Science in the Cinema presents Dallas Buyers Club
Matthias Götte has spent much of his adult life searching for solutions to the worldwide HIV and AIDS epidemic. Götte, chair of the Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, first began working on the virus in 1992 as a PhD candidate in Germany and has been part of the global effort to combat the disease ever since. It is a fight he believes science is slowly winning, but one that must remain in the public eye.
"It is often not clear to the public how much you have to invest in resources and in research to be successful," says Götte. "There has been an enormous effort in regards to HIV with thousands of scientists working on solutions to battle the virus over decades-with success. Was it worth it? Yes, of course it was. That work has saved millions of lives."
It is that perspective that Götte is excited share as an expert speaker at Science in the Cinema on Nov. 12. The free event, hosted by the University of Alberta's Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, is showing a screening of the Academy Award winning film Dallas Buyers Club, which looks at the story of Ron Woodruff, an AIDS patient diagnosed in the mid-1980s when HIV and AIDS treatments were under researched.
"A key mission of the University of Alberta is to drive positive change," says Richard Fedorak, interim dean of the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry. "It is through events like this that together we can seek better understanding of issues that touch us all, and ultimately the solutions we strive for. We are always stronger together."
Following the film, Götte, along with Laura Keegan, director of Resource Development and Public Engagement with HIV Edmonton, will respond to questions from the audience regarding challenges and current research directions informing AIDS and HIV science, as well as the impact of the HIV virus on patients and communities.
In her opinion, "HIV as an issue has fallen off the radar," says Keegan. "With huge improvements scientifically we have seen great strides in the global epidemic, yet we have not seen great gains made in North America. Science and medicine have changed HIV from a death sentence into a lifelong chronic illness, but what hasn't changed is the stigma and discrimination that is faced by those living with HIV."
"HIV Edmonton has a vision of zero new HIV infections, zero stigma and discrimination, and zero AIDS-related deaths. We have all the tools in the world to get to zero-there is enough money and enough prevention tools-what we don't have enough of is the political will to make it happen."
According to HIV Edmonton, approximately 5,000 people in Alberta have HIV. While rates of new infections decreased in the early 2000s with the introduction of needle exchange, they have since plateaued with no real decreases in over 10 years. Keegan says it is vital that the issue remains a part of the public conversation.
It is hoped through events like Science in the Cinema that the stigma of HIV and AIDS can be addressed head on through thoughtful, informed discussion, says Pamela Brett-MacLean, director of the Arts & Humanities In Health & Medicine program, which is organizing and co-hosting the series. This program is one of the many ways the faculty is foregrounding the contributions of science to society, and Science is Cinema is one of those examples, she says.
"HIV and AIDS is really an example of how important it is that scientists talk to each other and with the entire community about the issue," says Götte. "It needs to be realized that this really is a problem that we cannot only tackle from one end. Everyone needs to be on board-we need doctors, patients, basic scientists and social scientists working together. I hope this resonates with the audience."
About Science in the Cinema
The University of Alberta's Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry is the proud new host of Science in the Cinema, a series of films that bring the community together around issues of science and popular culture. Audience members can watch a film with a health science theme and afterward listen to experts explain the science. An interactive Q-and-A period follows each movie.
The goal of Science in the Cinema is to provide a fun and interactive way to discuss health research and innovation. It shines a light on the excellent research being done right here in Alberta, while informing the public about relevant health issues.
Event details
What: Science in the Cinema presents Dallas Buyers Club
When: Thursday, Nov. 12, 2015
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Cost: Free (small popcorn included)
Where: Metro Cinema, 8712 109 St.
Hosts: Hanne Ostergaard, associate dean of research, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, and Pamela Brett-MacLean, director of the Arts & Humanities Health & Medicine Program, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry.