Article for The Bark magazine
Spring 2021
MEDICAL MARVEL
Dr. Julio Montaner reflects on his world-renowned work in the treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS, a multitude of accolades, and the sense of community at The Arbutus Club
Our Club is a varied, but close-knit community that encompasses a multitude of cultures, faiths, backgrounds, professions, perspectives, and lived experiences. The diverse membership is one of our most distinguishing characteristics, with many being admirable ambassadors for our Club within our walls and beyond. The Arbutus Club seeks to honour the individuals who have shown significant achievement as community leaders and created positive change with our Members of Excellence quarterly feature.
In the inaugural article, we speak with physician, researcher, and decades-long member of The Arbutus Club, Doctor Julio Montaner.
As the Director of the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS and the Chair in AIDS Research & a Killam Professor of Medicine at UBC, he is a leader in the field of HIV/AIDS and his contributions have been recognized globally.
Montaner's innate draw to create a positive social impact has driven his successful career and personal life. Most importantly, his wife Dorothée of 37 years and their 4 children have supported him every step of the way. We are humbled to have such an amazing changemaker among us.
Growing up in Argentina, Dr. Montaner was inspired by his father’s career as a Pulmonary Specialist. He was always drawn to the social aspects of health and the ability to positively influence people’s lives through medicine. Beginning his career in Respiratory Medicine, Montaner met Dr. James Hogg, then Director of The Pulmonary Research Lab at St. Paul’s Hospital, while at a conference. Dr. Hogg took a young Montaner under his wing and encouraged him to revalidate his credentials in Canada.
He began his residency training again at St. Paul’s Hospital in July of 1981. “Being the youngest member of the respiratory team, I was asked to spend a lot of time in the Emergency Room looking after people dealing with respiratory complications of AIDS," says Dr Montaner. “We were seeing lots of people with what turned out to be HIV, but at the time we didn’t know.” The rise of the epidemic redirected the budding doctor’s career. “I dropped my respiratory ambitions and focused on HIV, which was an acute and very significant challenge at that time.”
Since the early 1980s, Dr. Montaner has authored over 800 scientific publications and created internationally recognized HIV management strategies. He is credited as playing a key role in the development of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), a revolutionary breakthrough that allowed patients with HIV to maintain the function of their immune system, minimize opportunistic infections, limit transmission of the virus, and reduce the burden of the disease on the patient.
“We changed what was a devastating life sentence to a chronic, but manageable condition," says Dr Montaner as he humbly reflects on his noble impact on HIV/AIDS.
Dr. Montaner's remarkable dedication to HIV/AIDS is reflected in the many lives he has effectively saved and the multitude of honours he has earned. He became a member of the Order of British Columbia and an officer of the Order of Canada in 2010 and 2014, respectively. Dr. Montaner explains, “My greatest honour is that we have been able to implement our innovations in British Columbia and abroad for the benefit of those most affected.” As an Argentinian-born Canadian, Dr. Montaner expressed gratitude to both Canada and BC for the support he has received. “I couldn’t have done anything without the support of my province and country. For that, I am extremely grateful.”
Recently, Dr. Montaner was selected by Canada Post to be a part of the Medical Groundbreakers stamp series which honours his wide-ranging contributions to the field of HIV/AIDS. This award came as an enormous surprise to Montaner who explained, “It was a very touching recognition. Some of my friends joke that this thing doesn’t happen until after you have died," he continued, adding his particular brand of humour and modesty to the conversation.
With a long list of accolades, Dr. Montaner proudly considers his greatest accomplishment the Treatment as Prevention® (TasP) construct. “It essentially means, if everyone with HIV in a specific jurisdiction is treated, HIV infection will not progress to AIDS and premature death will be avoided; even most critical, the same treatment will fully prevent HIV transmission”.
His concept is embraced globally by the United Nations and the World Health Organization as the new global strategy to end the HIV pandemic by 2030.
After achieving many of his ambitions on a global scale, Dr. Montaner retreated to a more local scope taking an active role in the development of harm reduction policies and safe supply resources in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. The local proximity to his work has allowed him to visit the Club more regularly.
The Montaner family joined The Arbutus Club in September 1993. Dr. Montaner confesses he hadn’t reaped the same rewards as his family members following their initial acceptance into the Club. “My wife and kids used the benefits of the Club since, in those days, I was a little busy," he says with a genial chuckle. However, the Club has since been an important social and recreational outlet for the entire family. He reflected on his experience saying, “We are very close to several families who are also members. We have spent a lot of time visiting with them at the Club, that is really what it’s all about right?” highlighting the proud sense of community the Club affords its members.
Dr. Montaner’s exceptional career aligns with his conscientious commitment to creating a positive social impact in his community. When asked to impart some wisdom to the youth at the Club as they embark on their journey to becoming the next generation of change-makers, he said: “If I have learned one thing in my life, it’s that the key to success in my work has been remaining faithful to the fundamentals of my vocation, while remaining open to new opportunities.” Montaner continues, “In the early stages of careers, academic or otherwise, it is common to be fixated on an outcome as opposed to the principles. If I had been narrowly focused on my respiratory medicine vocation, I would have found it difficult to ultimately meet my goals.”
Doctor Julio Montaner ends the conversation on a poignant, albeit hopeful, note. “Similar to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, it is our responsibility to end COVID-19," Dr Montaner pronounces.
He uses an anecdote centred around his father’s work in Tuberculosis (TB) research to drive the message home. “He always told me that in 1956 – the year I was born – they had the fundamentals to cure TB, but life is more complicated than that.”
To this day, tuberculosis remains a public health threat in many areas of the globe. Though, this sombre comparison fails to make Dr. Montaner downcast. “We need to do more not just for ourselves but for everybody.”
Thoroughly humble, conscientious, and brilliant, Montaner’s determination and passion to positively impact the lives of others is unparalleled. His contributions to the field of HIV/AIDS have transformed the way we manage the widespread occurrence of an infectious disease. We thank him for sharing his marvellous talents and being a true embodiment of a Member of Excellence.