Dr. Patricia Kissinger is an infectious disease epidemiologist. She has worked both nationally and internationally for more than three decades in the field of HIV, sexually transmitted diseases, and women’s reproductive health in Africa, Haiti, and the US.

She has been the PI on dozens of National Institute of Health (NIH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and other federally funded research grants and has published over 160 manuscripts and numerous book chapters. Dr. Kissinger focuses on the dynamics of STI/HIV transmission, particularly among vulnerable populations, examining issues of HIV/STI partner notification, expedited partner treatment, sexual networks, substance abuse, pregnancy prevention, and repeat STIs. Dr. Kissinger is also on the editorial board of the Journal Sex Trans Dis, is a frequent reviewer for NIH, and an expert consultant for CDC.

The Stiix and Stones podcast brings together voices of people from across the globe who are changing the face of sexual health for the better. Find us on Twitter @stiix_sti

This podcast is hosted by Nick Malhomme, head of the STI International Exchange - or STIIX, sponsored by OraSure and produced by Bird Lime Media.

Professor Ali Shan Khan is a medical epidemiologist and Dean of the College of Public Health at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

He was born in Brooklyn, New York and trained as a doctor in the US before joining the National Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for 25 years with a focus on emerging infectious diseases. He worked on outbreaks all over the world, including ebola and anthrax, before leading CDC’s policy around malaria and infectious diseases and health security. He then moved to Nebraska where he enjoys doing global work around emerging infections alongside passing his wisdom to the next generation of doctors. He has a passion for bringing public health and medicine closer together in the US and he explained how this also applies to sexual health, and the challenges faced in this field in the state of Nebraska.

The Stiix and Stones podcast brings together voices of people from across the globe who are changing the face of sexual health for the better. Find us on Twitter @stiix_sti

This podcast is hosted by Nick Malhomme, head of the STI International Exchange - or STIIX, sponsored by OraSure and produced by Bird Lime Media.

Sean B. Rourke is a Clinical Neuropsychologist and Scientist with MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions at St. Michael’s Hospital, and Professor of Psychiatry, University of Toronto. He is an international expert in the neurobehavioural complications of HIV.

Rick Galli began his extensive career in research and diagnostic laboratory sciences with the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care Public Health Laboratory in Toronto in 1973. Rick joined REACH in 2019 and currently serves as the Director of Testing and Clinical Trials Implementation.

REACH Nexus is an ambitious national research group working on how to address HIV, Hepatitis C and other STBBIs (sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections) in Canada. Their focus is on reaching the undiagnosed, implementing and scaling up new testing options, strengthening connections to care, improving access to options for prevention (PrEP and PEP) and ending HIV stigma.

REACH Nexus is part of MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions at St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, and is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

The Stiix and Stones podcast brings together voices of people from across the globe who are changing the face of sexual health for the better. Find us on Twitter @stiix_sti

This podcast is hosted by Nick Malhomme, head of the STI International Exchange - or STIIX, sponsored by OraSure and produced by Bird Lime Media.

Dr Stacey Griner is the Assistant Professor of Health Behaviour and Health Systems at the University of North Texas and is responsible for putting sexually transmitted infection guidelines and policies into practice.

Her sexual and reproductive health research addresses sexually transmitted infection (STI) screening and prevention. Recent projects have included an assessment of the implementation of evidence-based chlamydia screening guidelines and syphilis screening policies into clinical care by prenatal providers. In this line of research, other projects include determining the acceptability and dissemination of chlamydia and gonorrhoea vaccines among young adults and parents of adolescents and developing interventions to improve access to STI screening using innovative methods such as consumer-based screening and self-sampling methods.

The Stiix and Stones podcast brings together voices of people from across the globe who are changing the face of sexual health for the better. Find us on Twitter @stiix_sti

This podcast is hosted by Nick Malhomme, head of the STI International Exchange - or STIIX, sponsored by OraSure and produced by Bird Lime Media.

Warning: this episode discusses suicidal thoughts.

Harun Tulunay was born in Turkey and moved to the UK to escape the stigma and discrimination he faced as a gay man. When he was diagnosed with HIV in 2016, he decided to become an ambassador for good sexual health and mental health and started to volunteer for charities including Positively UK. Harun delivers public speeches and shares his life experiences to tackle stigma and raise awareness of HIV and mental health.

You can connect with Harun on Instagram: @haruntulunay

Positively UK provides peer-led support, advocacy and information to everyone living with HIV to effectively manage any aspect of their diagnosis, care and life with HIV. Working in partnership with the NHS, Positively UK run a range of peer-led support groups for women, heterosexual men and women, gay men and young people and host events and workshops for recently diagnosed people – those who are planning parenthood or currently pregnant, including talks with activists, clinicians and life coaches. Find out more about Positively UK here.

The Stiix and Stones podcast brings together voices of people from across the globe who are changing the face of sexual health for the better. Find us on Twitter @stiix_sti

This podcast is hosted by Nick Malhomme, head of the STI International Exchange - or STIIX, sponsored by OraSure and produced by Bird Lime Media.

Dr. Leandro Mena is a clinician-researcher and public health expert in the prevention and clinical management of STIs, as well as HIV. Throughout his career, he has studied STI transmission and culturally competent quality health services in racial/ethnic minority groups, as well as among LGBTQ people.

Dr. Leandro Mena is the Director of the Division of STD Prevention in CDC’s National Centre for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention.

The Stiix and Stones podcast brings together voices of people from across the globe who are changing the face of sexual health for the better.

Hosted by Nick Malhomme, head of the STI International Exchange - or STIIX.

Find us on Twitter @stiix_sti

The Stiix and Stones podcast brings together voices of people from across the globe who are changing the face of sexual health for the better.

Hosted by Nick Malhomme, head of the STI International Exchange - or STIIX.

Find us on Twitter @stiix_sti

This podcast is produced by Bird Lime Media.

Javier Gomez is a Clinical Microbiologist from the Spanish Ministry of Health. He talks to Nick about the STI testing program in Spain, his work on getting remote testing approved and what treatment looks like. He explains why it is important that the national strategic plans for HIV and STI are separate, but connected; he takes the time to outline the main measures of this strategic plan. He also describes the relationship between the Ministry of Health and the 17 autonomous regions, and how this affects the implementation of his work.

The Stiix and Stones podcast brings together voices of people from across the globe who are changing the face of sexual health for the better.

Hosted by Nick Malhomme, head of the STI International Exchange - or STIIX.

Find us on Twitter @stiix_sti

This podcast is produced by Bird Lime Media.