Principal Investigators
Dr. Hélène Côté
Dr. Hélène Côté is a professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of British Columbia (UBC), as well as an associate member at the Women's Health Research Institute (WHRI). She has many concurrent projects in her lab examining aging and mitochondrial toxicity in relation to viral infections and antiretroviral therapies. She has led the CARMA cohort for the past 12 years. As a principal investigator, she will be guiding and managing BCC3 study activities, ensuring that we are meeting our research goals, and doing research in a good way.
Dr. Melanie Murray
Dr. Melanie Murray is a clinical associate professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of British Columbia (UBC). She is an infectious disease specialist in HIV care at BC Women's Oak Tree Clinic. Her research interests include HIV and women, HIV and aging, and engaging persons in care for their HIV. As one of the principal investigators, she will be leading investigation into the impacts of HIV infection, psychosocial and structural factors on hormonal dysregulation and comorbidities in BCC3 cohort participants.
Dr. Angela Kaida
Dr. Angela Kaida is an associate professor and global health epidemiologist in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University (SFU). She works closely with community leaders and decision-makers to integrate research evidence into health policy and programming, attending to social and gender equity. Her many research studies focus on access to HIV treatment and prevention services, and their impacts on sexual and reproductive intentions, behaviours, and outcomes of HIV-affected individuals.
Co-Investigators / Knowledge Users
Elder Valerie Nicholson
Honouring her given names The One the Eagles watch over, NoDe WenDa {wolf eyes} and Auntie from the Torres Straight Islanders, Elder Valerie is Mi'kmaq, Haida, Roma and UK Islander descent. Elder Valerie is a Spirited Indigenous Warrior Woman who is an Indigenous Peer Navigator with the Positive Living Society of BC, and was a past Chair of the Board of the Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network. She also works in community-based research, and mentors HIV+ youth as a trainer for the Positive Leadership Development Institute. As a co-investigator, Elder Valerie also ensures that the research is being done in a good way.
Dr. Elizabeth King
Dr. Elizabeth King is an infectious disease specialist and Postdoctoral Fellow with an interest in understanding and optimizing healthy aging and reproductive health for women living with HIV. She is currently engaged in projects at better understanding menopause for women living with HIV to improve health and wellbeing during this important transition.
Elder Sheila Nyman
Elder Sheila is a Syilx Metis woman from the Lower Similkameen in the Okanagan Valley, who began her work with women living with HIV/AIDS at Oak Tree Clinic as the former Executive Director of New Dawn, New Day and New Way Recovery homes during the mid-90s. She continues to use her skills as an Elder with traditional healing training and also as a Master level Clinical Social Worker, providing support to women living with HIV. She integrates western and Indigenous models of healing strategies and the wisdom she has learned over the many years of working with women, Indigenous people and AIDS research projects.
Research Staff and Students
Marcela Ardengue P. Silva
Marcela is the BCC3 Research Coordinator. Originally from Brazil, she is an internationally trained nurse and recently graduated in the Master of Public Health program at Simon Fraser University. Her interests lie in equitable access to health services, and women’s health; particularly sexual and reproductive health.
Shayda Swann
Shayda is a graduate student at the University of British Columbia in the combined Doctor of Medicine/Doctor of Philosophy (MD/PhD) program. Shayda has experience working in HIV cure research at Simon Fraser University and at the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS. She has a keen interest in HIV, women’s health, and endocrinology and will be exploring the impacts of HIV infection and social factors on hormonal dysregulation in BCC3 cohort.
Tetiana Povshedna
Tetiana is a graduate student at the University of British Columbia (UBC) completing her Master of Science (MSc) in the Pathology and Laboratory Medicine program.
Shelly T
Shelly’s background includes founding program experience in HIV Peer Navigation and Peer Support programming in both clinic and community outreach settings, as well as extensive experience in Health and Wellness Coordination. A vocal advocate for peer support and the need for increased women’s HIV/HCV research and programming, Shelly was honoured to be an inaugural writer for Life and Love with HIV, a global online platform dedicated to de-stigmatizing sexuality and relationships among women, partners, and couples living with HIV by shifting the focus from risk to pleasure.
Melanie Lee
Melanie has been a Peer Research Associate (PRA) for CHIWOS since 2012 and now works on the BCC3 study. She was also involved with the creation of the Women’s-Centred HIV Toolkits for clinicians and community members with the national CHIWOS team; disseminated in 2020. Melanie also voluntarily runs a community based organic coop (Harvest Co-op) that serves produce to people living with HIV and their allies. She finds research gratifying as she learns more about humanity, her community, and herself. This work has given her a sense of purpose and belonging which she was missing since she had to stopped working as a pharmacy technician due to HIV related health issues.
Davi Pang
Davi has worked in the activist community in Metro Vancouver advocating for women and children for 15 years. Davi has facilitated peer support groups at the Oak Tree Clinic, Positive Haven, and Women’s Health Collective. She has worked as a Research Associate on the Women’s Health Project, Asian Society for the Intervention of AIDS (ASIA), and was instrumental in forming a non-profit society SWAN (Supporting Women’s Alternatives Network). Davi enjoys hiking, yoga, cooking, and spending time with her fur baby Riley.
Charity Mudhikwa
Charity is an MSc student and Research Assistant working on the BCC3 study. She is interested in HIV/AIDS epidemiology particularly as it relates to women’s sexual and reproductive health. She is also interested in the impacts of racial discrimination on the health outcomes of women living in British Columbia
Zoë Osborne
Zoë is a community-based research coordinator for the "RE-IMAGYN" study and is passionate about gender equity, with a focus on sexual and reproductive health and rights. She supports the community-based approaches and qualitative research aspects of the BCC3 study. Zoë holds a Master of Public Health degree from Simon Fraser University and a Bachelor’s degree in molecular and cellular biology from Harvard University.
Vy Manohara
Vy is an undergraduate student at the University of British Columbia completing her Bachelor of Science with a major in Biology and a minor in Law and Society. She was working with us as a Co-op student conducting BCC3 clinical study visits and now she is a Directed Studies student working on cortisol analyses.
Kelly Mathews
Kelly is a medical student at the University of British Columbia (UBC). She completed her BSc. in Biology at UBC in 2020. Kelly’s project explores psychosocial and hormonal factors influencing sexual pleasure in women living with and without HIV. Kelly’s interests include sexual and reproductive health, endocrinology and community-based research.
Summer Zhang
Summer is currently a third year medical student at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and studied Pharmacology at McGill university previously. Summer's current project focuses on the comorbidity burden and aging experiences of women living with HIV including the socio-structural factors that influence it. Her interests include women's health, aging and knowledge translation/exchange!
Perla Araiza
Perla is a practicum student at Simon Fraser University completing a Master of Public Health degree. She has a background in the health sciences, having worked in knowledge translation/exchange and health promotion settings during her undergrad. Perla is passionate for health equity, advancing evidence-informed improvements in care, and has a deep interest in meaningful community engagement.
Beheroze Sattha
Beheroze is a laboratory technologist and manages the BC Women’s Hospital Research Lab. She leads the biological sample processing for the BCC3 and CARMA study samples.
Community Partners / Knowledge Users
Ivan Leonce
Ivan is a healer, artist, and educator of Afro-Caribbean, Tamil and Kalinago ancestry. He was born and raised in one of his ancestral homelands, Iere, Land of the Hummingbirds, Kalinago territory and moved to xʷməθkʷəy̓əm territory in 2012 seeking a change from colonially imposed anti-queer laws in the Caribbean. As Executive Director at YouthCO, Ivan works with a team of young leaders within the HIV and Hep C movement to reduce the impact of HIV stigma on youth across British Columbia. Ivan and YouthCO support BCC3 with recruitment, study guidance, and knowledge translation/exchange.
Patience Magagula
Patience is the Executive Director at Afro-Canadian Positive Network (ACPNet) and is passionate about reducing stigma, sharing research knowledge, and improving health equity of African, Caribbean, and/or Black women living with HIV. Patience and ACPNet support BCC3 with recruitment, study guidance, and knowledge translation/exchange.
Co-investigators
- Jason Brophy (MD, MSc)
- Allison Carter (PhD, MPH)
- Chelsea Elwood (MD)
- Elizabeth King (MD)
- Carmen Logie (PhD)
- Neora Pick (MD)
- Jerilynn Prior (MD)
- Kate Salters (PhD, MPH)
- Joel Singer (PhD)
- Mona Loutfy (MD, MPH)
Former Research Staff and Students
Rebecca (Becky) Gormley
Becky was a research coordinator for the BCC3 study, as well as the provincial research coordinator for 2 national studies (CHIWOS and WATCH). Becky helped develop the training materials and delivering training for the Peer Research Associates on the BCC3 study.
Amber Campbell
Amber is a former BCC3 research coordinator who oversaw the smooth running of the study.
Sofie Levy
Sofie was a Co-op Student at the Oak Tree Clinic and assisted with BCC3 clinical study visits. Sofie also completed a directed studies project with BCC3 looking at chronic/latent viral infections.
Evelyn Maan
Evelyn is a research nurse and was a research manager at Oak Tree Clinic, where she was overseeing multiple research projects that focus on the needs of women and children living with HIV.
Tsion Gebremedhen
As an MPH student, Tsion assisted in the development of training materials for the Community Research Associates on the BCC3 study. Tsion also led a project to explore the research experiences of persons identifying as African, Caribbean and/or Black (ACB) in BC, with the aim of increasing the meaningful engagement of ACB folks in research
Vonnie Lee
Vonnie was a research assistant and assisted with building and piloting the BCC3 questionnaire in the REDCap database. She has since moved on to pursue a career in nursing!
Tara Fernando
Tara is a Master of Public Health candidate who fulfilled her practicum at the BCC3 study, and continued on as a part-time KT assistant. She worked closely with the CHIWOS-PAW team to help design the 4 part poster series. Tara is passionate about community engagement, knowledge translation + exchange, and advancing health equity.