Darrell Tan

Research Synopsis

Dr. Darrell Tan is an infectious diseases physician, clinician-scientist and Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) New Investigator whose research focuses on clinical trials in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention and HIV/sexual transmitted infection (STI) co-infection. As Director of the University of Toronto Clinical Research Unit on HIV Prevention and co-leader of the CIHR Canadian HIV Trials Network Biomedical Prevention Working Group, he is leading multiple efforts to optimize the implementation of HIV pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP and PEP) in Canada. These include Canada’s first demonstration project of daily oral TDF/FTC-based PrEP in Toronto MSM, the development of national Clinical Practice Guidelines on PEP & PrEP use, exploration of the relationship between syndemic health problems and clinical outcomes of PEP & PrEP, studies of nurse-led PEP & PrEP, and evaluations of novel antiretroviral PEP regimens.

Additional research interests are in the interaction between HIV and common co-infections such as herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) and syphilis, and the role of systemic inflammation in driving clinical outcomes in people living with HIV. He is also Co-Principle Investigator on two CIHR-supported multicentre randomized control trials including the a trial of anti-herpes medication for attenuating HIV disease progression, and a trial of enhanced syphilis screening in HIV-positive men.