In recognition of his work in HIV epidemiology and public health research, Dr. Lawrence Mbuagbaw has been awarded the 2025 Excellence in Research Award in the Epidemiology-Public Health track by the Canadian Association for HIV Research (CAHR) and the Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research (CANFAR).
The CAHR-CANFAR Excellence in Research Awards have been awarded since 2017 to highlight the achievements of investigators in all pillars of HIV research. The award will be presented at the opening ceremonies of the upcoming 34th Canadian Conference on HIV/AIDS Research (CAHR 2025) in May 2025.
Dr. Mbuagbaw is the Director of the Research Methodology Centre at St. Joe’s and works as a research methods scientist in clinical epidemiology and biostatistics. He is also an associate professor in the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact (HEI) and University Scholar at McMaster University, where he teaches courses in biostatistics and randomized trials.
One of Dr. Mbuagbaw’s ongoing projects focuses on optimizing outcomes at critical points in the HIV care cascade. Since the health outcomes of people living with HIV are largely influenced by personal and systemic factors along the continuum of care, there is significant variation in health outcomes. Dr. Mbuagbaw’s research aims to fill knowledge gaps at critical points along the continuum of care that will inform policy and practice in Ontario related to drug resistance, initiation of treatment, adherence to treatment and retention in care in people living with HIV.
Dr. Mbuagbaw is also a co-principal investigator of the A/C Study. This study aims to describe HIV prevalence, behaviours associated with transmission, testing, core knowledge related to transmission and acquisition, factors affecting vulnerability, care and treatment history, and access to health resources among Black communities in Ontario.
In addition to these, Dr. Mbuagbaw is also involved in other HIV research initiatives. One such initiative aims to reduce inconsistent and incomplete reporting of HIV drug resistance prevalence. His work in this area has led to the development of a reporting Checklist for studies of Drug Resistance in HIV.
The HIV Case Management Acuity Assessment Tool is another initiative led by Dr. Mbuagbaw that aims to identify and categorize the case management needs among Black people living with HIV in Ontario.
"I am deeply honoured to receive the 2025 CAHR-CANFAR Excellence in Research Award,” said Dr. Mbuagbaw. “This recognition reflects the collective efforts of my colleagues, collaborators, and mentors in advancing HIV research and global health equity. I remain committed to evidence-based solutions that improve patient outcomes and shape public health policy."
Learn more about Dr. Mbuagbaw’s work on his website or by watching his academic presentation as the 2023 McArthur Research Award recipient: