A5067233757- Hepatitis C virus research
- Liver Disease Diagnosis and Treatment
- Hepatitis B Virus Studies
- HIV, Drug Use, Sexual Risk
- SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research
- COVID-19 Clinical Research Studies
- HIV/AIDS drug development and treatment
- Opioid Use Disorder Treatment
- SARS-CoV-2 detection and testing
- Liver Disease and Transplantation
- COVID-19 epidemiological studies
- Homelessness and Social Issues
- Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treatment and Prognosis
- Mental Health and Patient Involvement
- HIV-related health complications and treatments
- Respiratory viral infections research
- Diabetes Management and Education
- COVID-19 Digital Contact Tracing
- Liver Diseases and Immunity
- Data-Driven Disease Surveillance
- Criminal Justice and Corrections Analysis
- Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Research
- Viral Infections and Immunology Research
- COVID-19 and healthcare impacts
- Advanced Causal Inference Techniques
University of British Columbia
2019-2025
BC Centre for Disease Control
2019-2024
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2024
UNSW Sydney
2015-2022
European University of Tirana
2022
Provincial Health Services Authority
2021
United States Department of the Interior
1986
People who use drugs (PWUD) face concurrent public health emergencies from overdoses, HIV, hepatitis C, and COVID-19, leading to an unprecedented syndemic. Responses PWUD that go beyond treatment—such as decriminalization providing a safe supply of pharmaceutical-grade drugs—could reduce impacts this Solutions already implemented for such emergency safe-supply prescribing housing people experiencing homelessness, must be sustained once COVID-19 is contained. This pandemic not only crisis but...
Abstract Background Population‐level monitoring of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infected people across cascades care identifies gaps in access and engagement treatment. We characterized the population‐level cascade for HCV British Columbia (BC), Canada before after introduction Direct Acting Antiviral (DAA) Methods BC Hepatitis Testers Cohort (BC‐HTC) includes 1.7 million individuals tested HCV, HIV, reported cases B, active tuberculosis from 1990 to 2018 linked medical visits, hospitalizations,...
Abstract Background Microelimination of hepatitis C virus (HCV) among people living with human immunodeficiency (HIV) may be feasible in Australia, given unrestricted access to direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy from 2016. Our aim was evaluate progress towards elimination goals within HIV/HCV-coinfected adults Australia following universal DAA access. Methods The CEASE prospective cohort study enrolled HIV/HCV, irrespective viremic status, 14 primary and tertiary clinics Australia. Annual...
Abstract Objectives To quantify mortality rates for patients successfully treated hepatitis C in the era of interferon-free, direct acting antivirals and compare these with those general population. Design Population based cohort study. Setting British Columbia, Scotland, England (England consists cirrhosis only). Participants 21 790 people who were interferon-free (2014-19). divided into three liver disease severity groups: without (pre-cirrhosis), compensated cirrhosis, end stage disease....
Micro-elimination of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection through rapid uptake government-funded direct-acting antiviral therapy within an Australian prison setting is demonstrated. During a 22-month period, 119 patients initiated treatment for chronic HCV infection, with in-prison viremic prevalence declining from 12% to 1%.
Sequencing is important for understanding the molecular epidemiology and viral evolution of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. To date, there little standardisation among sequencing protocols, in-part due to high genetic diversity that observed within HCV. This study aimed develop a novel, practical protocol covered both conserved variable regions genome assess influence each subregion, sequence concatenation unrelated reference sequences on phylogenetic clustering analysis. The Core...
The true severity of infection due to COVID-19 is under-represented because it based on only those who are tested. Although nucleic acid amplifications tests (NAAT) the gold standard for diagnostic testing, serological assays provide better population-level SARS-CoV-2 prevalence estimates. Implementing large sero-surveys present several logistical challenges within Canada its unique geography including rural and remote communities. Dried blood spot (DBS) sampling a practical solution but...
Clinical trials show high efficacy of sofosbuvir/velpatasvir (SOF/VEL), but there are limited data from "real-world" settings. We aimed to evaluate SOF/VEL effectiveness for all hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes (GTs) in British Columbia (BC), Canada.We used the BC Hepatitis Testers Cohort, which includes HCV cases province (1990-2015) linked administrative databases, including prescriptions end 2018. measured sustained virologic response (SVR; negative RNA ≥10 weeks after treatment end) and...
Abstract Effectiveness of direct‐acting antiviral (DAA) therapies could be influenced by patient characteristics such as comorbid conditions, which lead to premature treatment discontinuation and/or irregular medical follow‐ups. Here, we evaluate loss follow‐up and effectiveness sofosbuvir/ledipasvir ± ribavirin (SOF/LDV RBV), ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir + dasabuvir (OBV/PTV/r DSV RBV) for hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 (GT1) sofosbuvir (SOF 3 (GT3) in British Columbia Canada: The...
Combining phylogenetic and network methodologies has the potential to better inform targeted interventions prevent treat infectious diseases. This study reconstructed a molecular transmission for people with recent hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection modelled impact of targeting directly acting antiviral (DAA) treatment HCV in network. Participants were selected from three Australian studies 2004 2014. sequence data (Core-E2) participants at time detection analysed infer by connecting pairs...
Abstract Background & Aims Public health measures introduced to limit transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2), which causes disease 2019 (COVID‐19), also disrupted various healthcare services in many regions worldwide, including British Columbia (BC), Canada. We assessed the impact these measures, first BC March 2020, on hepatitis C (HCV) testing and first‐time HCV‐positive diagnoses within province. Methods De‐identified HCV data for residents were...
Background: Direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapies have simplified HCV treatment, and publicly funded Canadian drug plans eliminated disease-stage restrictions for reimbursement of DAA therapies. However other policies which complicate, delay, or prevent treatment initiation still persist. We aim to describe these plans’ existing criteria appraise whether they hinder access. Methods: reviewed 16 published online provided by contacts with in-depth knowledge prescribing criteria. Data were...
Abstract Background Despite rolling out publicly-funded hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment across the province of British Columbia (BC), Canada, 35% people returning positive HCV RNA results in 2020 did not initiate treatment. The epidemic Canada continues to disproportionately impact who use drugs and yet, this population has lowest proportional uptake Evidence suggests linkages healthcare after diagnosis is one key factors that impacts among priority population. Hep Connect pilot project...
<sec> <title>BACKGROUND</title> Digital technologies are reshaping healthcare, making digital health literacy (DHL) a critical competency for navigating online information. Although widely used as unidimensional measure of DHL, the literature increasingly supports multidimensional framing eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS). Studies propose alternative factor structures, but many analyses have not accounted ordinal nature eHEALS response data. </sec> <title>OBJECTIVE</title> This study aimed to...
Evidence that opioid agonist therapy (OAT) is associated with increased odds of hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment initiation among people who use drugs (PWUD) emerging. The objective this study was to determine the association between current OAT and HCV PWUD in a population-level linked administrative dataset.
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) reinfection among high-risk groups threatens HCV elimination goals. We assessed rates men who have sex with (MSM) in British Columbia (BC), Canada.We used data from the BC Testers Cohort, which includes nearly 1.7 million individuals tested for or HIV BC. MSM had either achieved sustained virologic response (SVR) after successful treatment, spontaneous clearance (SC) and ≥1 subsequent RNA measurement, were followed date of SVR SC until earliest reinfection, death,...
BACKGROUND: Delivery of hepatitis C virus (HCV) care to people in prison is essential HCV elimination. We aimed describe current practices across Canada’s adult provincial prisons. METHODS: One representative per health team (except Ontario) was invited participate a web-based survey from January June 2020. The outcomes interest were screening and treatment, treatment restrictions, harm reduction services. government ministry responsible for determined. Non-nominal data aggregated by...
Introduction Increasing evidence indicates that chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with higher risk of diabetes. Previous studies showed ethnic disparities in the disease burden diabetes, increased Asian population. We described incidence type 2 diabetes related to HCV and assessed concurrent impact ethnicity on Research design methods In British Columbia Hepatitis Testers Cohort, individuals were followed from diagnosis earliest (1) incident (2) death or (3) end study...