The Challenge
Sexually transmitted and bloodborne infections (STBBIs) like HIV, Hepatitis B and C, and syphilis continue to disproportionately affect certain communities in British Columbia. These include people who use drugs, Indigenous peoples, immigrants, people who are criminalized, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ individuals. Many also face additional health and social challenges such as poverty, housing instability, chronic illness, and stigma. Together, these overlapping issues — known as syndemics — can lead to worsened health outcomes and highlight the need for more connected and equitable care.
Our project takes a precision public health approach to better understand and respond to these complex and intersectional realities. By combining data with community engagement – known as implementation science – we aim to improve STBBI prevention, diagnosis, and care for those most affected.
Our Goals
Understand the complex and intersectional realities of those navigating the healthcare system to improve health outcomes.
- Better understand how social conditions, multiple infections, and chronic illness affect different communities.
- Identify where health services are falling short and where they are working.
- Refine and re-evaluate programs like the Test, Link, Call (TLC) model, that aim to connect people who are systemically marginalized with the care and support they need.
- Use an implementation science approach, working collaboratively with community organizations and people with lived/living experience (PWLLE), to co-create and improve services and interventions.
Our Approach
Combines community collaboration, advanced data science, and real-world implementation. This ensures that solutions are not only evidence-based but also community-informed, practical, and ready to make a real difference.
We are partnering with people with lived and living experience (PWLLE), researchers, and leaders from public health, community organizations, and health systems. Their insights guide the research from start to finish, ensuring it’s grounded in real needs and lived realities.
We use a data driven approach to understand who is most affected by STBBIs and why. Drawing from the BC Hepatitis Testers Cohort, and using tools like data science and AI, we build detailed population profiles that help tailor prevention and care efforts to the people who need them most.
We work directly with communities and care providers to co-design and refine innovative, technology-supported health interventions. These are focused on improving prevention, testing, connection to care, and treatment — especially for groups facing the highest risks.
What we mean when we say…
Our Team
Researchers
The OPTIMISE research team is made up of an interdisciplinary team of nationally and internationally renowned researchers and public health leaders with expertise in behavioural science; infectious diseases (HBV, HCV, HIV, sexually transmitted infections, COVID-19); quantitative epidemiologic methods; analysis and management of large laboratory and health services linked datasets; data science machine learning; artificial intelligence and natural language processing.
Community Collaborative
The OPTIMISE community team is made up of dedicated community leaders, peer advocates, and service providers with lived and professional experience working alongside underserved and marginalized populations, including immigrants, people who inject drugs, those who are unhoused, and people living with STBBIs such as hepatitis C and HIV.
Funding Source
The OPTIMISE project is supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).
Get Involved
We’re building a project collaborative of researchers, community leaders, people with lived and living experiences (PWLLE), and health care providers. If you would like to learn more send us an email!