Isabel

Tavitian-Exley

Isabel Tavitian-Exley is an epidemiologist and public health specialist with several years of research experience on HIV and drug use in vulnerable populations in Asia and Europe. She holds a PhD from Imperial College, London and has studied polydrug use and associated risk behaviours in concentrated HIV epidemics. Her research into behavioural and HIV infection risk associated with polydrug use highlight significant differences between drug combinations which could guide prevention and treatment needs. She recently completed a study for the Myanmar methadone programme and WHO and currently advises the Health Promotion Board, Ministry of Health in Singapore. Her research/presentation proposes potential characterisations of polydrug use that could help programmes tailor interventions to sub-groups with different demographic and behavioural risk profiles. Key words: drug use, risk behaviours, HIV transmission, latent class modelling.