research Scientist with the Epidemiology and Population Health program at the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS. Her work focuses on epidemiological investigations into HIV- and hepatitis-specific health outcomes, treatment outcomes, and patterns of health care engagement. Dr. Salters completed her PhD in Health Sciences from Simon Fraser University in 2017 and her doctoral work focused on the epidemiology of cancer among women living with HIV.
She has been working in the field of HIV/AIDS for the previous 11 years and has developed expertise in community-based research methods and clinical epidemiology. She is passionate about conducting epidemiological research that engages community in order to inform clinical practice and policy to address health inequities.
Social Sciences: Dr. Daniel Grace (Dalla Lana School of Public Health)
Dr. Daniel Grace is a Canada Research Chair in Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Associate Professor at the University of Toronto, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, Social and Behavioural Health Sciences. Daniel is a sociologist who conducts research related to the social determinants of health, HIV and STI prevention strategies, and the sexual health of gay men. Daniel completed his postdoctoral research at the University of British Columbia and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.
He is currently working on multiple qualitative and mixed methods studies funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) in Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal in the areas of health care access, HIV and STI prevention, and mental health for diverse communities of gay men. These studies include a focus on conducting qualitative analysis to understand how HIV prevention strategies and biomedical technologies are used and understood by gay men in their everyday social and sexual lives. His recent first authored publications have appeared in Critical Public Health, Culture, Health & Sexuality, AIDS Education & Prevention, AIDS Care, and Health & Place.
Community-Based Research: James Watson (St. Michael’s Hospital)
James Watson began his career in 2006 as a peer researcher and now oversees the HIV stigma portfolio and peer-led initiatives as a Research Manager for REACH Nexus at the MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, based in St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto.
Living with HIV for over 25 years James brings a unique and personal perspective to his work, fostering a deep commitment to community-based research, community engagement, and peer support. He understood early on that lived experience was (and is) expertise – and continues to use it to engage others, bolstering his own confidence and propelling his life’s work.
His passion for community building and the belief that knowledge is best shared through conversation and story is evident in his role as the host and producer of “pozcast.” Through pozcast James explores the transformative power of dialogue and narrative in building a resilient and supportive community.
To learn more about CANFAR’s investments in research, please click here.