Category Archives: Colloquia

May 12, 2016 – AltaMed’s English and Spanish telenovela webseries Sin Vergüenza (Without Shame) was developed to address the impact HIV has on the Latino community. Now in its second season, Sin Vergüenza highlights the importance of obtaining HIV medical treatment and support for coping with a diagnosis. While stigma and shame continue to be one of the greatest obstacles for persons living with HIV, AltaMed presented engagement metrics on the series to demonstrate the role telenovelas have in igniting conversation around high impact HIV prevention topics.

Please visit http://svseries.com or click here to watch the complete Season I and II of Sin Vergüenza.

CHIPTS hosts a monthly HIV Research and Community Colloquia Series in collaboration with the Los Angeles County Commission on HIV to highlight current issues and conversations surrounding HIV. Click here for past lectures and check out the events page for more information on future Colloquia presentations!

February 11, 2016 – After numerous reports of low enrollment of Black MSM in local PrEP demonstration projects, a local convening of researchers and community stakeholders was conducted to discuss strategies for improving PrEP uptake among Black MSM in Los Angeles.  Dr. Nina Harawa of the CHIPTS Policy Core presented key findings and recommendations that resulted from this convening.

Dr. Nina Harawa is an Associate Professor with the Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and an Associate Professor at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science.  Trained in epidemiology, her research involves understanding trends in HIV and other sexually transmitted infections and developing effective, culturally relevant interventions.  She has partnered to conduct innovative research in a variety of populations – including high-risk African American men, sexually active African American and Latina women, older adults, and incarcerated and post-incarcerated men and women.

CHIPTS hosts a monthly HIV Research and Community Colloquia Series in collaboration with the Los Angeles County Commission on HIV to highlight current issues and conversations surrounding HIV. Click here for past lectures and check out the events page for more information on future Colloquia presentations!

July 9, 2015 – Dr. Cathy Reback of the CHIPTS Combination Prevention Core, presented tan overview of the HIV prevalence rates among trans male and female individuals in Los Angeles County.  She discussed the syndemic co-factors that impact HIV acquisition and transmission among these populations. The presentation also addressed health disparities that have served to limit health care utilization specifically among high-risk trans women. Next step recommendations were presented.

Cathy J. Reback, PhD, is a Senior Research Scientist with Friends Research Institute, a Research Sociologist with UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse Programs, a Core Scientist with UCLA CHIPTS, and the Executive Director of Friends Community Center in Hollywood. Dr. Reback has been conducting intervention, ethnographic, and epidemiological research with trans women, and has been providing services for trans women for over 20 years. She is a member of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health and is an internationally known researcher in the field of high-risk trans women.

CHIPTS hosts a monthly HIV Research and Community Colloquia Series in collaboration with the Los Angeles County Commission on HIV to highlight current issues and conversations surrounding HIV. Click here for past lectures and check out the events page for more information on future Colloquia presentations!

February 12, 2015 – Dr. Andrew Jolivette presented to the Los Angeles County Commission on HIV as part of the CHIPTS HIV Research and Community Colloquia Series. He presented findings from his “Indian Blood” study, which was a two year ethnographic,  community-based study of risk factors for HIV/AIDS seroconversion among mixed-race American Indians in the San Francisco Bay Area. The presentation explores six key factors that produce greater levels of risk within the Native population through the development of the Indian Blood Psycho-Social Nexus (IBPN) of Risk Model.

Andrew Jolivette (Opelousa/Atakapa-Ishak) Ph.D., is an accomplished educator, writer, speaker, and social/cultural critic. His work spans many different social and political arenas – from education reform and cultural representation in Native America to community of color identity issues, critical mixed-race movement building, LGBT/Queer community of color identity issues and gay marriage, and AIDS disparities within Indigenous and people of color communities.

Dr. Jolivette is Associate Professor and Department Chair in American Indian Studies at San Francisco State University, where he is an affiliated faculty member in Educational Leadership and Race and Resistance Studies.  Dr. Jolivette is an IHART (Indigenous HIV/AIDS Research Training) Fellow at the Indigenous Wellness Research Institute at the University of Washington in Seattle. In 2005, he completed a Ford Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship through the National Academy of Sciences.

CHIPTS hosts a monthly HIV Research and Community Colloquia Series in collaboration with the Los Angeles County Commission on HIV to highlight current issues and conversations surrounding HIV. Click here for past lectures and check out the events page for more information on future Colloquia presentations!

January 8, 2015 – Ms. Ayako Miyashita, Esq., presented to the Los Angeles County Commission on HIV as part of the CHIPTS HIV Research and Community Colloquia Series on Thursday, January 8, 2015. Her presentation focused on addressing the following questions: What is HIV criminalization? How are people living with HIV targeted for criminal prosecution in California? What can we do about it? The presentation addressed the legal
framework for HIV criminalization, the policy considerations for these laws, and what local leaders are currently doing to make a change in California. The presentation included an engaging panel discussion, which included Mr. Aaron Fox from Los Angeles LGBT Center, Ms. Craig Pulsipher from AIDS Project Los Angeles, and Mr. Marco Castro-Bojorquez from Lambda Legal.

Ms. Miyashita is the Inaugural Brian Belt HIV Law & Policy Fellow at the Williams Institute. She currently works on law and policy matters that impact people living with HIV. In her previous positions, Ayako provided direct legal services to low-income clients living with HIV/AIDS in San
Francisco and, most recently, at Inner City Law Center, a non-profit legal services provider based in Los Angeles’ Skid Row area. Ayako earned her J.D. from UC Berkeley School of Law, after receiving her B.A. from UC Santa Cruz.

Aaron Fox, MPM, is the Director of State Health Equity and Policy at the Los Angeles LGBT Center. Mr. Fox focuses his work with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) and underserved communities; advocates for effective policies that continue to support access to quality culturally competent health care; and provides education to the community on changing health policies and funding streams.

Craig Pulsipher, MPP, MSW, is the State Affairs Specialist at AIDS Project Los Angeles. Craig oversees HIV and healthcare policy, legislation, budget and political strategy at the state level and participates in community collaborations on a broad range of HIV and health related issues.

Marco Castro-Bojorquez is a Community Educator for the Western Region for Lambda Legal, a national legal organization working for full recognition of the civil rights of LGBT people and people with HIV.

CHIPTS hosts a monthly HIV Research and Community Colloquia Series in collaboration with the Los Angeles County Commission on HIV to highlight current issues and conversations surrounding HIV. Click here for past lectures and check out the events page for more information on future Colloquia presentations!

November 13, 2014 – Dr. Bernard Branson presented to the Los Angeles County Commission on HIV as part of the CHIPTS HIV Research and Community Colloquia Series.  Dr. Branson has been a persuasive behind-the-scenes architect of public HIV prevention and testing policies in the U.S., Caribbean, and Central America for more than 30 years. He is perhaps best known as the lead author of CDC’s 2006 Recommendations for HIV screening in health care settings and, most recently, the June 2014 HIV testing recommendations that updated the U.S. laboratory testing algorithm for the first time in 25 years. He has extensive experience as a clinician, advocate, community organizer, infectious disease specialist, and clinical virologist. Since leaving his most recent position as Associate Director for Laboratory Diagnostics in CDC’s Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention in October, Bernie has devoted efforts to advancing the adoption of biomedical interventions (such as treatment for HIV viral suppression and pre-exposure prophylaxis) that hold promise for bringing an end to the scourge of HIV. His ambitious visions for prevention and treatment: 0 new transmissions of HIV, and 0 new cases of progression to AIDS among persons living with HIV.

CHIPTS hosts a monthly HIV Research and Community Colloquia Series in collaboration with the Los Angeles County Commission on HIV to highlight current issues and conversations surrounding HIV. Click here for past lectures and check out the events page for more information on future Colloquia presentations!

March 13, 2014 – Dr. Rishi Manchanda, President/Founder of HealthBegins, presented on the potential role of social determinants of health in improving the triple aim – i.e. better healthcare quality, population health outcomes, and lower costs. The presentation provided examples of how healthcare professionals, equipped with the tools, technology, and training, can engage colleagues and community stakeholders in developing care delivery interventions that address social determinants of health. Finally, it presented participatory training and “Community Health Detailing” models to describe approaches that can help healthcare systems achieve the triple aim. The presentation was given as part of the HIV Community and Research Colloquia Series hosted by the Los Angeles County (LAC) Commission on HIV and the UCLA Center for HIV Identification, Prevention, and Treatment Services (CHIPTS).

CHIPTS hosts a monthly HIV Research and Community Colloquia Series in collaboration with the Los Angeles County Commission on HIV to highlight current issues and conversations surrounding HIV. Click here for past lectures and check out the events page for more information on future Colloquia presentations!

August 8, 2013 – Mr. Tom Donohoe, Director of the UCLA Pacific AIDS Education and Training Center, presented on the Affordable Care Act.  The presentation was given as part of the HIV Community and Research Colloquia Series hosted by the Los Angeles County (LAC) Commission on HIV and the UCLA Center for HIV Identification, Prevention, and Treatment Services (CHIPTS).   The presentation specifically focused on Covered California (California’s health insurance marketplace) and how it impacts consumers living with HIV in Los Angeles County.  Using case-based examples, the presentation helped to dispel misconceptions about what health care reform will do and not do for these populations infected and affected by HIV.   The event was attended by over 130 participants, including members of the LAC’s Commission on HIV, local HIV service providers, key community stakeholders, and consumers of HIV prevention and care services.   For a copy of the slides presented at the meeting, please click here.  To view the presentation, please click below.

The presentation was followed by a panel discussion.  The panelists included Derrick Butler, MD of THE Clinic, Aaron Fox of the LA Gay & Lesbian Center, John Riley of AIDS Project Los Angeles, Carlos Vega-Matos of Los Angeles County Division of HIV and STD Programs, and Michael Kelly.   To view the panel discussion, please click below.

CHIPTS hosts a monthly HIV Research and Community Colloquia Series in collaboration with the Los Angeles County Commission on HIV to highlight current issues and conversations surrounding HIV. Click here for past lectures and check out the events page for more information on future Colloquia presentations!

February 2, 2013

CHIPTS hosts a monthly HIV Research and Community Colloquia Series in collaboration with the Los Angeles County Commission on HIV to highlight current issues and conversations surrounding HIV. Click here for past lectures and check out the events page for more information on future Colloquia presentations!