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Jaris Swidrovich, an assistant professor, teaching stream in the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, has received an award from the for his project exploring barriers and opportunities involved in accessing HIV prevention drugs among urban Indigenous Peoples.

Many people in Canada at high risk of HIV are able to access highly effective preventive care with pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), but Indigenous Peoples face more barriers in getting the care they need.

To examine the issue, Swidrovich has partnered with community organizations in the Greater Toronto Area, including the and , to host Talking Circles with Indigenous Peoples.

“We want to ensure that any folks who prescribe, suggest, dispense, monitor or follow patients on PrEP know why they’re not seeing Indigenous folks, or why they are seeing the ones who they are seeing,” Swidrovich said. “Hopefully we can provide some strategies for better knowledge, awareness, and uptake of PrEP.”

The Connaught Community Partnership Research Program aims to help create and nurture partnerships between 91�Թ� scholars and community partners that support community-driven research.

Swidrovich is one of four 91�Թ� scholars to receive awards from the program this year. The others are Ishtiaque Ahmed in the Faculty of Arts & Science, , and Alicia Hawkins at 91�Թ� Mississauga.