The 24th International AIDS Conference is taking place in Montreal between July 29 and August 2. Summarized below are numerous activities related to the CTN taking place before and during the conference, plus a day-to-day schedule of activities.

Symposia and Sessions

Multiple CTN investigators are involved in key sessions at this year’s conference. A short summary can be found here and a day-by-day schedule can be found below (all times in ET).

CTN Investigator Dr. Jean-Pierre Routy will be opening the conference on July 29 (9:00–10:30 AM, Room 220/Channel 1), presenting a Young Investigator Prize on August 1 (11:45 AM–12:45 PM, Room 517c/Channel 5), and presenting at the closing session on August 2 (4:45–5:10 PM, Room 220/Channel 1). CTN National Co-Director Dr. Sharon Walmsley will be hosting a sponsor satellite session on July 29 from 1:00–2:30 PM entitled ‘One Size Cannot Fit All,’ where presenters will discuss individualized management of care for people living with HIV. Presenting in part about her work with the Canadian HIV and Aging Cohort (CTN 272), Dr. Cecile Tremblay will present about heart health and aging with HIV for the Ageing with Grace with HIV Symposium (July 31, 2:15 PM). Also on July 31 (11:30 AM), the CTN will be hosting a live discussion between CTN Postdoctoral Fellows and Alumni at the Canada Pavillion. CTN Co-Director Dr. Marina Klein will be presenting about triple elimination of HIV (August 2, 9:15 PM), hepatitis C virus, and hepatitis B virus, informed by her work as lead of CTN 222: The Canadian Co-Infection Cohort.

Accepted as a late breaker abstract, Dr. Cecilia Costiniuk will present an oral abstract about findings from a CTN 328 substudy (CTN 328-1) to understand COVID-19 vaccination confidence in people living with HIV. Also as an oral abstract, Dr. Laura Sauve will discuss how COVID-19 affected vertical transmission of HIV, part of her work with the CTN’s Canadian Perinatal HIV Surveillance Program. Clinical Care and Management Core Co-lead Dr. Jason Brophy is moderating the Outcomes in paediatric and adolescent HIV: Beyond ART oral abstract session (July 29, 11:45 PM).

Posters

Several CTN Postdoctoral Fellows are presenting their work in the digital poster sessions. Dr. Léna Royston will discuss her work to compare the characteristics of Kaposi sarcoma between people living with HIV and HIV-negative people. She is also a co-author on a poster presented by Dr. Stephane Isnard about the relationship between bacterial leakage in the gut and cognitive abilities in people living with HIV. Dr. Elizabeth King will present findings from the CHIWOS Study (CTN 262) about sexual satisfaction in women living with HIV. The CHIWOS team will also share findings about factors related to satisfaction with care. Dr. Cara Spence will share her work about the HIV care cascade in Saskatoon. Dr. Alice Zhabokritsky will present two posters: One about evaluating healthy aging in women living with HIV, part CHANGE HIV (CTN 314), and another about pain prevalence and management among people with HIV during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Adria Quigley will present her work to measure and identify physical health challenges in people living with HIV. Dr. Jordan Sang will discuss the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on PrEP use among men who have sex with men in the Engage Study (CTN 300). He is also co-author on two other posters about findings from CTN 300: one about loneliness and sexual risk taking and one about PrEP use and bacterial STIs during the COVID-19 pandemic. The CTN 300 is also presenting a poster about access to sexual health care and sexual risk mitigation during the pandemic.

Through his work with the CTN’s Cannabis Working Group, Community Advisory Committee (CAC) Chair Enrico Mandarino will present a poster about the legal and clinical history of medical cannabis in Canada. Erin Cherban, CTN’S Chief Clinical Research Officer, will be discussing the CTN’s 32-year history and the lessons learned along the way. There are also numerous posters that will feature results and findings from CTN studies, including one led by Dr. Zabrina Brumme about CTN 328, the CTN’s flagship study about COVID-19 vaccination in people living with HIV. Dr. Hasina Samji will also present results of CTN 328 when she discusses the real-world effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines in people living with HIV. On top of Dr. Sauve’s oral presentation, a poster from the surveillance program discusses viral thresholds for beginning antiretroviral treatment in HIV-exposed newborns. Results from EPIC4 (CTN 281) will discuss the effect of integrase inhibitors on body mass index and blood pressure of children living with HIV.

Data from the Canadian HIV and Aging Cohort Study (CTN 272-1) will be presented in three posters: Dr. Madeleine Durand will present about how to assess cardiovascular risk in people living with HIV and two posters from the lab of Dr. Cecilia Tremblay will discuss how interleukin 6, an immune protein produced by white blood cells, can affect cardiovascular risk. Also related to HIV-associated comorbidities, Dr. Giada Sebastiani will present findings from CTN 326 about the use of Fibroscan to estimate risk of fatty liver disease in people living with HIV. Dr. Ann Burchell will discuss findings from CTN 275 about routine syphilis screening at HIV clinics. Results from HPV-SAVE (CTN 292) will also be presented. Dr. Carmen Logie will deliver a poster about structural violence, stigma and discrimination experienced by women living with HIV (SHAWNA; CTN 333). The CTN 308 team will present about the feasibility and safety of interventions to improve vaginal health in ACB women. The British Columbia CARMA-CHIWOS Collaboration (BCC3; CTN 335) study team will discuss preliminary findings from this newly launched study. Results from CTN 222 will be presented regarding depressive symptoms and health care utilization in people living with both HIV and hepatitis C virus.

Community Advisory Committee

Carrie Martin will be supporting the Indigenous Peoples’ Networking Zone at the Global Village. Folasade Olaniyan will be supporting information & people movement and disability help desk. Devan Nambiar has a Virtual Art exhibit of 14 art pieces at AIDS 2022 Global Village and Youth Programme, titled ‘Embracing your whole self: HIV status, sexuality, queerness, intimacy, spirituality, mentors, race/ethnicity, joy, and beauty to life.’

Christian Hui helped with the Global Village Art Exhibit: ‘Poz BIPOC lives matter: Co-creating a Global Village for Black, Indigenous, people of colour.’ In addition, the documentary he co-produced, ‘Walking in These Shoes,’ has several screenings throughout the conference (see schedule below).

Darren Lauscher will be on a panel presenting on ‘In/Visible Disability – The Silent Epidemic: Chronic Pain and HIV’ at the Global Village in the REALIZE space (Silver Zone), on July 31 at 12:00–2:00 PM. The presentation is a large collaborative of presenters.

Muluba Habanyama will be presenting at two conference symposia focusing on stigma: ‘Getting to the Heart of Stigma’ (July 27, 3:15–4:15 PM, Room 517c/Channel 5) and ‘Highlights from thought leadership symposium on getting to the heart of stigma’ (July 30, 5:45–7:15 PM, Room 511/Channel 7).

Other Activities

CTN Investigators are part of many projects outside of the CTN and are involved in presentations to share this work at the conference. This includes Dr. Peter Newman’s work to understand the impact of stigma in MSM and transgender women in India, Dr. Sean Hillier’s study on access to Indigenous cultural and health services in Ontario, and Dr. Isaac Bogoch’s long-term follow up of people using HIV post-exposure prophylaxis-in-pocket (“PIP”).

Check out the oral abstract sessions and posters to catch all the exciting research at AIDS 2022.

Day-to-day schedule

Below, you can discover what CTN-related events are taking place each day at AIDS 2022.

Wednesday, July 27

Pre-conference

1:30–3:00 PM | Montréal Ballroom
International Indigenous Pre-conference on HIV/AIDS
Track 1B – Navigating Indigenous Engagement – A practical look at understanding Indigenous ways of knowing and doing and how it is woven throughout the research
Speaker: Carrie Martin (CAC)

1:30–3:00 PM | Montréal Ballroom
International Indigenous Pre-conference on HIV/AIDS
Track 2B – UNAIDS PCB NGO Delegation Consultation
Speaker: Christian Hui (CAC)

3:15–4:15 PM | Room 517c/Channel 5
Getting to the Heart of Stigma – Addressing stigma is not enough
Co-chair: Dr. Carmen Logie (Investigator)
Advocacy and leadership: Muluba Habanyama (CAC)

Thursday, July 28

Pre-conference

9:00–10:00 AM | Room 517b/Channel 4
U=U Global Summit – Welcome to the U=U Global Summit 2022
Moderator: Christian Hui (CAC)

10:30 AM–12:00 PM | Fortifications Ballroom
International Indigenous Pre-conference on HIV/AIDS
Track 3 – CIHR Canadian Institutes of Health Research (Canada), Feast Centre for Indigenous STBBI Research at McMaster University(Canada), and HANC Office of HIV AIDS Network Coordination (USA)
Speaker: Dr. Charu Kaushic (Investigator)

11:30 AM–12:30 PM | Room 517b/Channel 4
U=U Global Summit – Let’s get Clinical: Understanding the U=U message in healthcare settings
Challenges to communicating the Undetectable equals Untransmittable (U=U) HIV prevention message: Healthcare provider perspectives
Presenter: Dr. Daniel Grace (Investigator)

4:30–5:30 PM | Room 511/Channel 7
2022 95-95-95 Targets Update – Prioritizing Equity to Close HIV Prevention and Treatment Gaps
Moderator: Dr. Alexandra de Pokomandy (Investigator)

Friday, July 29

9:00–10:15 AM | Room 220/Channel 1
Opening Session
Welcome: Dr. Jean-Pierre Routy (Investigator)

11:45 AM–12:45 PM | Room 511/Channel 7
Colliding epidemics: HIV, NCDs, TB, STIs, COVID-19 and others
The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on access to HIV Treatment and vertical transmission: results from the Canadian Perinatal HIV Surveillance Program
Presenter: Dr. Laura Sauve (Investigator)

11:45 AM–12:45 PM | Room 517b/Channel 4
Outcomes in paediatric and adolescent HIV: Beyond ART
Moderator: Dr. Jason Brophy (Clinical Care and Management Core Co-Lead)

1:00–2:30 PM | Room 517a/Channel 3
One size cannot fit all
Remaining issues in HIV management
Moderator and presenter: Dr. Sharon Walmsley (National Co-Director)

2:45–4:15 PM | Room 517a/Channel 3
The impact of COVID-19 on access to STBBI-related health services: Results from surveys in Canada
Moderator: Dr. Winston Husbands (Investigator)

4:30–6:00 PM | Room 516
Evidence to action: Focus on emerging HIV research leaders in Canada
Moderator: Dr. Charu Kaushic (Investigator)
Measuring Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights: Responding to the Needs of Indigenous Women and Girls in a Global Context

Presenter: Carrie Martin (CAC)
From Cell to Society: Working as a Team to Achieve the Women’s Healthy Aging Dream
Presenter: Dr. Melanie Murray (Investigator)

Saturday, July 30

11:45 AM–12:45 PM | Room 220 d/e/Channel 1
No substitute for experience: Highlighting grassroots approaches to HIV
Moderator: Dr. Alexandra King (Investigator)

12:15–2:45 PM | Global Village Silver Networking Zone
Walking in these Shoes – Screening
Producer: Christian Hui (CAC)

2:15–3:15 PM | Room 510/Channel 8
Novel insights into the nature of the HIV reservoir and mechanisms of persistence
Hitting a moving target: HIV reservoir dynamics and implications for cure
Presenter: Dr. Zabrina Brumme (Investigator)

2:15–3:15 PM | Room 510/Room 517b/Channel 4
Optimizing the HIV care continuum
Moderator: Dr. Alexandra de Pokomandy (Investigator)

5:30 PM | ATLAS DOCS HIV Documentary Film Festival
Walking in these Shoes – Screening
Producer: Christian Hui (CAC)

5:45–7:15 PM | Room 511/Channel 7
Highlights from thought leadership symposium on getting to the heart of stigma
Getting to the heart of stigma at scale – strong advocacy and leadership
Presenter: Muluba Habanyama (CAC)
Beyond stigma – considering stigma in the context of whole selves, health and well-being
Presenter: Dr. Carmen Logie (Investigator)

5:45–7:15 PM | Room 517d/Channel 2
Achieving health equity for 2SLGBTQI+ communities: Lessons learned from the HIV response in Canada
Panelist: Dr. Daniel Grace (Investigator)

Sunday, July 31

8:00 AM–9:00 PM | Room 516/Channel 6
Addressing context in implementation research to inform global HIV service delivery priorities
Modelling heterogeneity to inform HIV policy prioritization in the US
Presenter: Dr. Bohdan Nosyk (Investigator)

11:30 AM–12:30 PM | Canada Pavilion
CTN Postdoctoral Fellowship session

11:45 AM–12:45 PM | Room 517c/Channel 5
Enlightenment through estimation: New insights in HIV epidemiology
Moderator: Dr. Ann Burchell (Co-infections and Related Conditions Co-Lead)

11:45 AM–12:45 PM | Room 220/Channel 1
Late breaker track D: Oral abstract session
Understanding COVID-19 vaccine confidence in people living with HIV in Canada: a pan-Canadian survey
Presenter: Dr. Cecilia Costiniuk (Investigator)

12:00–2:00 PM | REALIZE space (Silver Zone) in Global Village
In/Visible Disability
The Silent Epidemic: Chronic Pain and HIV
Presenter: Darren Lauscher (CAC)

2:15–3:15 PM | Room 517c/Channel 5
Ageing with grace with HIV
Heart health and ageing on ART
Presenter: Dr. Cecile Tremblay (Investigator)

2:15–3:15 PM | Room 516/Channel 6
Learning from pandemics: From COVID-19 and HIV to future pandemics
Panelist: Dr. Nitika Pai (Investigator)

4:30 PM | Global Village Screening GFV16 – Virtual/Film screening room – Global Village Indigenous Networking Zone
Walking in these shoes – Screening
Producer: Christian Hui (CAC)

4:30–5:30 PM | Room 220 d/e/Channel 1
HIV prevention and treatment
Moderator: Dr. Angela Kaida (Investigator)

5:00 PM | Women’s Networking Zone, Global Village
Women Speak: Launch and Reception
Maureen Owino (CAC)

5:45–7:15 PM | Room 517c/Channel 5
Launch of the 2022 AJPH Special Issue: Addressing HIV-related intersectional stigma and discrimination to improve outcomes and inform public health efforts
Moderator: Dr. Carmen Logie (Investigator)

Monday, August 1

11:45 AM–12:45 PM | Room 517c/Channel 5
Packaging HIV prevention for different populations
IAS/Quebec AIDS Research Network Young Investigator Prize
Presenter: Dr. Jean-Pierre Routy (Investigator)

2:45–3:30 PM | PLHIV Networking Zone (Booth N3 right at entrance of Global Village)
HPV literacy: Cancer Risks for Positive People
Presenter: Devan Nambiar (CAC)

Tuesday, August 2

9:15–10:15 PM | Room 220/Channel 1
HIV and co-infections
Triple elimination: HIV, HCV, HBV
Presenter: Dr. Marina Klein (National Co-Director)

11:45 AM–12:45 PM | Room 517c/ Channel 5
Stigma interventions: Improving health and wellness for people living with HIV and key populations
Intersecting stigma experiences among refugee youth sexual violence survivors in a humanitarian context in Uganda: implications for HIV cascade engagement in conflict settings

Presenter: Dr. Carmen Logie (Investigator)

2:15–3:15 PM | Room 517d/Channel 2
Jumping through the hoops: Reaching key adolescent populations through effective community interventions
Intersecting stigmas (social justice lens)
Presenter: Dr. Carmen Logie (Investigator)

2:15–3:15 PM | Room 517a/Channel 3
Integrated mental health approaches and care among people living with HIV
Loneliness and ARV adherence: results from a cohort study of people living with HIV in Ontario, Canada
Presenter: Dr. Abigail Kroch (Investigator)

4:45–5:10 PM | Room 220/Channel 1
Closing sessions
Closing remarks from the Local Co-Chair
Presenter: Dr. Jean-Pierre Routy (Investigator)