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  2. Our Research
  3. Richard Lester

Richard Lester

Associate Professor
VCH Clinical Title(s)
Infectious Disease Physician
Research Focus
InfectionsHIV
Degrees / Designations

MD, FRCPC

Contact Info
mhealthconvisation.com/index.html
rlester@mail.ubc.ca
604-875-4111
DrRichLester
richard-lester-2a017129/

Biography

Dr. Richard Lester is the director of the Neglected Global Diseases Initiative (NGDI) and an associate professor in Global Health in the Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, at the University of British Columbia. He completed his research fellowship in HIV in Kenya at the University of Manitoba and University of Nairobi collaborative, where he initiated development of an innovative mobile phone health (mHealth) service that was demonstrated in a landmark trial, WelTel Kenya1 (Lancet 2010), to improve HIV outcomes. He is scientific and executive director of the WelTel International mHealth Society, a non-profit organization and Grand Challenges Canada $1M award winner for transitioning the mHealth service to scale in remote Kenya. His program’s “research to action” and patient self-management approach has been published in top-tier medical journals, including the Lancet, the New England Journal of Medicine, and Nature, and has been featured in non-academic international and local media, such as CBC’s The National and The Economist. 

Dr. Lester continues to conduct studies internationally, in Kenya, Canada, and the United States. Dr. Lester is a member of the Roster of Experts for the World Health Organization (WHO) Task Force for Digital Health, Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Scholar, Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies Scholar, and a Provider Champion for CST (B.C.’s largest electronic health record implementation) at Vancouver General Hospital. He recently received the 2020 Clinical Innovator Award from Digital Health Canada.
 

Research Studies

Mental Health and Behaviour, Substance Use

Supporting mental health through phone texting

News and Awards

Treatment by text: Virtual care via mobile phone could reduce hospital stays

Dec 1, 2019

Innovation and Translational Research Awards 2019 Recipients

Aug 13, 2019

UBC-VCH Research Team Steering $2 Million Mobile Health Program in Africa

Mar 10, 2014

Publications

  • JMIR research protocols -

    Mobile Health-Supported HIV Self-Testing Strategy Among Urban Refugee and Displaced Youth in Kampala, Uganda: Protocol for a Cluster Randomized Trial (Tushirikiane, Supporting Each Other).

    Logie C, Okumu M, Hakiza R, Kibuuka Musoke D, Berry I, Mwima S, Kyambadde P, Kiera UM, Loutet M, Neema S, Newby K, McNamee C, Baral SD, Lester R, Musinguzi J, Mbuagbaw L
  • JMIR mHealth and uHealth -

    The Cedar Project - Mobile Phone Use and Acceptability of Mobile Health Among Young Indigenous People Who Have Used Drugs in British Columbia, Canada: Mixed Methods Exploratory Study.

    Jongbloed K, Pearce ME, Thomas V, Sharma R, Pooyak S, Demerais L, Lester RT, Schechter MT, Spittal PM,
  • The Lancet. Digital health -

    Mobile phone-enabled adherence in HIV/AIDS.

    Mills EJ, Lester RT
  • Journal of clinical tuberculosis and other mycobacterial diseases -

    Mobile phone short message service for adherence support and care of patients with tuberculosis infection: Evidence and opportunity.

    Lester R, Park JJ, Bolten LM, Enjetti A, Johnston JC, Schwartzman K, Tilahun B, Delft AV
  • The lancet. HIV -

    Digital health to support early infant diagnosis of HIV.

    Lester RT
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