Thesis Title: The Impact of International Trade Agreements on Health: Patent System Harmonization and Medicines in Mexico

Ben's thesis supervisors are:
Dr. Jerry Spiegel, Research Co-Supervisor, School of Population and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia

Professor Ian Townsend-Gault, Research Co-Supervisor, Faculty of Law, University of British Columbia

Sex workers experience the worst health outcomes globally, with escalating rates of violence, HIV infection and premature mortality worldwide. Unfortunately recent history has shown that all too often moral debates dominate the public health response in sex work, and science continues to take a backseat to punitive approaches aimed at eliminating sex work and "rescue" operations. This is despite the ample evidence of the failures of criminalization in preventing harms among sex workers both locally and internationally, and the inadvertent role of these policies and enforcement-based approaches in exacerbating violence and poor health among sex workers. Growing evidence points to the need for global account-ability by policy makers, governments, scientists, and international bodies to public health efforts that redress the health inequity gaps among some of the most marginalized individuals.

Presenter: Dr. Kate Shannon

Dr. Shannon is the Director of the Gender and Sexual Health Initiative at the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, and Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine and Associate Faculty in School of Population and Public Health at the University of British Columbia. She leads a large program of CIHR and NIH-funded research on the social and structural determinants shaping sexual health and HIV/STI prevention and care for marginalized populations both in Canada and sub-Saharan Africa, particularly youth and sex workers. Her work has contri-buted substantially to local and global policy discussions, including expert witness testimony and UNAIDS HIV updates. She is Associate Editor of the International Journal of Drug Policy and is currently consulting with World Health Organization on the development of international guidelines and best practices on violence and HIV/STI prevention among sex workers and clients. In 2011, she was the recipient of the Peter Lougheed Award (Top-Ranked New Investigator in Canada in 2010) at the Canada Health Research Awards Ceremony in Ottawa, and holds a MSFHR Career Investigator/Scholar Award.

Reception: 5:00 pm
Lecture: 6:00 pm

This event can be viewed LIVE by using Adobe Connect.

To login to the seminar using Adobe Connect:

1. Go to the Adobe Connect login site: http://webinarfomubc.adobeconnect.com/spph-shannon-2april2012/


• for traditional computers, click the login address link


• for iPhone, iPad and Android users, please type the login address into the Adobe Connect Mobile app when prompted


2. Enter as a Guest


3. Click on "Enter room." You will be placed into a queue, awaiting approval from the seminar assistant.

Communicating in Adobe Connect:

• You will be able to view the presentation, hear the presenter, as well as text-chat with the seminar assistants in the chat box at the bottom of the screen


• You will not be able to ask questions.

Adobe Connect Technical Support: on-line or by phone 1-800-422-3623.

The UBC School of Population & Public Health cannot diagnose remote technical issues on the day of the seminar. However, we are happy to confer with you or your IT support staff regarding our configuration ahead of time; please contact spph.it@ubc.ca at least three business days before the seminar.

Dr. Ziba Vaghri will discuss "Promoting Early Child Development Across the Globe".

This seminar is part of Ziba's candidacy for Assistant Professor - International Child Development, Human Early Learning Partnership/Faculty of Land and Food Systems.

Topic: Between-centre variability in pregnancy outcomes - an analysis of data from the Canadian Perinatal Network

Laura Magee MD
Clinical Associate Professor, General Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine

Learning objectives:
* To provide participants with
* Information on recent developments in the field
* Multidisciplinary perspectives
* Critical analysis of important topics from a substantive and methodologic perspective (through presentation and discussion of Journal articles, etc)
* A forum for discussing research ideas and research in progress

Presenter: Danuta Skowronski MD, FRCPC
Epidemiology Lead, Influenza & Emerging Respiratory Pathogens
BC Centre for Disease Control

Abstract:
In 2009, the WHO declared the first influenza pandemic of the 21st century, due to a swine origin H1N1 virus. In late 2011, human cases of another swine-origin influenza virus, this time of the H3N2 subtype, were identified in the United States. Children are primarily affected and half have had no swine exposure. Is this the next pandemic threat?

Drawing on partnerships and funding through the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research, investigators have assessed population immunity to the swine H3N2 virus. They report sero-protection by age in more than 1000 sera collected as 100 per decade of life spanning <1 to 100 years of age in BC. Using pre-/post-immunization sera they also report whether the current seasonal influenza vaccine, with/without adjuvant, improves antibody protection. Findings will inform the likelihood of epidemic growth and the targeting of interventions.

Don’t miss the opportunity to hear exciting new results and to participate in early risk assessment around an emerging new pathogen.

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SPPH Faculty Meeting

OEH Theme Meeting

Presenter: Vimbai Nyatsambo Program Co-ordinator/Director of Education without Borders Gugulethu, South Africa (www.educationwithoutborders.ca)

Bio: Vimbai grew up in Johannesburg, moved to Cape Town in 2004 to study at the University of Cape Town and has a Masters in Social Development.

Vimbai writes: "In my second year at UCT, the reality of what life is hit me. I was placed on this earth to fulfil a purpose. This lies in being an individual who helps create opportunities that allow people to live lives that they value. Growing up, I had always felt guilty for my social standing as a privileged young black lady, especially when I went to the rural/disadvantaged areas on visits to my extended family. My hunger for self-development and empowerment made me realize that my purpose is to extend what I got from my opportunities to those who don't have access to the same."

Simple deterministic mathematical models of infectious disease may provide guidelines for prevention and control strategies. Since infections and recoveries happen at (somewhat) random times, a stochastic model may well provide additional information for interpretation of data and assessment of probabilities of future developments. As part of this talk I will hope to obtain your reactions to this type of thinking.

Presenter:
Priscilla (Cindy) Greenwood
Department of Math, UBC