Jean Damascene Makuza

Jean Damascene Makuza is a medical doctor, and global epidemiologist researcher currently serving as a post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Medicine at the University of British Columbia (UBC). He spent many years leading programs addressing infectious diseases such as HIV, STIs, viral hepatitis, and cervical cancer prevention and control in Sub-Saharan Africa. He employs participatory and community-based research methods aimed at the early screening, vaccination, and treatment of these diseases. Jean Damascene’s goal is to generate findings that can inform and design of health interventions and policies, with a strong emphasis on health equity. He has authored several peer-reviewed scientific publications and has presented numerous research conference abstracts. His Ph.D. studies at UBC focused on assessing the hepatitis B virus (HBV) care outcomes for patients diagnosed with HBV in Rwanda. Currently, his post-doctoral research concentrates on the hepatitis C virus (HCV) care cascade and associated factors, and the impact of the syndemic interactions among HBV, HCV, and HIV on overall and specific causes of mortality among residents of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.