Photo: University of Victoria
“Health Research BC support fundamentally changed the trajectory of my entire career,” says Dr. Nathan (Nate) Lachowsky.
When he began his first faculty position as an assistant professor at the University of Victoria (UVic), Nate was balancing a heavy teaching load with the challenge of building a new research program focused on HIV and men’s sexual health. As a first-year tenure-track faculty member, time for research, partnership building, and long-term planning was limited. Receiving Health Research BC funding created the space he needed to take his work to a new level.
“It provided protected time to do research, build partnerships, and think about how my research could impact programs, policies, and services,” says Nate.
With that support, Nate strengthened collaborations with local, provincial, and national partners in HIV and sexual health, building long-term relationships with affected communities and knowledge users that are often difficult to sustain in a teaching-heavy academic role.
One of the most significant areas of impact during this time was HIV prevention, including the rollout of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in British Columbia. PrEP is a highly effective medication used by HIV-negative individuals to prevent getting HIV. It was a new and costly prevention tool at the time.
Nate’s research helped identify who could benefit most from PrEP and how it could be delivered in a cost-effective and equitable way. His work generated key evidence that supported BC’s decision to provide HIV preventive medications at no cost to eligible people. His research also informed culturally and age-relevant public health policies and community-based interventions for sexual and gender minorities.
“Health Research BC funding was the ultimate catalyst,” he says. “It allowed me to be more strategic about how I built my research program — whom we worked with, what questions we asked, and how we brought resources into the work.”
As his career progressed, Nate moved into several health research leadership roles at UVic. In 2025, he moved to Prince George to become Dean of the Faculty of Human and Health Sciences at the University of Northern British Columbia. He is now building research capacity across Northern BC, collaborating with Indigenous, racialized, and 2S/LGBTQI+ communities. His research addresses a wide range of health issues, responding more directly to the priorities of local communities across Canada.
From launching his research career on Vancouver Island to building research capacity in Northern BC, Nate has continued to strengthen health research across the province. Through collaboration, leadership, and place-based research, Nate is helping to address the unique health priorities of communities across BC.
Dr. Nathan Lachowsky
Dr. Nathan Lachowsky is Dean of the Faculty of Human and Health Sciences and Professor in the School of Health Sciences, both at the University of Northern British Columbia. Previously, he was Associate Dean Research in the Faculty of Human and Social Development and a Professor in the School of Public Health and Social Policy, both at the University of Victoria. He also served as the volunteer Research Director for the Community-Based Research Centre Society from 2017-2025. Nathan conducts interdisciplinary, community-based research through a social justice framework to achieve health equity for marginalized communities. His research informs public health practice, health services, and policy.
He has trained and mentored the following Health Research BC-funded researchers:
- Robert Beringer, University of Victoria
- Kiffer Card, University of Victoria
- Sara Chadwick, University of Victoria
- Tyrone Curtis, University of Victoria
- Aki Gormezano, University of Northern British Columbia
- Jordan Sang, University of British Columbia
- Ryan Stillwagon, University of Victoria
- Jose Benito Tovillo, University of Northern British Columbia
Stay informed
Subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn and Bluesky.
