A5068811604- HIV, Drug Use, Sexual Risk
- HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions
- Opioid Use Disorder Treatment
- Homelessness and Social Issues
- SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research
- Urinary and Genital Oncology Studies
- Bladder and Urothelial Cancer Treatments
- Sex work and related issues
- COVID-19 Clinical Research Studies
- Management of metastatic bone disease
- Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
- HIV Research and Treatment
- Cytomegalovirus and herpesvirus research
- COVID-19 epidemiological studies
- Hepatitis C virus research
- SARS-CoV-2 detection and testing
- Forensic Toxicology and Drug Analysis
- Pain Management and Opioid Use
- Prenatal Substance Exposure Effects
- Pharmaceutical Practices and Patient Outcomes
- Hepatitis Viruses Studies and Epidemiology
- Brain Metastases and Treatment
- Viral gastroenteritis research and epidemiology
- Spine and Intervertebral Disc Pathology
- Urological Disorders and Treatments
Belfast Health and Social Care Trust
2022-2024
University of Ulster
2023-2024
British Columbia Children's Hospital
2024
Royal Victoria Hospital
2023-2024
MRC University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research
2020-2023
Medical Research Council
2023
Augusta University
2023
University of Toronto
2005-2022
Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
2007-2022
University Health Network
2015-2022
Global dispersal and increasing frequency of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein variant D614G are suggestive a selective advantage but may also be due to random founder effect. We investigate hypothesis for positive selection in United Kingdom using more than 25,000 whole genome sequences. Despite availability large dataset, well represented by both 614 variants, not all approaches showed conclusive signal selection. Population genetic analysis indicates that 614G increases relative 614D manner...
<h2>Summary</h2> SARS-CoV-2 can mutate and evade immunity, with consequences for efficacy of emerging vaccines antibody therapeutics. Here, we demonstrate that the immunodominant spike (S) receptor binding motif (RBM) is a highly variable region S provide epidemiological, clinical, molecular characterization prevalent, sentinel RBM mutation, N439K. We N439K protein has enhanced affinity to hACE2 receptor, viruses have similar <i>in vitro</i> replication fitness cause infections clinical...
The explosive and ongoing injecting drug use-related HIV-1 epidemic in Vancouver continues to receive international attention. This study was conducted determine how patterns of cocaine use influence the risk HIV infection.The Injection Drug Users Study is an open prospective cohort users that began May 1996. At enrollment at semi-annual follow-up visits interviewer administers a detailed semi-structured questionnaire. Cox proportional hazards models were used behavioral reported 6 months...
Purpose Multidisciplinary management improves complex treatment decision making in cancer care, but its impact for bladder (BC) has not been documented. Although radical cystectomy (RC) currently is viewed as the standard of care muscle-invasive (MIBC), radiotherapy-based, bladder-sparing trimodal therapy (TMT) that combines transurethral resection tumor, chemotherapy radiation sensitization, and external beam radiotherapy emerged a valid option. In absence randomized studies, this study...
The recent emergence of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the underlying cause Disease 2019 (COVID-19), has led to a worldwide pandemic causing substantial morbidity, mortality, and economic devastation. In response, many laboratories have redirected attention SARS-CoV-2, meaning there is an urgent need for tools that can be used in unaccustomed working with coronaviruses. Here we report range SARS-CoV-2 research. First, describe facile single plasmid reverse...
Summary Global dispersal and increasing frequency of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein variant D614G are suggestive a selective advantage but may also be due to random founder effect. We investigate hypothesis for positive selection in United Kingdom using more than 25,000 whole genome sequences. Despite availability large data set, well represented by both 614 variants, not all approaches showed conclusive signal selection. Population genetic analysis indicates that 614G increases relative 614D...
<b>Background:</b> Law enforcement is often used in an effort to reduce the social, community and health-related harms of illicit drug use by injection users (IDUs). There are, however, few data on benefits such or potential harms. A large-scale police "crackdown" control Vancouver9s Downtown Eastside provided us with opportunity evaluate effect. <b>Methods:</b> As part our ongoing prospective cohort study IDUs Vancouver, we examined collected from 244 3 months before crackdown 142 after...
Injection drug users (IDUs) are vulnerable to serious health complications resulting from unsafe injection practices. We examined whether the use of a supervised safer facility (SIF) promoted change in injecting practices among representative sample 760 IDUs who SIF Vancouver, Canada. Consistent was compared with inconsistent on number self-reported changes practice variables. More consistent is associated positive practices, including less reuse syringes, sterile water, swabbing sites,...
Grouping patients' rating of pain intensity from 0 to 10 into categories mild, moderate, and severe is useful for informing treatment decisions, interpreting study outcomes, as well aiding policy or clinical practice guidelines development. In 1995, Serlin colleagues developed a technique establish the cut points by grading with functional interference. Since then, number studies attempted confirm these findings in similar different populations but had results. Such inconsistencies...
Objectives. We assessed the effects of syringe exchange program (SEP) policy on rates HIV risk behavior and incidence among injection drug users. Methods. Using a multivariate generalized estimating equation Cox regression methods, we examined borrowing, lending, prospective cohort 1228 users in Vancouver, British Columbia. Results. observed substantial declines borrowing (from 20.1% 1998 to 9.2% 2003) lending 19.1% 6.8% following SEP change. These coincided with statistically significant...
Abstract Objectives Only rudimentary tools exist to support health system organizations evaluate their public and patient engagement ( PPE ) activities. This study responds this gap by developing a generic evaluation tool for use in wide range of organizations. Methods The was developed through an iterative, collaborative process informed review published grey literature with the input C anadian researchers practitioners. Over 3‐year period, structured e‐mail, telephone face‐to‐face...
SARS-CoV-2 can mutate to evade immunity, with consequences for the efficacy of emerging vaccines and antibody therapeutics. Herein we demonstrate that immunodominant spike (S) receptor binding motif (RBM) is most divergent region S, provide epidemiological, clinical, molecular characterization a prevalent RBM variant, N439K. We N439K S protein has enhanced affinity hACE2 receptor, virus similar clinical outcomes in vitro replication fitness as compared wild- type. observed mutation resulted...
Vancouver has experienced an explosive HIV epidemic despite the presence of a needle exchange programme (NEP). We sought possible explanations for high-risk syringe sharing among injection drug users over period January 1999 to October 2000. Overall, 14% participants reported sharing. Although acquiring needles exclusively from NEP was independently associated with less sharing, we identified several risk factors persistent including difficulty accessing sterile needles, bingeing, and...