In the last few weeks our clinical research coordinator, Reva Persaud, reached enrollment target for the A randomized, placebo-controlled trial of oral doxycycline for the prevention of syphilis in HIV-positive men who have sex with men (MSM). Congratulations! More can be read about it here.

The Options Lab is happy to announce that our MSc student, Ashan Wijesinghe, presented at the Fast-Track Cities 2022 conference in Seville, Spain this past weekend! Ashan’s abstract titled: Exploring the association between oral PrEP use and willingness to use injectable PrEP among urban Canadian gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men […]

On September 29, 2022, Feast Centre for Indigenous STBBI Research held a virtual conversation on monkeypox in Indigenous communities with infectious disease specialists and community leaders from across the country. The speakers will debunk myths about monkeypox, give current information about transmission and discuss how monkeypox is a concern for Indigenous peoples and all of […]

On behalf of the Options Collaboratory we would like to congratulate our very own Summer medical school student, Sawyer Karabelas-Pittman, whose proposal, Exploring HIV Risk Communication Strategies to Improve PrEP Implementation, has been accepted for an in-person poster presentation at Summit 2022: Pushing Possibilities. This conference is hosted by the CBRC (Community-Based Research Centre) and […]

On behalf of the Options Collaboratory we would like to congratulate our very own Summer medical school student, Dixon Pinto, whose proposal, Willingness to Accept Monkeypox Vaccine and Participate in Monkeypox Vaccine and Therapeutic Clinical Trials among Sexual Minority Men Living in Urban Ontario and British Columbia, has been accepted for a short oral presentation at […]

As students head back to class, some Canadian universities are offering monkeypox vaccines and educational resources, while at least one says it has isolation rooms available. Dr. Darrell Tan gives some advice on how schools and students should handle monkeypox. You can watch the full clip here.

Dr. Darrell Tan, infectious disease physician and scientist at St. Michael’s, gave an in-depth interview to CBC’s Frontburner about the monkeypox outbreak, symptoms of the disease, and what role globalization and urbanization play in its global spread. “All these things change the ecosystem that we live in and change the opportunity for interactions between animals and humans, […]

Dr. Darrell Tan is an Infectious diseases physician and clinician at St Mikes Hospital and an associate professor of medicine at U of T. He has been leading research on monkeypox cases in the city. Metro Morning with Ismaila Alfa – Aug. 2, 2022: Monkeypox case found in Toronto’s shelter system ‘concerning’ as it leaves […]

Our very own ID doc. Darrell Tan tells the Toronto Star that he and his colleagues who are rushing to study the monkeypox virus to improve public policy and patient care are noticing many patients struggling with the financial consequences of isolation. With longer quarantine times for example, some folks are struggling to pay their […]

Dr. Tan speaks with the Toronto Star about monkeypox and public health policies. As cases of monkeypox continue to grow in Canada and globally, academics and advocates are urging governments to bring in paid sick days for all, as illnesses like monkeypox are unpredictable and can require extended periods of isolation. And with rising cases, […]