Nathan Lachowsky received the Michael Smith Health Research Foundation scholar award for 2017.

Public Health & Social Policy

Nathan Lachowsky

Nathan Lachowsky, Assistant Professor, received the Michael Smith Health Research Foundation scholar award for 2017. Intended to support early-career researchers, Lachowsky will use his award to study the current epidemic of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections in Metro Vancouver and elsewhere in B.C.

New HIV diagnoses are 71 times higher among men who have sex with men (MSM) compared to the general population. Lachowsky’s research will study risk behaviours, shifting attitudes toward HIV, treatment challenges and changes in sexual negotiation and practices. This work will inform public health policy and interventions aimed at reducing the incidence of HIV, and is part of a larger national research program examining health disparities among MSM.

Lachowsky was also awarded two new grants from the Canadian Blood Services for their MSM research program totaling $450,000 over the next two years:

  • $400,000 for Sex Now 2018: A National Survey on Blood Donation and Undiagnosed Blood Borne Infections, a two-year grant 2017-2019.
  • $50,000 for A Longitudinal Analysis of Behavioural and Biological Risk Among MSM in Metro Vancouver, a one-year grant 2017-2018.