We’re doing science and that’s generally where we tend to feel happiest in our work, but it’s equally important that people understand what we’re doing and what it means.
The 2018 CAHR‐CANFAR Excellence in Research Award in Epidemiology and Public Health recognizes Dr. Ann Burchell.
Dr. Burchell is Associate Professor at the epidemiology division of the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health. Her research program focuses on the epidemiology of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, human papillomavirus (HPV), syphilis, and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
In nominating Burchell, her colleagues describe her as “an outstanding methodologist, renowned scientist, and exceptional mentor in the field of epidemiology and public health.”
She started working in HIV research in 1994 while beginning her masters at the University of Toronto’s HIV Studies Unit. She was focussed on the risk factors for HIV acquisition in communities most at risk of infection, as well as the general epidemiology of HIV.
Some of Burchell’s first projects looked at condom use among people living in First Nations communities in Ontario and a questionnaire for inmates of provincial correctional facilities.
“I’ve been around a little while,” she says jokingly. “It was a difficult time… because the new HIV medications hadn’t yet come out. It was a very different time in the 90s where people were still dying of HIV and it was quite serious.”
Today, Dr. Burchell is a leader in Canada’s HIV research community whose work highlights the importance of accessibility, prevention and screening of STIs and HIV, as well as influences on public health policy and practice.
Burchell’s research and ideas were integrated into Ontario’s 5‐year HIV Strategy and it was her work that identified a rise in transmittal of HIV drug resistance among people living with HIV.
This allowed Public Health Ontario to confirm the resistance patterns at the population level and then automate resistance tests when patients had their first viral load test.
Fortunately, Dr. Burchell has the unique skill of being able to “translate” research so that it’s relevant to people outside the research community and she thrives on working directly with community members. Burchell says scientists are not really trained to go out and explain what they’re doing in the media or by seeking the spotlight.
We’re doing science and that’s generally where we tend to feel happiest in our work, but it’s equally important that people understand what we’re doing and what it means.
In the coming years Burchell hopes that HIV researchers will help learn a lot more for people living with HIV. Particularly, how to provide access to care and services that allows them to live as good a quality of life as people who aren’t living with HIV.
“I’m hoping in 5-to-10 years we are enjoying the successes of HIV PrEP (Pre-exposure prophylaxis),” sayd Burchell. “There’s still much to learn about how to roll that out, but I think in 5-to-10 years there will be some good news there to follow.”
While the HIV research community is doing that Dr. Burchell says she hopes researchers continue to place some focus on other infections like syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia and human papillomavirus.
“There are lots of ways to improve people’s sexual health that are supportive of the choices and sexual expression that people make every day so that they can continue to do that and live healthy lives.”
As for Burchell’s personal hopes or aspirations, she says she’s already won ‘the career lottery’ and added that winning this year’s research excellence award is amazing.
I was hugely humbled by it to tell you the truth…and deeply honoured.
Dr. Burchell says she now intends to do a lot more to pass the baton on to Canada’s next generation of HIV researchers by encouraging them to explore and to bring their new ideas to the HIV research community.
