Commitment to the Community - making the London community stronger and healthier

As volunteers, Stephen Barr, Katrina Leung and Mair Hughes are making the London community stronger and healthier. Meanwhile their experiences are making their own lives richer and more meaningful.

Whether he is in the lab or developing policy around the board room table, Stephen Barr, PhD, assistant professor, Department of Microbiology and Immunology is working to ease world-wide suffering due to HIV/AIDS. Barr's research is providing a deeper understanding of the human innate immune response toward HIV, which will in turn lead to novel approaches for antiviral therapeutics and personalized medicine for HIV-infected individuals.

However, says Barr "Laboratory research is a slow process for making direct impact in the community." It is for this reason that he is also directing his energy to the HIV/AID community locally. For the past four years he has serving on the Board of Directors for the Regional HIV/AIDS Connection (RHAC) organization based here in London. The purpose of this Board of Directors is to act, on behalf of the people of greater London and surrounding area, ensure the accountability of the Regional HIV/AIDS Connection, by working toward ensuring that people who are infected with, at increased risk of, or affected by HIV/AIDS or Hepatitis C enjoy health and well-being.

For Mair Hughes, administrative officer, Department of Pathology, being a member of the School's Breast for Success Bust a Move team was personal. The fitness event gave her the chance to participate with her colleagues on something focused on health. "Working at maintaining a healthy lifestyle is important to me, and having the chance to participate with the Schulich team in an event starring none other than fitness guru Richard Simmons was really a lot of fun," said Hughes. It also gave her the chance to honour her grandmother - a single mother and artist who raised two daughters in occupied Holland, and a breast cancer survivor. Together with her team members, Hughes was able to raise more than $33,000 in support of the Breast Care Centre at St. Joseph's Hospital in London.

Katrina Leung, BMSc student, has been actively volunteering with the Catholic Diocese for the past two years. From event planning, and assisting with promotions to participating in parish events she has been giving her time and energy to a cause that is close to her heart. It is an experience that has allowed her to spiritually while channeling new skills into other volunteer roles. Leung describes the experience as wonderful. "I've been able to grow so much as a person through challenges and through triumphs and have made genuine connections with others and the community through purposeful and meaningful work ‑ which is in generous abundance."