My name is Michael Montess and I am a Mitacs Accelerate Postdoctoral Fellow at the School of Public Health and Social Policy at the University of Victoria. I am part of the Community-Based Health Equity Research group working on the HIV In My Day project in order to build intergenerational solidarity around the oral history of HIV. I recently completed my PhD in philosophy at York University in Toronto, Ontario.
My research interests are in applied ethics, bioethics, environmental ethics, and social and political philosophy. My dissertation was on the social and political dimensions of the ethics of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) as HIV prevention among men who have sex with men (MSM).
I always endeavour to apply philosophy to social issues in order to make a difference in the
world, whether as an educator or a researcher.
I have worked as a course instructor at York University, a teaching assistant at York University,
Western University and University of Manitoba, a board member at the Manitoba
Association for Rights and Liberties, a research assistant at the AIDS Committee of Toronto as
well as a youth program coordinator, wilderness canoe guide, youth counsellor and disability
support worker at the YMCA-YWCA of Winnipeg.
I completed my MA in Philosophy at Western University and my BA in Philosophy at
University of Manitoba, both degrees focused on the application of philosophy and ethical theory
to practical issues.
