Canada-International HIV and Rehabilitation Research Collaborative (CIHHRC)
What is CIHRRC?
The Canada-International HIV and Rehabilitation Research Collaborative (CIHRRC) is an international research collaborative that includes people living with HIV, researchers, clinicians, representatives from community-based HIV service organizations, and policy stakeholders with an interest in HIV and rehabilitation research. Dr. Kelly O’Brien is a founding member of the Canada-International HIV and Rehabilitation Research Collaborative (CIHRRC).
How was CIHRRC Formed?
The Collaborative was established in 2009 as a partnership among researchers, clinicians, community members and organizations in Canada and the United Kingdom (UK), originally referred to as the Canada-United Kingdom (UK) HIV and Rehabilitation Research collaborative (CUHRRC). Since its inception, the Collaborative has expanded to include members from other countries whereby individuals living with HIV experience similar types of issues related to disability and rehabilitation.
For more details on the evolution of CIHRRC, see the following:
O’Brien KK, Solomon P, Ibáñez-Carrasco F, Chegwidden W, McDonnell E, Brown D, Harding R, Bergin C, Worthington C, Tattle S, Baxter L. Evolution of an international research collaborative in HIV and rehabilitation: community engaged process, lessons learned, and recommendations. Progress in community health partnerships: research, education, and action. 2018;12(4):395-408.
What are the Guiding Principles of CIHRRC?
CIHRRC is based on the belief that forming partnerships and exchanging knowledge among countries with individuals experiencing similar types of disability-related to HIV is an important step in bridging widespread clinical knowledge with a strong research foundation on HIV and rehabilitation.
CIHRRC aims to build on the enthusiasm of individual members to facilitate the advancement of research ideas and activities related to HIV and rehabilitation research through the Greater and Meaningful Involvement of People Living with HIV.
What does CIHRRC do?
CIHRRC focuses on the following activities as they relate to HIV and rehabilitation research:
- Facilitating knowledge transfer and exchange on HIV and rehabilitation research, clinical practice and service delivery among people living with HIV, researchers, clinicians, educators representatives of community organizations and policy stakeholders in Canada and internationally;
- Establishing new and strengthening existing research, clinical and community partnerships in the field of HIV and rehabilitation;
- Fostering mentorship and training in HIV and rehabilitation research;
- Identifying new and emerging priorities in HIV and rehabilitation research and practice and;
- Establishing a plan for sustainability and growth as an international research collaborative to address priorities in HIV and rehabilitation research.
What are the Research Priorities of CIHRRC?
The CIHRRC pursues a variety of research initiatives that address research priorities in HIV, aging and rehabilitation established in a multi-stakeholder consultation with stakeholders including people living with HIV, clinicians, researchers, representatives from community organizations and policy stakeholders from Canada, UK, United States and Australia at an International Forum on HIV, Aging and Rehabilitation Research.
The Framework of Research Priorities in HIV, Aging and Rehabilitation builds on the previously published research priorities in HIV and rehabilitation to include seven research priorities in HIV, aging and rehabilitation:
- Nature, extent and impact of disability, concurrent health conditions and chronic inflammation with HIV;
- Prevalence, severity and impact of frailty;
- Community and social participation aging with HIV;
- Strategies for chronic disease management and healthy aging with HIV;
- Facilitators and barriers to access and engagement in, rehabilitation;
- Effectiveness of rehabilitation interventions for healthy aging with HIV; and
- Advancing the development and use of patient-reported outcome measures in HIV and aging.
These priorities are reviewed and updated regularly as new knowledge and priorities related to HIV and rehabilitation evolve internationally.
Publications
Click here to see them.
- O’Brien KK, Ibáñez-Carrasco F, Solomon P, Harding R, Brown D, Ahluwalia P, Chan Carusone S, Baxter L, Emlet C, Restall G, Casey A, Ahluwalia A, Quigley A, Terpstra A, Iku N. Research priorities for rehabilitation and aging with HIV: a framework from the Canada-International HIV and Rehabilitation Research Collaborative (CIHRRC). AIDS Research and Therapy. May 19, 2020; 17:21. DOI: 10.1186/s12981-020-00280-5. https://aidsrestherapy.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12981-020-00280-5
- O’Brien KK, Brown DA, Corbett C, Flanagan N, Solomon P, Vera JH, Aubry R, Harding R. AIDSImpact Special Issue - broadening the lens: recommendations from rehabilitation in chronic disease to advance healthy ageing with HIV. May 2020; 32(sup2): 65-73. AIDS Care. Issue Sup2: DOI: 10.1080/09540121.2020.1739203. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09540121.2020.1739203
- O’Brien KK, Solomon P, Ibáñez-Carrasco F, Chegwidden W, McDonnell E, Brown D, Harding R, Bergin C, Worthington C, Tattle S, Baxter L, Nayar A, Kietrys DM, Galantino ML, Yates T on behalf of the Canada- International HIV and Rehabilitation Research Collaborative. Evolution of an International Research Collaborative in HIV and Rehabilitation: Community Engaged Process, Lessons Learned, and Recommendations. Progress in Community Health Partnerships: Research, Education and Action. Winter. 2018;12(4):395-408. http://muse.jhu.edu/article/716648
- O’Brien KK, Ibanez-Carrasco F, Solomon P, Harding R, Cattaneo J, Chegwidden W, Gahagan J, Baxter L, Worthington C, Gayle P, Merritt B, Baltzer-Turje R, Iku N, Zack E. Advancing research and practice in HIV and rehabilitation: a framework of research priorities in HIV, disability and rehabilitation. BMC Infectious Diseases. 2014, Dec 31;14:724. doi: 10.1186/s12879-014-0724-8. http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2334/14/724
For more information
- Contact Kiera McDuff (CIHRRC Coordinator) at cihrrc@utoronto.ca
- Follow us on Twitter @cihrrc
- Website: http://cihrrc.ca/
Acknowledgements
CIHRRC gratefully acknowledges the:
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and CIHR Institute of Infection and Immunity for supporting CIHRRC International Forums on HIV and Rehabilitation Research
- Canadian Association for HIV Research (CAHR) for supporting and partnering in CIHRRC International Forums on HIV and Rehabilitation Research
- Department of Physical Therapy, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
- British Academy for Humanities and Social Sciences for supporting the Broadening the Lens Symposium (November 2018)
- Gay Men’s Health Collective (GMHC) for knowledge translation initiatives including the filming of CIHRRC International Forums on HIV and Rehabilitation Research, and CIHRRC website development.
- Realize for partnering in CIHRRC International Forums of HIV and Rehabilitation Research and for supporting foundational coordination of CIHRRC.
- Rehabilitation in HIV Association (RHIVA), United Kingdom
Kelly O’Brien is supported by a Canada Research Chair in Episodic Disability and Rehabilitation
