Principal Investigators
Dr. Elizabeth King
Nominated Principal Investigator (PI)
Dr. Elizabeth King is an Assistant Professor with the Faculty of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University and works clinically as an Infectious Diseases specialist at the Oak Tree Clinic and in the Fraser Health Authority. As a clinician and researcher, Dr. King is committed to improving the healthcare of women living with HIV. Her research focuses specifically on age-related health disparities for women with HIV and uses community-based methodology with quantitative and mixed-methods approaches. As the nominated principal investigator of the REDOSE study, Dr. King hopes to contribute research toward reducing systemic inequities in how HIV medications are developed and evaluated for people living with HIV.
Dr. Hélène Côté
Principal Investigator (PI)
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
Principal Investigator (PI)
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. Stacey Tkachuk
Co-Investigator (Co-I)
Dr. Stacey Tkachuk is a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist at BC Women’s Oak Tree Clinic and a clinical assistant professor in the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of British Columbia (UBC). Her research interests include prevention of perinatal HIV transmission and optimizing antiretroviral therapy in women living with HIV with a particular focus on drug therapy as women age.
Community Consultants
Darren Lauscher
Community Consultant
As an Advocate, Activist, and Peer he has been involved in Community-Based Research for over two decades. He feels it is important that persons with lived experience be at the table to help frame and guide research to garner the best results possible. In this journey of involvement, it is important to be inclusive of all those who make up our world. As well not only deliver knowledge back into the HIV community but into other communities that may benefit from it as well. Part of that is making sure it gets back into the educational realm so that our future health care providers are learning from what is happening on the ground in real time to support what is established formats within the academic structures.
Melanie Lee
Community Consultant
Melanie has been a Community Research Associate (CRA) 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. Melanie also voluntarily runs a community based organic coop (Harvest Co-op) that serves produce to people living with HIV and their allies.
Shelly T
Community Consultant
Shelly’s background includes founding program experience in HIV Peer Navigation and Peer Support programming in both clinic and community outreach settings. 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.
Research Staff and Students
Marcela Silva
Research Coordinator
Marcela is the REDOSE Research Coordinator. She is an internationally trained nurse and holds a Master of Public Health degree from Simon Fraser University. With expertise in health promotion, her interests lie in equitable access to health services and women’s health, particularly sexual and reproductive health.
Brody Lyons
Research Assistant
Brody is a research assistant (RA) and coordinates clinical research studies at St. Paul’s Hospital (SPH), BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS within the area of infectious diseases such as HIV and monkeypox. He will be the RA for the REDOSE study at SPH, and is currently a Site Coordinator for the PLATINUM-CAN trial and MPOCS Cohort study. Brody received his Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from the University of British Columbia in 2023 and plans to pursue a career in medicine.