Aron Harold G. Pamoso

HIV Testing. HIV Counseling. Care.
Small acts, big impact. Grateful to continue this advocacy work with the community.

Chart. Population takeover: Aboriginal & Colonist populations, 1780-1850

Frontier violence and introduced diseases saw deaths and devastation to First Nations peoples in Australia from the moment of colonisation. By the 1840s, the First Nations population had been more than halved by the brutality of colonisation. www.researchgate.net/publication/...

SASP 2025 in Naarm/Melbourne reminded me that academia isn’t just about papers—it’s about people. Seeing my PhD peers grow, reconnecting with collaborators, and witnessing efforts to center marginalized voices made this conference deeply meaningful. Grateful and re-energized.

What stayed with me most was the sense of community—seeing old collaborators, meeting new ones, and witnessing how fellow PhD students continue to grow. The launch of a Marginalized Groups initiative felt especially important. Excited for what’s next.

Almost a month ago, I attended my second Society of Australasian Social Psychology (SASP) conference in Naarm/Melbourne. I’m grateful for the chance to present two studies from my PhD—made possible with support from ANU Students’ Association and the Margaret Foddy Postgraduate Travel Award.

🕯️ On #WorldAIDSDay, we pay tribute to the strength & vision that drive the #HIV response.

We honour communities, scientists & people living with and affected by HIV, whose leadership guides our collective work toward a more equitable & sustainable future.

Join us as we #RethinkRebuildRise.

💬 As we mark #WorldAIDSDay, let's commit to #PutPeopleFirst in our language:

✅ "People living with HIV"
❌ "Infected people"

✅ "Acquired HIV"
❌ "Caught HIV"

✅ "HIV acquisition"
❌ "Infection"

🌐 Learn more & join us as we #RethinkRebuildRise:

iasociety.org/language-mat...

We argue that HIV responses must be more culturally grounded, nuanced, and aware of how people protect their social standing in contexts where sex, morality, and respectability deeply intersect.

Let’s keep the conversation going.

🔗 doi.org/10.1177/002214…

#HIVStigma #HIVResearch #HealthEquity

▶️ This shapes HIV talk, health-seeking, and testing decisions.
In short: stigma influences the “unmarked,” too — not just those living with HIV.

🔗 doi.org/10.1177/002214…

#HIVStigma #HIVResearch #HealthEquity

Our findings highlight that HIV stigma doesn’t only impact those with a positive diagnosis — it also affects people who don’t have the stigmatized “mark.”
▶️ People modulate their behavior across different life domains to avoid losing social respect.
🔗 doi.org/10.1177/002214…
#HIVStigma #HIVResearch

Using grounded theory, we found that many men who have sex with men and transgender women navigate “management of social standing” — protecting their reputation while deciding if, when, and how to talk about HIV or get tested.

🔗 doi.org/10.1177/002214…

#HIVStigma #HIVResearch

New Publication Alert! 🚨

My co-authors and I just published a new study examining how HIV stigma shapes HIV conversations and testing behavior among key populations in the Philippines.

🔗 doi.org/10.1177/002214…

#HIVStigma #HIVResearch #HealthEquity

Control of HIV, TB and malaria at risk after global health fund donations fall World leaders pledge just over $11bn, short of the $18bn experts say is needed to stay on track to tackle challenges

“In this challenging year for global health, countries that bear the heaviest HIV burden are being forced to make difficult choices. Those choices have just got harder: who receives life-saving services, who goes without?”

- IAS President Beatriz Grinsztejn

2019 ➜ a small meeting in Hong Kong, just starting my master’s and with Liz and Nic as my first research collaborators
2025 ➜ meeting them again, now as a PhD student in Australia. ✨
Time flies, but the friendship and collaboration stayed. Grateful for this full-circle moment

A special thank you @wingmyway.bsky.social PhD supervisor, for this meaningful opportunity to connect, learn, and reflect alongside community.

I left Tumut with deep gratitude — for the Wiradjuri Men’s Group, whose generosity and wisdom reminded me why I chose this path: to bridge knowledge with care, and to center people at the heart of research.

Academic reform is necessary to truly support community-centered, equity-driven research.

Reflexivity must be practiced at every stage of research — to process, challenge, and ground ourselves in humility.

Key Takeaways:
Research should amplify the lived realities of people and communities — not just our own voices.

We need to rethink how we define academic success. What if engagement, collaboration, and impact within communities were valued as much as publications?

3️⃣ Academia and Community: Bridging the Disconnect
I’ve also been reflecting on why meaningful community engagement remains rare in academia. Part of it lies in the system itself — one that values quantity over quality, metrics over meaning.

Too often, mental health systems impose one-size-fits-all models that don’t reflect the realities of First Nations communities. This made me reflect on how we, as researchers, must adapt — to co-create systems that honor different paradigms of wellness, healing, and culture.

2️⃣ Rethinking Mental Health Access
Our conversations often turned to the challenges of accessing equitable and culturally safe mental health care. One metaphor stood out: You can’t ask someone to wear shoes that don’t fit.

I was deeply honored to be welcomed by a Wiradjuri man, and the warmth of that moment grounded me in the shared humanity of our cultures. It reminded me that authentic research begins with showing up — with humility, openness, and care.

1️⃣ Shared Values Across Cultures
Sitting in yarning circles with the Wiradjuri men reminded me of home. Their communal way of storytelling and reflection echoed the same values I grew up with in the Philippines — a sense of “we,” not “I.”

The experience reshaped how I think about research, community, and even my own identity. Here are a few reflections:

I had the privilege of visiting Tumut, a rural town in New South Wales, Australia. Together with @wingspan.bsky.social, we spent several days engaging with the Wiradjuri Men’s Group, listening, learning, and reflecting on how culture, community, & connection shape wellbeing. A THREAD

📢 RegNet is seeking a Research Fellow to support our teaching efforts and to carry out activities that develop their scholarly track record. Early career scholars from a range of backgrounds are welcome to apply!

Apply by 3 November 2025. Find out more: jobs.anu.edu.au/jobs/researc...

Words of the day: panacea and rigamole!

Join us for our October Salon from 5PM-6:30PM ET. The event is free, registrations are required: www.intersectionalitytraining.com/salon-archive/

#intersectionality #academicsky #healthequity