Effective December 01, 2020: The Division of AIDS, which was established in 2007, will be known as the Division of Social Medicine.
There has been significant evolution to the Division’s membership in recent years, and the new Division name better reflects the members’ broad range of research interests, including the influence of various social, structural and environmental determinants on sexual health, substance use and infectious disease outcomes. Included in the Division of Social Medicine are many social scientists and social epidemiologists undertaking funded research on a range of social issues, and while some members continue to undertake clinically focused work, much of this work is focused on complex and innovative interventions designed to meet the unique needs of socially disadvantaged populations (e.g., safer environment interventions, injectable opioid therapies).
The Divisional name change has been approved by the Department of Medicine Executive Committee, Dean’s Executive Committee, Faculty of Medicine Department Heads and School Directors Committee, and Faculty of Medicine Executive Committee.
Sincerely,
Anita Palepu, MD, MPH, FRCPC, MACP
Professor and Eric W. Hamber Chair
Head, Department of Medicine
University of British Columbia
Thomas Kerr, PhD
Professor and Division Head
Division of Social Medicine, Department of Medicine
University of British Columbia