The HIV Social, Behavioural, and Epidemiological Studies Unit (the HIV Studies Unit) is an extra-departmental unit in the Faculty of Medicine and is sponsored by the Department of Public Health Sciences and the Department of Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation. Within the University and in Canada, the Unit provides a unique focus on community and public health issues, bringing together social and behavioural scientists and epidemiologists. The HIV Studies Unit utilises multidisciplinary approaches in collaboration with prevention, support, and clinical disciplines. The knowledge developed through its applied approach to research provides a basis for the development of new theoretical understandings of the evolution and impact of the epidemic.