The announcement of Professor Orkin’s MBE recognises her outstanding achievements as a world-leading HIV researcher, clinician, and medical, LGBTQ+ and disability leader.
The announcement of Chloe’s MBE falls in Pride Month, and there’s no better occasion to recognise Chloe’s fantastic achievements to medicine and equality, as well as her role as a prominent clinician activist leader for HIV communities and a medical, LGBTQ+ and disability leader.
Chloe Orkin (Director of the SHARE Research Collaborative) is Professor of Infection and Inequities at Queen Mary and a Consultant Physician at Barts Health NHS Trust.
Chloe’s pioneering research led to the licensing and implementation of the first-ever injectable treatment for HIV. The treatment improves the quality of life for people living with HIV – for the first time, people living with HIV could choose to receive treatment through an injection every two months, rather than take daily pills. You can learn more about the research SHARE conduct here.
While Chair of the British HIV Association in 2017, she spearheaded the UK arm of the ‘Undetectable = Untransmissible’ (U=U) campaign, which highlighted that there is zero risk of HIV transmission for people taking effective antiretroviral treatment. The global campaign has been transformative in reducing stigma for people living with HIV.
Her ground-breaking research on the clinical features of mpox has shaped our understanding of the condition, and her work has set new standards and guidelines in the treatment of these conditions.
Orkin is equally committed to equity for healthcare professionals. She was the first LGBTQ+ President of the Medical Women’s Federation, the largest organisation representing medical women in the UK.
Chloe believes strongly in visible representation. She has spoken openly as a medical woman and an LGBTQ+ doctor. In 2022, Chloe wrote a piece for BMJ Leader discussing, for the first time openly, about her experiences of living with an invisible disability. Again, Chloe’s strong belief in visible representation made her a leader to disabled doctors and may others living with both visible and invisible disability.
Ove the past five years, Chloe has led the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry (FMD) on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Lead as the EDI Lead and Athena SWAN Chair.
To mark her MBE, Chloe has written a lovely piece in the BMJ Leader detailing her experience with receiving this award. She has also kindly compiled a list of activism resources, available at the bottom of this page.
On receiving her MBE, Professor Orkin said:
“‘Serving the NHS for the past 26 years has been an enormous privilege, and it means a great deal that my contribution has been deemed valuable. By seeing someone like me receiving an MBE, I hope that others will see that they too can be recognised for their contributions to society. I look forward to serving my patients and colleagues for the rest of my career.”
Professor Sir Mark Caulfield, VP Health at Queen Mary University of London said:
“I am delighted to congratulate Chloe on receiving an MBE for her services to the NHS. Not only is Chloe an exceptional clinician and researcher, but she is also a role model and leader for many groups who have faced – and continue to face – challenge and discrimination across the world.
Chloe spearheaded change toward greater equality in our Faculty, overseeing our successful application for a Gold Athena SWAN award in medicine in 2023.
Congratulations, Chloe. This is hugely well deserved.”
Professor Yvonne Gilleece, Chair of the British HIV Association, said:
“As a past chair of the British HIV Association, Chloe has contributed so much to the development of new treatments for HIV and worked consistently to champion those facing stigma because of their HIV status, gender or ethnicity. We are delighted to see her recognised for her contribution to both medicine and society.”
Chloe has compiled a list of resources relating to her work on HIV, mpox, LGBT+ activism, and women in leadership.
Gender equity
Podcasts
Medical Women Podcast on leadership: The Medical Women Podcast: Episode 4: Stepping into leadership with Professor Chloe Orkin on Apple Podcasts
YANAF podcast: The Glass Slipper and Other Challenges for Women in Medicine – You Are Not a Frog
Research
Disability
Peer-reviewed publications on health equity
This article has been taken from Queen Mary University of London.
Tell us about your personal and professional motivation in regards to HIV research?
I am deeply interested in gender politics and am committed to improving the representation of women in clinical trials. It has always been clear to me that the importance of including women in HIV research needs to be underscored and addressed. My career has been and continues to be driven by the need to ensure that research reflects and benefits a diversity of individuals. A clear objective is transforming the landscape of HIV research to be truly representative and inclusive.
What challenges have you encountered in regards to women being adequately represented in clinical trials?
Women have always been under-represented in HIV treatment and that continues to this day. Research I presented only recently at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections highlighted that in trials for long-acting injectable therapies, women were notably underrepresented with respect to the country proportion of women living with HIV.
How can such under-representation be addressed?
It requires a particular focus on those who have been historically marginalised. This means not just advocating for more inclusive research, but also designing studies that actively prioritise diverse participation. Effective strategies include intentional recruitment and inclusive protocol design. For instance, the ILANA study I led in the UK recruited over 50% women and people of colour, embedding an approach that countered sexism, racism, and ageism within its protocol.
What guidance would you offer to young researchers or clinicians who want to focus on improving healthcare inclusivity and efficacy for women with HIV?
Remember that patients are not hard to reach, it is our services that are hard to access. We need to tailor our services to what all of our patients need.
You were the global lead author for the FLAIR study which evaluated the first-ever long-acting injectable HIV therapy. Tell us about the key findings, and how they benefited the understanding and treatment of HIV in women.
Women made up around 20% of participants in the FLAIR study. When all the studies in long-acting injectable treatment with Cabotegravir and Rilpivirine (CAB+RPV) were pooled to establish a larger sample of women, there were no differences found between men and women, the treatment was equally effective. Such studies are crucial for developing treatment options that are accessible and effective. Representation is essential to ensure everyone can benefit equally from scientific advancement.
As a global medical leader for the U=U campaign, do you see this message particularly resonating with women living with HIV, or needing adaptation?
The Undetectable=Untransmittable message is powerful, yet there’s a need for nuanced communication. Some studies have shown that women have been slightly more sceptical of the message. It is also important to say that in breastfeeding the risk is negligible, not zero unlike all other circumstances. Again, tailoring the messaging to patients with specific realities is key.
Looking ahead, how do you envision HIV research and treatment evolving, particularly in relation to women’s health and inclusivity?
Women experience many inequities. Violence against women and girls is a huge factor in determining risk of acquiring HIV, and it is also something that women living with HIV experience. Our services need to be accessible and competent in identifying people affected by VAWG to signpost them to relevant services.
In terms of research, I hope that the global efforts to include women in trials will be successful. From a treatment point of view, long-acting PrEP has the potential to transform the ability of women to be in control of their HIV prevention options.
Advances in equitable research and healthcare will overall afford women greater autonomy and control over their health.
Finally, is it important that medical and academic circles also embrace representation, and where do you see your role within this?
Representation matters immensely. It’s vital to also embrace inclusion in terms of those who lead and conduct HIV research, as well as those who participate in it. As Billie Jean King said: you have to see it, to be it. As a visible LGBTQ+ advocate, and in roles I’ve held such as President of the Medical Women’s Federation, I try to make sure that younger people see me going about my business and register that there is a place for people like them in medicine and academia too. Diversity on both sides of research and clinical trials will only enrich our understanding and approach to healthcare long-term.
Article Credit: The National HIV Story Trust – https://www.nhst.org.uk/international-womens-day-professor-chloe-orkin-on-advocating-for-inclusion-in-hiv-research/
Dr Rageshri Dhairyawan was asked by The Lancet to write a review on the 3-part drama called ‘Breathtaking’ which highlighted the experience of the Covid-19 pandemic on frontline medical staff and how they desperately worked hard to save lives. For the full article, please follow the link here.
The awards ceremony, held on 25 May 2023 at the Law Society, brought together nominators nominees and their team members to recognise exceptional work and expertise delivered by teams and individuals from across the university in eight categories. The Research and Innovation awards is to be held annually to recognise the exceptional research conducted at Queen Mary.
The SHARE collaborative found success during this ceremony by securing two awards for innovative research conducted amongst the team. The categories won were the following:
For further information on the remaining categories and other awards won, please follow the link here.
