Research Project (2024–26): Developing a trial to increase uptake of HIV PrEP in cisgender women in Canada
Dr. Sheliza Halani is an infectious diseases specialist who has been actively engaged in HIV care throughout her studies, working with various community organizations and partners looking after people living with HIV. Dr. Halani obtained her Bachelor’s of Applied Science Electrical Engineering – Biomedical Option at the University of British Columbia, Doctor of Medicine at the University of Toronto, and is currently pursuing a Master’s of Medical Education at the University of Dundee. She is the Mark Wainberg Fellow.
Under the supervision of Drs. Darrell Tan and Mona Loutfy, Dr. Halani will be conducting a CTN+ postdoctoral fellowship project on “Developing a trial to increase uptake of HIV PrEP in cisgender women in Canada.”
In 2022, there were 1,833 new diagnoses of HIV in Canada, and 597 new diagnoses of HIV in women per 100,000 population. During her fellowship, Dr. Halani will design a trial to promote uptake of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in cisgender women in Canada. Her primary objectives to prepare for development of the trial are to: 1) conduct a scoping review on educational interventions, curricula, and needs for providers to engage in HIV prevention care for cisgender women; 2) perform and analyze qualitative interviews with multidisciplinary care providers to assess barriers and facilitators to prescribing PrEP to cisgender women; 3) conduct a cross-sectional survey of cisgender women at risk of HIV acquisition in Canada on their experiences, beliefs, and preferences regarding injectable versus oral HIV PrEP; and 4) consult with key stakeholders, including community members, clinicians, allied health care/social service providers, public health authorities, and policy-makers on the optimal design of an implementation study of PrEP in cisgender women in Canada.
Dr. Halani’s work will be shared throughout her project during infectious diseases and HIV rounds at Unity Health Toronto and the University of Toronto. She will also share her research at several conferences, including CAHR. Furthermore, the abstract for the scoping review that she conducted was accepted as part of the abstract book for the 15th International Workshop on Women & HIV 2025.
Dr. Halani has been the recipient of numerous awards and honours, including the IDWeek Trainee Abstract Travel Award, University of Toronto MD Program 2021–2022 and 2022–2023 Teaching Excellence Awards, the F. M. Hill Mentoring Award for 2021–2022, and Women’s College Hospital’s Chief Medical Resident Award. She has authored 22 papers (on which she was first author or co-first author of 16), two book chapters, and 18 abstracts.
