"I would like to congratulate Dr. Montaner on his appointment as President of the largest HIV organization in the world," said B.C.'s Minister of Healthy Living and Sport, Mary Polak. "With more than 10,000 members from 185 countries the International AIDS Society will benefit greatly from Dr. Montaner's leadership, knowledge and expertise. Dr. Montaner's work has helped positioned B.C. as a world leader in the fight against HIV/AIDS and his appointment will only strengthen B.C.'s position on the world stage."

Dianne Doyle, President and CEO of Providence Health Care says Montaner’s appointment is recognition of his leadership and the Centre's and Providence Health Care’s growing reputation as a world leader in HIV/AIDS clinical care and research. “Under Julio’s leadership we have come a long way,” said Doyle. “From being one of the first hospitals in Canada to treat HIV/AIDS patients in the early eighties – to today being one of the world's leading clinical and research centres for this disease, providing care to more than 65 per cent of the HIV/AIDS infected people in the province.”

As president of IAS, Montaner will actively promote the role of the Society as an outstanding worldwide force of committed professionals working together to prevent, control and treat HIV/AIDS. He will focus his efforts on the global expansion of antiretroviral-therapy programs to limit the epidemic's growth.

In the mid-1990s, Montaner played a key role in the development of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), which has been shown to decrease the levels of the virus in the body and allow the immune system to recover. HAART has been the standard of care for the treatment of HIV/AIDS since 1996, and the medications are now distributed free-of-charge to all eligible British Columbians.

"We now have very powerful cocktails that are simple and well tolerated. These regimens not only save lives, but can help decrease transmission-rates of HIV as part of an overall strategy focused on safer-sex practices and other important harm-reduction measures," says Montaner.

Dr. Montaner leads clinical activities at the B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Canada's largest HIV/AIDS research, treatment and education facility located at St. Paul’s Hospital, part of Providence Health Care. As well, Montaner is Co-Director of the Canadian HIV Trials Network and Director of the AIDS Research Program and the Immunodeficiency Clinic at St. Paul's Hospital, holding the Endowed Chair in AIDS Research at UBC, the first initiative of its kind in Canada.