The Kirby Institute would like to pay tribute to the life and service of Adjunct Associate Professor Levinia Crooks AM, who sadly passed away overnight. Levinia was a dedicated leader in her role as CEO of the Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine (ASHM) for 18 years. We would like to take this opportunity to recognise her significant contribution to the HIV response in Australia and to the individual lives of people living with HIV.
Levinia was at the forefront of efforts to improve testing and treatment of HIV in Australia and Asia-Pacific since the 1980s, and the Kirby Institute and ASHM have enjoyed a collaborative working relationship during the early years of the HIV epidemic through to today. Her involvement in the HIV response spans the clinic, community and the research field, and it is through her vision and her collaborative spirit that she achieved so much.
Levinia leaves an important legacy as an advocate and as a leader in the effort to improve HIV testing and treatment in Australia. The Kirby Institute would like to join our colleagues at ASHM in celebrating the remarkable contribution and commitment of Levinia to the field of HIV advocacy, and extend our condolences and support to her family, and to Scott McGill and the team at ASHM during this difficult time.