The AHA Centre: Aboriginal HIV and AIDS Community-based Research Collaborative Centre 2.0

The AHA Centre is a national, Indigenous-led collaborative research centre housed at CAAN. Funded by The Canadian Institutes of Health Research in 2012, The AHA Centre supports HIV and AIDS Community-Based research (CBR) conducted in First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities across Canada. CBR is an approach to research where the needs and well-being of a community are at the core. CBR is engaged with the intention to partner with community members in order to gain a full scope perspective of an issue with the goal of providing results that will help a community to make decisions and implement change. For the AHA Centre, CBR is an approach to research that ensures:

• culturally responsive, community-based HIV and determinants of health research;
• strong foundations for community leadership;
• research projects that are relevant to our communities;
• meaningful engagement of people living with HIV and Indigenous communities; and
• research findings that inform action.

With a leadership team of highly respected Indigenous (and allied) community members, researchers, Elders and Knowledge Keepers, the AHA Centre has an exceptional track record of working in a good way with First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities, and demonstrating integrity that is expected by both community and academia. We have partnered with and supported many research projects and teams and contributed to regional, national and international HIV conferences and gatherings.