HIV and hep C research success goes global in Real Impact Awards Showcase Book
Glasgow Caledonian University's world-leading HIV and hepatitis C research is being celebrated around the globe with the launch of a new Real Impact Awards Showcase Book.
The Sexual Health and Blood Borne Viruses (SHBBV) research group clinched a top international award for their ground-breaking HIV and hepatitis C prevention research in people who inject drugs.
The team won the 2021 Emerald Publishing International Real Impact Award – Mobilising Research into Action category – in April this year for demonstrating impactful results through incredible collaborative working.
The award entry, led by Professor Claudia Estcourt and Professor Sharon Hutchinson, showed how the group works collaboratively across academia, public health, NHS, policy, third-sector and people with lived experience to turn research findings into health policy and practice.
Scotland’s Public Health Minister Maree Todd congratulated the team on their achievement and sent of letter of commendation recognising the huge difference their research has made and continues to make to blood borne virus services.
Now the SHBBV team are featuring in the ‘Research Driving Change’ Real Impact Awards Showcase Book, which is going global with a massive social media campaign celebrating the best of the best.
Professor Estcourt and Hutchinson said: “We were absolutely delighted to be awarded this prestigious Real Impact Award at the end of April and to have the SHBBV team’s impact commitment celebrated and acknowledged in the Real Impact Awards Showcase Book and shared through a global social media is the icing on the cake for us. We are incredibly proud of the team and cannot thank everyone enough for all the efforts.”
Professor Estcourt led world-leading HIV research which has underpinned the roll-out and evaluation of Scotland's HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Programme, one of the first programmes in the world.
PrEP is a medication to prevent HIV infection and is hailed as game-changer in the elimination of HIV transmission. People who inject drugs are very vulnerable to getting or passing on HIV through shared injecting equipment and condomless sex.
Professor Hutchinson’s research on hepatitis C virus (HCV) has shaped Scotland's public health response and led to major health benefits, particularly among people who inject drugs at high risk of infection.
Sexual Health and HIV Professor Estcourt and Epidemiology and Public Health Professor Hutchinson have focused much of their research on people who inject drugs because they are among the most marginalised groups in society.
The SHBBV group researchers are part of the School of Health and Life Sciences' Research Centre for Health (ReaCH) – Improving Health and Wellbeing for all.
ReaCH makes a direct and significant contribution to Sustainable Development Goal 3 – good health and wellbeing - issued by United Nations in 2015 as a blueprint for peace and prosperity across the planet.