Current advocates
Simon has been a treatment advocate and community medical journalist since 1996, and has reported from most major HIV-related medical conferences. He set up the i-Base phoneline service in 2002 and website Q&A service in 2006 and co-founded i-Base in 2000.
Polly Clayden is co-founder of HIV i-Base and writes on treatment access, pregnancy and paediatric HIV treatment and care. She works closely with a number of community-based advocacy and activist organisations internationally.
Advocates answering earlier questions
Svilen has a degree from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Within i-Base, he works as a treatment information and advice officer. Svilen has experience in working on international projects with the EATG (European AIDS Treatment Group). He has been the editor of the Russian version of the EATN (European AIDS Treatment Group). He speaks Russian, Bulgarian, Japanese, and German and his current interests are in mathematical modelling, clinical trials design and pharmacogenomics. Svilen answered many of the online questions from 2005-2010.
Winnie was diagnosed in 1988 and has been on some form of HIV treatment since then. From 1997, Winnie has been a freelance HIV consultant in the UK – writing, research and advocacy, concentrating mostly on issues affecting people living with HIV. She was Chair for the African HIV Policy Network from 1999 – 2006, a national UK organisation focus on sexual health and HIV for African people. She is also a member and trainer for Living Well and a trustee of the National AIDS Trust. Winnie answered questions from october 2007 to April 2011.
After spending fours years in Sierra Leone managing a large HIV programme Charlie worked for i-Base as a Treatment Development Worker until July 2011. Charlie speaks fluent Krio and welcomes any excuse to practise. She urges every positive Sierra Leonean in the UK to call the Phoneline for a chat!