British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS

04/08/2026

04/08/2026

“It’s 2:30 in the morning. He should be going to bed, he should not be answering emails and text messages, and making phone calls. That’s exemplary healthcare!”

Darren Lauscher joined the Pulpit Podcast to discuss his healthcare journey including his relationship with long-time HIV specialist Dr. Julio Montaner. Building a collaborative relationship, they were able to tailor treatment regimens that addressed Darren's real-world realities, and in doing so, transformed his HIV care, allowing him to thrive while living with HIV.

Check out the full interview at https://open.spotify.com/episode/7qTpYS4uBgp7UFtidtKmIY.

🏔️"Mountains aren't just places - they're where you discover what you're made of." For Darren Lauscher, the mountains (and ultrarunning them) became a metaphor for life after his 1989 HIV diagnosis: pushing boundaries when the medical world said "you could die," refusing to accept one-size-fits-all care, and still thriving because of it.

In this episode of That One Professional, Darren shares his story with host Matthijs Bosveld: the terror of the early HIV/AIDS era, toxic regimens that demanded bathroom mapping for a decade, failed therapies, and the fear of experimental "salvage" drugs ⚠️💊that could kill on the first dose.

What changed everything? Dr. Julio Montaner 👨‍⚕️, his HIV specialist, who evolved from directive to deeply collaborative: listening to Darren's life as an ultrarunner, adapting meds to real-world realities (no refrigeration issues on trails, timing around hydration/eating), bridging silos (e.g., coordinating with cardiology), and even phoning from Paris at 2:30 a.m. to protect a stable regimen rather than risk change.

Darren's takeaway for healthcare professionals: "It's not about what's easy—it's about what's right." Ask the hard questions, build bridges across specialties, prioritize patient voice, and treat care as a two-way partnership. Darren now brings that lived experience (and cutting-edge research) into classrooms, planting seeds for the next generation. Huge thanks to Darren for his courage, humor, and ongoing advocacy.

Listen now (link in comments) and reflect: How can we better make care fit the person's life, not just the protocol? What "right" choice are we avoiding because it's not easy? ⚖️

🎧 Listen now and reflect.
👉 Link here:

🤝 🤍

03/31/2026

"The world has lost a voice of unmatched eloquence and integrity." - The Lewis Family

Anyone who met Stephen Lewis, knows that these words epitomize a man whose blend of optimism and action, inspired the world to tackle HIV/AIDS head-on and with urgency. If you were fortunate enough to hear him speak in-person, you couldn't help but be left in awe of his cogency, willing to join arms in the fight to ensure that those living with, or at risk of HIV, received treatment regardless of circumstance.

His passion for amplifying the message of those without a voice is evident through his work in Africa, which continues today through the Stephen Lewis Foundation. He knew the world had the tools to end HIV/AIDS, but lacked the political will, something that rings as true today, as it did in the 2000s. Calling on developed countries to lead the way, ensuring scientific advances reach all corners of the globe, Lewis was a moral compass for the world, something we need more than ever!

Among his diplomatic roles, particularly as UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, he was a good friend of the BC-CfE and a stalwart supporter of the work accomplished here in BC. He was a champion of Treatment as Prevention from the beginning, even when others doubted the concept, famously saying of BC-CfE Executive Director & Physician-in-Chief Dr. Julio Montaner's role in its creation as someone "who I believe, will one day win a Nobel Prize".

We were especially grateful that Stephen was able to join us in Vancouver last June for the Canadian TasP Summit, where he inspired a new generation of HIV scientists, researchers and policy-makers from across Canada with his passionate call to redouble our efforts to lead the global HIV response. His passion undimmed, he received a standing ovation from all in attendance.

The BC-CfE offers our sincere condolences to Stephen's family, friends and colleagues. We have lost a titan not just in HIV/AIDS, but for social justice and human rights across the world.

03/26/2026

Registration is now open for the Spring 2026 BC-CfE Update, taking place on Friday, June 12, 2026 from 12:00 – 5:00pm. Attendance in person at the Sheraton Wall Centre’s Grand Ballroom is limited, however the event will also be streamed online for those unable to join.

This open educational event sponsored by the BC-CfE will focus on the following:

• Examine key issues affecting communities impacted by HIV in BC;
• Discuss the role of new long-acting injectable antiretrovirals in the treatment and prevention of HIV in BC;
• Summarize current vaccine recommendations for people living with HIV; and
• Review recent insights from HIV cure research.

We invite you to visit https://bccfe.ca/events/bc-cfe-update-spring-2026/ for more information and to register.

03/05/2026

Discussing with Dr. Julio Montaner and his team at his Hope to Health clinic about the value of vaccination, especially shingles, in decreasing the onset of dementia and extraordinary rise of HIV cases in Canada.

02/20/2026

Join us next Thursday, February 26th from 6:00pm to 7:30pm for the next Health Initiative for Men (HIM) HIMformation event at Little Sister's Bookstore in Vancouver.

Members of the British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS's SHAPE Study will be discussing their experiences and research findings as part of a panel discussion on HIV in BC.

You can learn more at https://checkhimout.ca/him-events/himformation/.

HIMformation presents HIV and the SHAPE Study! Join HIM for a panel style discussion featuring leading peer researchers and experts on HIV and AIDS research and findings from a local HIV study. You’ll learn more about how HIV and stigma is still affecting q***r communities, and what you can do to take care of yourself and stay informed!

Soft refreshments will be provided.

More info: https://checkhimout.ca/events

02/18/2026

At a time when scientific advances suggest we can end HIV/AIDS as a pandemic concern by 2030, it is a crime that we may stumble before the finish line.

Dr. Julio Montaner joined colleagues Drs. Robert Hogg, Reuben Granich, Brian Williams and Sindisiwe Shangase in a recent paper in BMJ Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) providing a full-throated testament of the life-changing impact that decades of bipartisan support for PEPFAR and USAID have had on HIV/AIDS and global health more broadly.

https://sti.bmj.com/content/early/2026/01/26/sextrans-2025-056807

With the future of these programs in question amid foreign aid freezes and reduced funding commitments from the current US administration and G7 countries, the authors caution leaders to carefully reflect on the consequences of dismantling these programs.

Since launching in 2003, PEPFAR has provided antiretroviral treatment to over 20 million people, saving more than 25 million lives, ensuring seven million babies were born without HIV, and cutting new HIV infections by half in the most impacted countries. Recent UNAIDS modelling shows that if funding disappears permanently, the world could see an additional six million new HIV infections and additional four million deaths by 2029.

With one of the most successful global health initiatives under threat, inaction against HIV/AIDS not only leads to a devastating resurgence of HIV, but fuels injustice and inequality in our world and that, they argue, remains a crime against humanity.

01/30/2026

The BC-CfE is launching a new patient-centred Outpatient Parenteral Therapy (OPT) service at the Hope to Health Research & Innovation Centre and we’re looking for nurses to join our interdisciplinary team in providing this innovative care.

Expanding access to intravenous (IV) antimicrobial therapy for those living in the Downtown Eastside, the OPT aims to improve health outcomes for people with significant skin and soft tissue infections, reduce hospital burden, and ensure clients receive holistic, wraparound care.

If you’re a nurse interested in making a difference in the lives of those in our community or know someone who might, please share or visit the following links and apply now!

· https://www.providencehealthcare.org/en/careers/external-jobs/registered-nurse-registered-psychiatric-nurse-outpatient-parenteral-therapy-2
· https://www.providencehealthcare.org/en/careers/external-jobs/registered-nurse-registered-psychiatric-nurse-outpatient-parenteral-therapy-0

12/03/2025

To further enhance BC's HIV response, GenomeBC is funding a new project led by BC-CfE Senior Research Scientist Dr. Jeffrey Joy to better understand transmission patterns and HIV diagnoses in the province.

Using advanced genomic and AI-enabled tools, this project will help improve efforts to connect people with HIV treatment and care, particularly as transmission increasingly becomes interconnected across provinces and borders, making tracking its spread more challenging. Additionally, it will improve HIV prevention strategies, ensuring public health teams can more precisely reach people at increased risk of transmission and connect them with preventative tools.

We are grateful to Genome BC for funding this innovative work, you can learn more by visiting the link below.

Vancouver — British Columbia has made remarkable progress in reducing HIV transmission and researchers now believe the province is closer than ever to achieving sustained control of new infections. To […]

12/02/2025

12/02/2025

12/02/2025

We mark World AIDS Day today, amid a changing landscape of HIV where our collective response is at a crossroads that requires us to reflect on the past and look to the future. Honouring the millions of lives lost to AIDS, and the realities facing those who live with HIV, provides a solemn reminder of the importance of the work we undertake, and what is at stake if we fail to act.

And yet, after many years of encouraging updates about the strides made in the fight to end the HIV epidemic by 2030, we find ourselves looking towards that target with an uncertainty that requires a renewed effort. HIV cases are rising globally and here in Canada, and the funding necessary to respond, is under threat. Canada’s recent federal budget has failed to increase domestic funding, while reducing its contribution to the Global Fund, joining many nations in failing to close the gap in global health programming left by the pullback of funding from the current US administration.

This reality demonstrates that a coordinated and focused approach, one that brings together science, community and government support, is urgently needed. We know that fully funding a generalized Treatment as Prevention strategy alongside a targeted Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis program has the ability to meet the UNAIDS 95-95-95 Targets, but its success hasn’t been widely adopted.

So why is no one listening? Dr. Montaner argues the time for complacency is over. It’s time for all of us to join together and demand our policy makers & government officials renew and properly fund the HIV response in Canada and globally, or the consequences will be grim. It’s time to get angry about the lack of funding, urgency or foresight that currently threatens HIV/AIDS control, and bring awareness to the forefront once more.