Academic Information

Master of Science, 2009
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

Master of Public Policy, 2006
Simon Fraser University

Bachelor of Arts, 2003
University of Victoria

Research Interests
I have focused the majority of my research to-date on HIV vulnerability among vulnerable populations, in particular young Aboriginal people who use illicit drugs in British Columbia. I am currently interested in trauma as a determinant of health, and gender differences in health outcomes associated with childhood trauma. In addition I am interested in intergenerational trauma and its role in family and community health outcomes.

Publications

• Pearce, M., Christian, W.M., Patterson, K. Norris, K., Moniruzzaman, A., Craib, K.J.P., Schechter, M.T., Spittal, P.M. (2007). The Cedar Project: Historical trauma, sexual abuse and HIV risk among young Aboriginal people who use injection and non-injection drugs in two Canadian cities. Social Science & Medicine, Vol. 66, In Press.
• Mehrabadi A, Patterson, K, Pearce, M., Patel, S; Craib KJP, Moniruzzaman, AKM, Schecter MT, Spittal PM. (2007). Gender Differences in HIV and hepatitis C related vulnerability among Aboriginal young people involved in illegal drug use in two Canadian cities. Women & Health, Vol. 48(3), in press.
• Moniruzzaman, A., Pearce, M., Patel, S.,H., Christian, W.M., Henderson , E., Craib, K.J., Schechter, M.T., Spittal, P.M. (2007). The Cedar Project: Historical trauma and attempted suicide among young Aboriginal people who use injection and non-injection drugs in two Canadian cities. International Journal of Circumpolar Health, under review.

Abstracts and Presentations

• Pearce, M.E., Moniruzzaman, A., Patterson, K., Christian, W.M., Schechter, M.T., Craib, K.J.P., Spittal, P.M., For the Cedar Project Partnership. The Cedar Project: Increasing use and associated harms of crystal methamphetamine use among young Indigenous people who use injection and non-injection drugs in two Canadian cities. 17th International AIDS Conference, Mexico City, August 3-8, 2008. Poster Presentation.
• Moniruzzaman, A., Pearce, M.E., Patterson, K., Christian, W.M., Schechter, M.T., Craib, K.J.P., Spittal, P.M., For the Cedar Project Partnership. The Cedar Project: Sexuality and sexually transmitted infections associated with initiating crystal methamphetamine use among young Aboriginal people who use drugs in two Canadian cities. 17th International AIDS Conference, Mexico City, August 3-8, 2008. Poster Presentation.
• Pearce, M.E., Christian, W.M., Patel, S.H., Teegee, M., Moniruzzaman, A., Patterson, K., Schechter, M.T., Spittal, P.M., for the Cedar Project Partnership. The Cedar Project: Foster Care and HIV Risk among Young Indigenous People Who Use Injection and Non-Injection Drugs in Two Canadian Cities. 17th International AIDS Conference, Mexico City, August 3-8, 2008.
• Moniruzzaman, A., Patel, S.H., Christian, W.M., Pearce, M.E., Miller, C., Schechter, M.T., Spittal, P.M., for the Cedar Project Partnership. The Cedar Project: Young Indigenous women who use drugs are at elevated risk for switching from smoking to injecting drugs in two Canadian cities. 17th International AIDS Conference, Mexico City, August 3-8, 2008. Poster Presentation.
• Schechter, M.T., Craib, K.J.P., Clement, K., Pearce, M.E., Moniruzzaman, A., Christian, W.M., Spittal, P.M., for the Cedar Project Partnership. The Cedar Project: HIV incidence and associated risk factors among young Indigenous people who use injection and non-injection drugs in two Canadian cities. 17th International AIDS Conference, Mexico City, August 3-8, 2008. Poster Presentation.
• Dunnet-Holzer, A., Henderson, E., Pearce, M.E., Moniruzzaman, A., Thomas, V., Schechter, M.T., Spittal, P.M., for the Cedar Project Partnership. The Cedar Project: Incarceration and HIV vulnerability among young Indigenous people who use injection and non-injection drugs in two Canadian cities. 17th International AIDS Conference, Mexico City, August 3-8, 2008. Poster Presentation.
• Spittal, P.M., Moniruzzaman, A., Christian, C.M., Craib, K.J., Patel, S.H., Pearce, M.E., Clement, K., Miller, C.L., Schechter, M.T., for the Cedar Project Partnership. The Cedar Project: Rapid increase of HCV infections among young Indigenous people who use non-injection and injection drugs in two Canadian cities. 17th International AIDS Conference, Mexico City, August 3-8, 2008. Poster Presentation.
• Thumath, M., Pearce, M., Thomas, V., Teegee, M., Patterson, K., Moniruzzaman, A., Spittal, P.M., for the Cedar Project Partnership. The stolen children of women who use drugs, a potential risk factor for HIV/AIDS? Lessons for nurses and the harm reduction community from young Aboriginal women in two Canadian cities. (2008). 19th Annual Conference on the Reduction of Drug Related Harm, Barcelona, Spain, May 11-15. Major Session.
• Dunnet-Holzer, A., Henderson, E., Pearce, M.E., Moniruzzaman, A., Thomas, V., Schechter, M.T., Spittal, P.M., for the Cedar Project Partnership. The Cedar Project: Incarceration and historical trauma amongst Aboriginal young people who use drugs in two Canadian cities. (2008). 19th Annual Conference on the Reduction of Drug Related Harm, Barcelona, Spain, May 11-15. Poster Presentation.
• Drew-McKinstry, M., Moniruzzaman, A. Christian, W.M., Patterson, K., Pearce, M.E., Craib, K.J., Schechter, M.T., Spittal, P.M., for the Cedar Project Partnership. The Cedar Project: Overdose incidence and associated risk factors among young Indigenous people who use injection and non-injection drugs in two Canadian cities. (2008). 19th Annual Conference on the Reduction of Drug Related Harm, Barcelona, Spain, May 11-15, 2008. Poster Presentation.
• Pearce, M.E., Moniruzzaman, A., Christian W.M., Patterson, K., Craib, K.J.P., Schechter, M.T., Spittal, P.M., For the Cedar Project Partnership. The Cedar Project: Incidence of crystal methamphetamine use among Aboriginal young people that use injection and non-injection drugs in two Canadian Cities. 19th Annual Conference on the Reduction of Drug Related Harm, Barcelona, Spain, May 11-15, 2008. Poster Presentation.
• Yang, J., Christian, W.M., Patterson, K., Craib, K.J., Pearce, M.E., Schechter M.T., Spittal, P.M., For the Cedar Project Partnership. The Cedar Project: Correlates of Methadone Maintenance Treatment among Young Aboriginal People that use Injection and Non-injection Drugs in Two Canadian Cities. 19th Annual Conference on the Reduction of Drug Related Harm, Barcelona, Spain, May 11-15. Poster Presentation.
• Moniruzzaman, A., Patel, S.H., Christian, W.M., Patterson, K., Pearce, M.E., Craib, K.J.P., Schechter, M.T., Spittal, P.M., For the Cedar Project Partnership. The Cedar Project: Factors Associated with Using Vancouver’s Safe Injection Site among young Aboriginal People that Use Injection Drugs in two Canadian Cities. 19th Annual Conference on the Reduction of Drug Related Harm, Barcelona, Spain, May 11-15. Poster Presentation.
• Spittal, P.M., Moniruzzaman, A., Christian, W.M., Patterson, K., Patel, S.H., Pearce, M.E., Craib, K.J.P., Schechter, M.T., For the Cedar Project Partnership. The Cedar Project: Correlates of Willingness to Use Vancouver’s Safe Injection Site among Young Aboriginal People who use Injection Drugs in Two Canadian Cities . 19th Annual Conference on the Reduction of Drug Related Harm, Barcelona, Spain, May 11-15. Poster Presentation.
• Pearce, M.E., W.M., Christian, Patel, S.H., Teegee, M., Moniruzzaman, A., Patterson, K., Schechter, M.T., Spittal, P.M., for the Cedar Project Partnership. The Cedar Project: Experience of Foster Care and HIV Risk among Young Aboriginal People Who Use Injection and Non-Injection Drugs in Two Canadian Cities. 17th Annual Canadian Conference on HIV/AIDS Research, Montreal, QB, April 24-27, 2008. Poster Presentation.
• Drew-McKinstry, M., Moniruzzaman, A. Christian, W.M., Patterson, K., Pearce, M.E., Craib, K.J., Schechter, M.T., Spittal, P.M., for the Cedar Project Partnership. The Cedar Project: Factors Associated with Incidence of Overdose Among Aboriginal Young People Who Use Injection and Non-injection Drugs in Vancouver and Prince George, British Columbia. 17th Annual Canadian Conference on HIV/AIDS Research, Montreal, QB, April 24-27, 2008. Poster Presentation.
• Yang, J., Christian, W.M., Patterson, K., Craib, K.J., Pearce, M.E., Schechter M.T., Spittal, P.M., For the Cedar Project Partnership. The Cedar Project: Factors Associated with Accessing Methadone Maintenance Treatment among Young Aboriginal People that use Injection and Non-injection Drugs in Two Cities in Vancouver and Prince George, BC. 17th Annual Canadian Conference on HIV/AIDS Research, Montreal, QB, April 24-27, 2008. Poster Presentation.
• Moniruzzaman, A., Patel, S.H., Christian, W.M., Pearce, M.E., Miller, C., Schechter, M.T., Spittal, P.M., for the Cedar Project Partnership. The Cedar Project: Factors of Transitioning into Injection Drug Use among Young Aboriginal People Who Use Illicit Drugs in Vancouver and Prince George, British Columbia. 17th Annual Canadian Conference on HIV/AIDS Research, Montreal, QB, April 24-27, 2008. Oral Presentation.
• Spittal, P.M., Moniruzzaman, A., Christian, W.M., Craib, K.J.P., Pearce, M.E., Patel, S.H., Clement, K., Schechter, M.T., for the Cedar Project Partnership. The Cedar Project: Factors Associated With HCV Seroconversion Among Young Aboriginal People Who Use Injection and Non-Injection Drugs in Vancouver and Prince George, British Columbia. 17th Annual Canadian Conference on HIV/AIDS Research, Montreal, QB, April 24-27, 2008. Oral Presentation.
• Schechter, M.T., Craib, K.J.P, Clement, K., Pearce, M.E., Moniruzzaman, A., Christian, W.M., Spittal, P.M., for the Cedar Project Partnership. The Cedar Project: Factors associated with HIV seroconversion among young Aboriginal people who use injection and non-injection drugs in Vancouver and Prince George, British Columbia. 17th Annual Canadian Conference on HIV/AIDS Research, Montreal, QB, April 24-27, 2008. Poster Presentation.
• Spittal, P.M., Moniruzzaman, A., Christian, W.M., Patterson, K., Patel, S.H., Pearce, M.E., Craib, K.J.P., Schechter, M.T., For the Cedar Project Partnership. The Cedar Project: Factors of Willingness to Use Vancouver’s Safe Injection Site among Young Aboriginal People who use Injection Drugs in Two Canadian Cities. 17th Annual Canadian Conference on HIV/AIDS Research, Montreal, QB, April 24-27, 2008. Poster Presentation.
• Dunnet-Holzer, A., Henderson, E., Pearce, M.E., Moniruzzaman, A., Thomas, V., Schechter, M.T., Spittal, P.M., for the Cedar Project Partnership. The Cedar Project: Incarceration and negative health outcomes including HIV vulnerability among Aboriginal young people who use injection and non-injection drugs in Vancouver and Prince George, British Columbia. 17th Annual Canadian Conference on HIV/AIDS Research, Montreal, QB, April 24-27, 2008. Poster Presentation.
• Pearce, M.E., Moniruzzaman, A., Patterson, K., Christian, W.M., Schechter, M.T., Craib, K.J.P., Spittal, P.M., For the Cedar Project Partnership. The Cedar Project: Increasing use and associated harms of crystal methamphetamine use among young Indigenous people who use injection and non-injection drugs in two Canadian cities. 17th International AIDS Conference, Mexico City, August 3-8, 2008. Poster Presentation.
• Moniruzzaman, A., Pearce, M.E., Patterson, K., Christian, W.M., Schechter, M.T., Craib, K.J.P., Spittal, P.M., For the Cedar Project Partnership. The Cedar Project: Sexuality and sexually transmitted infections associated with initiating crystal methamphetamine use among young Aboriginal people who use drugs in two Canadian cities. 17th International AIDS Conference, Mexico City, August 3-8, 2008. Poster Presentation.
• Pearce, M.E., Christian, W.M., Patel, S.H., Teegee, M., Moniruzzaman, A., Patterson, K., Schechter, M.T., Spittal, P.M., for the Cedar Project Partnership. The Cedar Project: Foster Care and HIV Risk among Young Indigenous People Who Use Injection and Non-Injection Drugs in Two Canadian Cities. 17th International AIDS Conference, Mexico City, August 3-8, 2008.
• Moniruzzaman, A., Patel, S.H., Christian, W.M., Pearce, M.E., Miller, C., Schechter, M.T., Spittal, P.M., for the Cedar Project Partnership. The Cedar Project: Young Indigenous women who use drugs are at elevated risk for switching from smoking to injecting drugs in two Canadian cities. 17th International AIDS Conference, Mexico City, August 3-8, 2008. Poster Presentation.
• Schechter, M.T., Craib, K.J.P., Clement, K., Pearce, M.E., Moniruzzaman, A., Christian, W.M., Spittal, P.M., for the Cedar Project Partnership. The Cedar Project: HIV incidence and associated risk factors among young Indigenous people who use injection and non-injection drugs in two Canadian cities. 17th International AIDS Conference, Mexico City, August 3-8, 2008. Poster Presentation.
• Dunnet-Holzer, A., Henderson, E., Pearce, M.E., Moniruzzaman, A., Thomas, V., Schechter, M.T., Spittal, P.M., for the Cedar Project Partnership. The Cedar Project: Incarceration and HIV vulnerability among young Indigenous people who use injection and non-injection drugs in two Canadian cities. 17th International AIDS Conference, Mexico City, August 3-8, 2008. Poster Presentation.
• Spittal, P.M., Moniruzzaman, A., Christian, C.M., Craib, K.J., Patel, S.H., Pearce, M.E., Clement, K., Miller, C.L., Schechter, M.T., for the Cedar Project Partnership. The Cedar Project: Rapid increase of HCV infections among young Indigenous people who use non-injection and injection drugs in two Canadian cities. 17th International AIDS Conference, Mexico City, August 3-8, 2008. Poster Presentation.
• A. Mehrabadi, Akm Moniruzzaman, M.E. Pearce, M. Teegee, K.J.P. Craib, P.M. Spittal, M.T. Schechter, for the Cedar Project Partnership. HIV and Hepatitis C related vulnerability of young Aboriginal women in Vancouver, and Prince George, Canada. (2007). 18th International Conference on the Reduction of Drug Related Harm Warsaw, Poland, May 13-17. Poster presentation.
• A. Moniruzzaman, M.E. Pearce, K.J.P. Craib, A. Mehrabadi, W.M. Christian, M. Teegee, C. Baylis, M.T. Schechter, P.M. Spittal, for the Cedar Project Partnership. Demographic and behavioural factors associated with drug overdose among Aboriginal young people that use injection and non-injection drugs. (2007). 18th International Conference on the Reduction of Drug-Related Harm, Poland, May 13-17. Oral presentation.
• M.E. Pearce, K.J.P. Craib, A. Mehrabadi, W.M. Christian, M. Teegee, C. Baylis, M.T. Schechter, P.M. Spittal, for the Cedar Project Partnership. Sexual abuse and HIV risk among young Aboriginal people who use drugs in two Canadian cities. (2007). 18th International Conference on the Reduction of Drug-Related Harm, Poland, May 13-17. Poster presentation.
• A. Moniruzzaman, K.J.P. Craib, M.E. Pearce, A. Mehrabadi, W.M. Christian, M. Teegee, C. Baylis, M.T. Schechter, P.M. Spittal, for the Cedar Project Partnership. Demographic and behavioural correlates of alcohol abuse among Aboriginal young people that use injection and non-injection drugs. (2007). 18th International Conference on the Reduction of Drug-Related Harm, Poland, May 13-17. Poster presentation.
• M.E. Pearce, K.J.P. Craib, A. Mehrabadi, W.M. Christian, M. Teegee, C. Baylis, M.T. Schechter, P.M. Spittal, for the Cedar Project Partnership. Sexual abuse and HIV risk among young Aboriginal people who use drugs in two Canadian cities. (2007). 16th Annual Canadian Conference on HIV/AIDS Research, Toronto, April 26-29. Oral presentation.
• A. Moniruzzaman, M.E. Pearce, A. Mehrabadi, K.J.P. Craib, W.M. Christian, P.M. Spittal, M.T. Schechter, For the Cedar Project Partnership. Demographic and behavioural risk factors of methamphetamine use among Aboriginal young people that use injection drugs. (2007). 16th Annual Canadian Conference on HIV/AIDS Research, Toronto, April 26-29. Oral presentation.
• A. Moniruzzaman, M.E. Pearce, A. Mehrabadi, K.J.P. Craib, W.M. Christian, P.M. Spittal, M.T. Schechter, For the Cedar Project Partnership. Demographic and Behavioural Characteristics of Aboriginal young people that use Vancouver’s Safe Injection Site. (2007). 16th Annual Canadian Conference on HIV/AIDS Research, Toronto, April 26-29. Poster presentation.
• A. Moniruzzaman, M.E. Pearce, K.J.P. Craib, A. Mehrabadi, W.M. Christian, M. Teegee, C. Baylis, M.T. Schechter, P.M. Spittal, for the Cedar Project Partnership. Demographic and behavioural factors associated with drug overdose among Aboriginal young people that use injection and non-injection drugs. (2007). 16th Annual Canadian Conference on HIV/AIDS Research, Toronto, April 26-29. Poster presentation.
• A. Mehrabadi, A. Moniruzzaman, M.E. Pearce, M. Teegee, K.J.P. Craib, P.M. Spittal, M.T. Schechter, for the Cedar Project Partnership. Female gender associated with HIV seropositivity in a cohort of Aboriginal young people who use illicit drugs in Vancouver and Prince George, Canada. (2007). 16th Annual Canadian Conference on HIV/AIDS Research, Toronto, April 26-29. Poster presentation.
• A. Berland & M. Pearce. Developing the Nursing Program at Bangladesh’s International University of Business Agriculture and Technology. (2006). 13th Canadian Conference on International Health. Ottawa, Ontario. October 15. Oral presentation.

Other Pursuits and Interests
I thoroughly enjoy fishing, running and spending time with loved ones.

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