On behalf of OHTN, I am pleased to announce and welcome Dr. Lawrence Mbuagbaw as the incoming Chair and Principal Investigator (PI) of the Ontario HIV Treatment Network Cohort Study (OCS). Dr. Mbuagbaw is a research methods scientist in clinical epidemiology and biostatistics, as well as a Professor at McMaster University. He has led numerous research projects and applied his expertise in various research designs, including cohort studies, randomized trials, mixed-methods studies, qualitative studies and evidence synthesis. He is also a member of the Black Expert Working Group on HIV Surveillance in Canada. In this leadership role, Lawrence will foster dynamic partnerships with people living with HIV, HIV clinicians, researchers, community members, and trainees to shape OCS research and inform policy, practice, and decisionmaking. As the Chair and PI of the OCS, Dr. Mbuagbaw will:
- Implement a robust program of research that will strengthen the HIV care cascade and improve health systems and services.
- Collaborate with OHTN leaders, site investigators, governing committees, Indigenous partners, and affected communities to
ensure the cohort remains relevant and impactful. - Act as a trusted source of expertise for the use of OCS data in driving system change.
- Promote the expansion and accessibility of linked datasets at ICES.
- Safeguard the status, integrity, and reputation of the OCS data.
- Mentor emerging researchers and community leaders in HIV research and knowledge exchange.
- Partner with national and international collaborators to share OCS findings and advance knowledge translation. Dr. Mbuagbaw will work closely with a dedicated team of eight OHTN staff — biostatisticians, data engineers, analysts, and a lead — who will continue to support recruitment, data collection, analysis, and dissemination for the OCS. We look forward to the vision and leadership that Dr. Mbuagbaw will bring to the OCS as it continues to generate knowledge that strengthens care, informs policy, and improves the lives of people living with HIV across Ontario.
I also take this opportunity to sincerely thank Dr. Ann Burchell, a Canada Research Chair in Sexually Transmitted Infection Prevention and Professor at the University of Toronto, who stepped in to assume the role of Interim PI of the OCS in May 2024. During her tenure and with the guidance from the OCS Governance and Scientific Steering Committees, Ann established and oversaw a competitive and transparent recruitment process for the OCS Chair. She provided invaluable guidance to the OCS team, ensuring that key core functions of the OCS remained active and responsive. Dr. Burchell will remain involved as a Co-PI to support the onboarding of the new OCS Chair and establish a robust evaluation of the OCS Chair program to ensure its sustainability.
Finally, I am also pleased to introduce Dr. Lonnie Embleton, who joined the OHTN in July as the Director, OCS and Co-PI of the OCS. Lonnie holds a PhD in Medical Science from the University of Toronto, along with a master’s degree in public health, specializing in epidemiology, from the Dalla Lana School of Public Health (DLSPH). Before joining OHTN, she led and collaborated on HIV-related research in Kenya for over a decade, focused on understanding and addressing structural and social determinants of health inequities with underserved young people to improve their engagement in the HIV prevention-care continuum.
Dr. Embleton is an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto DLSPH in the Division of Social and Behavioural Health Sciences and an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Global Health and Health Systems Design at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. She is passionate about generating high-quality evidence to improve health, economic, and social outcomes for underserved communities to advance health equity. Dr. Embleton is delighted and grateful for the opportunity to work with equity-deserving communities in Ontario through the OCS and looks forward to collaborating with Dr. Mbuagbaw, the OCS team, and interest holders across the province to inform HIV policies and identify and address inequities in HIV-related outcomes.
Sincerely,
Nadine Sookermany
CEO, Ontario HIV Treatment Network