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Fourth Joint Conference of BHIVA with BASHH - Detailed post-conference report

Fourth Joint Conference of BHIVA with BASHH (Edinburgh 2018) Date: 17-20 April 2018

Venue: Edinburgh International Conference Centre, UK

This year's annual conference was held jointly with the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH). As in 2014, this joint conference in 2018 was successful and received positive feedback from delegates. 992 delegates registered for the conference.

Social Events

Civic Welcome Reception
The Civic Welcome Reception was held on Wednesday 18 April among the exhibition stands at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre. Short speeches to welcome delegates were made from Dr Catherine Calderwood (Chief Medical Officer for Scotland) and Councillor Joan Griffiths MBE (Deputy Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh), along with Dr Imali Fernando (BASHH Local Host) and Professor Clifford Leen (BHIVA Local Host). This was followed by an opportunity for delegates to network with each other whilst enjoying a drink and some light refreshments. Live Solo Pianist Mr Diego Lopez provided the perfect atmosphere for the event.

Dr Catherine Calderwood
Dr Catherine Calderwood

Councillor Joan Griffiths MBE
Councillor Joan Griffiths MBE

Dr Imali Fernando
Dr Imali Fernando

Professor Clifford Leen
Professor Clifford Leen

Civic Welcome Reception

Gala Dinner
This year's Gala Dinner was an impressive event held at The Assembly Rooms in the city centre. This beautiful building provided our delegates with the perfect venue to enjoy the final evening of the conference. The event started with a drinks reception, which was followed by an excellent dinner. Professor Chloe Orkin (Chair, British HIV Association) and Dr Olwen Williams OBE (President, British Association for Sexual Health and HIV) thanked Dr Imali Fernando (BASHH Local Host) and Professor Clifford Leen (BHIVA Local Host), along with Dr Daniel Richardson and Dr Laura Waters (Co-Chairs of the BHIVA/BASHH Joint Conferences Committee) for putting an excellent conference programme together. Dr Mags Portman deservedly received the BASHH lifetime achievement award at the Joint BHIVA/BASHH 2018 Conference. Mags is a giant amongst humans - more passion, conviction, wisdom, empathy and grit packed into an eloquent and smiling package than you will find in a lecture theatre full of her peers. Mags' tireless efforts to ensure access to PrEP are legendary & it's these, and the unwavering admiration she has earned from clinicians, community advocates & service users, that made her the perfect choice, as nominated by Drs Rak Nandwani & Tristan Barber, to receive this award. Despite her mesothelioma diagnosis Mags continues to advocate, to teach and to inspire and few will match her incredible achievements. Well done Mags and from BHIVA and BASHH.....you truly rock! Entertainment was provided by Comedian Scott Agnew, who kept the audience engaged and laughing out loud. The entertainment from the DJ proved a big hit in bringing everyone to the dance floor.

The Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh
The Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh

Professor Chloe Orkin and Dr Olwen Williams OBE
Professor Chloe Orkin (BHIVA Chair) and Dr Olwen Williams OBE (BASHH President)

Dr Mags Portman
Dr Mags Portman (Centre) receives her award from Professor Chloe Orkin and Dr Olwen Williams OBE

Dr Imali Fernando and Professor Clifford Leen
Dr Imali Fernando and Professor Clifford Leen with Professor Chloe Orkin and Dr Olwen Williams OBE

Dr Daniel Richardson and Dr Laura Waters
Dr Daniel Richardson and Dr Laura Waters with Professor Chloe Orkin and Dr Olwen Williams OBE

Prizes and Awards

As has become customary at BHIVA and BASHH conferences, outstanding quality research was reflected in the oral and poster presentations.  Of the 485 abstracts submitted, 445 were selected - 45 as oral presentations and 400 as poster presentations.

All selected abstracts were published in HIV Medicine (2018, Volume 19 Supplement 2), and are available to download here.

Click here to view the full list of this year's prize winners. Pictured below are some of the winners.

BHIVA Travel Bursary Scholarships 2018 Funded by MSD Ltd

The British HIV Association made provision for 8 scholarship awards funded by MSD Ltd to be made available to assist healthcare professionals to attend the 25th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) which was held in Boston, USA on 4-7 March 2018. Scholarship awards were capped at a maximum of £2,000 each and were considered a contribution towards an award winner's registration fee, travel and accommodation expenses. The winners of the award this year were as follows:

  • Dr Rageshri Dhairyawan, Barts Health NHS Trust, London

  • Dr Owen Seddon, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff

  • Dr Matthew Page, Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham

  • Dr Virginia Rasi, University College London

  • Dr Charlotte-Eve Short, Imperial College London

  • Dr Sophie Flavell, Mortimer Market Centre, London

  • Dr Jane Nicholls, North Bristol NHS Trust

  • Dr Bridie Howe, City Hospitals Sunderland

  • Dr Erasmus Smit, Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham (Bursary carried over from 2017)

BHIVA Travel Bursary Scholarships 2018 Funded by MSD Ltd

Left to right: Professor Chloe Orkin (BHIVA Chair), Dr Virginia Rasi, Dr Matthew Page, Dr Rageshri Dhairyawan, Dr John Forni (MSD representative)

Mediscript Awards in collaboration with BHIVA and BASHH

Two prizes were awarded for the best oral or poster research presentation during the conference in the field of social sciences and community-based work.

P147: "How does a national mentor mother training project support women living with HIV through pregnancy? A qualitative evaluation of 4M: My Health, My Choice, My Child, My Life"

Miss Laura Kwardem, Salamander Trust

O29: "Trans:mission – a community-led HIV testing initiative for trans people and their partners at a central London"

Mr Aedan Wolton, cliniQ CIC

Mediscript Awards in collaboration with BHIVA and BASHH

Left to right: Mr Mitul Patel (Mediscript Ltd), Mr Aedan Wolton, Dr Rageshri Dhairyawan (collecting the award on behalf of Laura Kwardem), Professor Chloe Orkin (BHIVA Chair), Dr Olwen Williams OBE (BASHH President)

BHIVA/BASHH Best Case Presentation Award

Dr Hardeep Kang This prize was awarded to the presenter of the best case presentation as part of the BHIVA/BASHH Lunchtime Clinico-pathological Case Presentation Workshop.

Winner:

HHV-8 a diagnosis to debate

Dr Hardeep Kang, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust

BHIVA/BASHH Best Abstract Presentation from an Undergraduate Award

BHIVA/BASHH Best Abstract Presentation from an Undergraduate Award This prize was awarded for the best oral or poster research presentation during the conference presented by an undergraduate student.

Winner:

O31: Mapping the violence landscape among female sex workers in Karnataka, south India: associations between violence exposure by perpetrator, and HIV/STI risk

Miss Alicja Beksinska, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

BHIVA/BASHH Best Sexual Health Poster Presentation Award

Dr Eric Chow This prize was awarded to the presenter of the best sexual health-related poster research presentation during the conference. To be eligible for this prize the presenter had to be of junior grade (sub-consultant or equivalent).

Winner:

P103: Kissing but not sex is the strongest risk factor for oropharyngeal gonorrhoea in men who have sex with men: a cross-sectional survey

Dr Eric Chow, Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Australia

BHIVA/BASHH Best HIV Poster Presentation Award

Dr Nadia Ekong This prize was awarded to the presenter of the best HIV-related poster research presentation during the conference. To be eligible for this prize the presenter had to be of junior grade (sub-consultant or equivalent).

Winner:

P71: Awareness of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in the black and minority ethnic (BME) community: results of a questionnaire survey

Dr Nadia Ekong, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

BHIVA/BASHH Best Sexual Health Oral Research Presentation Award

Dr Mathew Page This prize was awarded to the presenter of the best sexual health-related oral research presentation during the conference. To be eligible for this prize the presenter had to be of junior grade (sub-consultant or equivalent).

Winner:

O42: Are all HIV postal sampling kits the same? Dried blood spots significantly outperform conventional mini-tube sampling in a real world comparative review

Dr Mathew Page, Birmingham Heartlands Hospital

BHIVA/BASHH Best HIV Oral Research Presentation Award

Ms Meaghan Kall This prize was awarded to the presenter of the best HIV-related oral research presentation during the conference. To be eligible for this prize the presenter had to be of junior grade (sub-consultant or equivalent).

Winner:

O23: Met and unmet health, welfare and social needs of people living with HIV

Ms Meaghan Kall, Public Health England