This video results from the collaboration between the Ontario HIV Treatment Network (OHTN) and PositiveLite.com to produce videos of mutual interest.

This one was filmed at the Canadian HIV./AIDS Legal Network Symposium on HIV, Law and Human Rights in June 2011 in Toronto.

Micheal Vonn was a featured speaker on a panel of experts talking about the privacy of health information in the age of electronic records. She is the Policy Director, British Columbia Civil Liberties Association.

PositiveLite Contributing Editor Bob Leahy talks about the interview in his own column here. Says Bob of the interview “Micheal Vonn is one of the most interesting people I have ever met. I really enjoyed her passion, her knowledge and willingness to say what few others are saying, While agreeing with what she was saying I nevertheless thought of her as a bit of a maverick, a radical, and told her so, which she denied. But she is, without doubt, on our side - a passionate defender of the human rights of all citizens and vulnerable minorities like those living with HIV in particular. She was a joy to talk to. She made the interview so easy too. I could have talked to her for hours.”

Photo courtesy of Wayne Bristiow

Lori Chambers of the Ontario HIV Treatment Network (OHTN) talks to Basanti Majumdar of McMaster University about her research into cultural considerations for HIV prevention in northern Indian immigrant communities in Canada. Basanti was a presenter at the 2010 OHTN research conference

For more information on the OHTN please visit their website.

Lori Chambers of the Ontario HIV Treatment Network (OHTN) talks with University of Toronto's Mathew Leonardi about his research on pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV in men who have sex with men (MSM) in Toronto. 

Mathew describes PrEP as "a new, unproven method that HIV negative individuals could use to reduce their risk of HIV acquisition by taking an anti-retroviral medication." Mathew looked at the level of awareness, the usage and willingness to use PrEP in the future among MSM in downtown Toronto prior to the publication of the landmark iPrEx trial results.

Mathew was a presenter at the 13th Annual OHTN Research Conference in Toronto on November 15, 2010.

For more information the OHTN please visit their website.

Brian Finch of PositiveLite.com talks to Ron Shore, the director of Urban Health and Research of Kingston Community Health Centres. Ron works directly with injection drug users and advocates for a more thorough investigation into the reasons why people use injection drugs. Ron was a presenter at the 2010 OHTN Research Conference.

For more information the OHTN please visit their website.

Brian Finch of PositiveLite.com speaks with Patrick Truong about the benefits of involvement of people with HIV in HIV research. Patrick was involved in a peer-mentoring project that provided skills training for South Asian men living with HIV. Since the project completed, most of the participants have found employment.

Patrick was a presenter at the 2010 Ontario HIV Treatment Network Research Conference in Toronto

Lori Chambers of the Ontario HIV Treatment Network (OHTN) talks to Marni Amirault and Fred Anderson about ethical issues in HIV research with HIV communities. Marni and Fred were presenters at the 2010 OHTN Research Conference.

This is the next installment of PositiveLite.com and the OHTN collaborating at the annual research conference. More interviews will follow, so stay tuned.