World-renowned HIV/AIDS researcher Dr. Julio Montaner has another prestigious award to add to his arsenal.
The Executive Director and Physician-in-Chief of the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS at St. Paul’s Hospital received the Senate 150th Anniversary Medal over the weekend. Senator Mobina Jaffer championed Dr. Montaner for the award, which was presented to him on Saturday, February 2 in Burnaby. Senator Jaffer, a human rights activist and lawyer, represents BC in the Senate of Canada, where she is deputy-chair of the Standing Senate Committee on National Security and Defence.
At a December 2018 event, Senator Jaffer joined Dr. Montaner and other advocates to call for global government leaders to step up their fight against HIV and AIDS, by increasing their contributions to the Global Fund.
The Senate 150th Anniversary Medal commemorates the first time senators came to Ottawa to sit in Parliament, on November 6, 1867. Medals are awarded to Canadians or permanent residents actively involved in their communities who, through generosity, dedication, volunteerism and hard work, make their hometowns, communities, regions, provinces or territories a better place to live.
Among his many distinctions, Dr. Montaner is a Member of the Order of British Columbia and an Officer of the Order of Canada. He has also been inducted into the Royal Society of Canada-The Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences (RSC) and into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame.
This article was adapted from a BC-CfE news release. Click here to view the original announcement.