Brockman-Brumme Lab hosts community engagement night

By Shayda Swann

Over the summer, the Brockman-Brumme Lab hosted an event called "Science engagement night: Insights into HIV Research".

Members from community organizations, such as YouthCo, Metro Vancouver Aboriginal Executive Council, Canadian AIDS Treatment Information Exchange (CATIE), and the Canadian HIV Trials Network, came to network with researchers and tour the lab facilities. The goal of the event was to facilitate knowledge exchange between primary researchers and people living with HIV, to build community networks, and to bridge the gap between scientific research and lived experiences. 

The evening began with a short introduction to HIV research by Mark Brockman, followed by an introduction of their specific work by Gursev Anmole (PhD student), Natalie Kinloch (MSc student), Gisele Umviligihozo (MSc student), and Shayda Swann (recent BSc recipient). The majority of the evening was dedicated to a participant-led Q&A and conversations regarding all things related to HIV research.

Later on, everyone gowned up in Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for a tour of the CL2+ lab, so participants could observe where HIV research takes place. The night concluded with a meaningful discussion about the importance of knowledge translation and exchange between members of academia and the broader community.

"We were very happy to host members of the community to visit our HIV research laboratory. Events like this provide wonderful opportunities for people to learn more about the work that we do in the Faculty of Health Sciences,” said Brockman, “I was particularly impressed by the enthusiasm shown by our students and by the breadth of our conversations with those who attended. We look forward to sponsoring more events like this in the future."