Daniella Barreto

Daniella is committed to anti-oppression work, meaningful inclusion, impactful social organizing, and the empowerment of marginalized groups.

Daniella conducts research at the British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS. She focuses on social epidemiology and the impacts of structural and interpersonal violence on sex workers and women living with HIV in Vancouver. She has published original research on food insecurity and HIV risk for youth sex workers, drawing on her many years of experience as a community educator and operations coordinator with YouthCO HIV & Hep C Society, where she delivered LGBTQ+ inclusive, sex-positive sexual health and harm-reduction workshops to youth across Metro Vancouver. Daniella has also been a facilitator for Out in Schools, working to combat homophobia and transphobia in high schools across BC. Daniella has led and facilitated multiple global issues-based youth empowerment events for the Canadian Red Cross and worked at their national headquarters in the Humanitarian Issues Unit. She has also worked with the Cape Coast branch of the Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana to develop HIV/sexual health workshops and extend outreach activities. Daniella is now a core organizer with Black Lives Matter–Vancouver, where she is central to communications and media. Black Lives Matter–Vancouver addresses racialized violence and organizes anti-racist action towards meaningful inclusion for Black people.

Daniella is completing her MSc. thesis in Population and Public Health at the University of British Columbia. She also holds a BSc. in Health Science from Simon Fraser University in Vancouver. Daniella is a past participant of SFU’s Semester in Dialogue program in 2012, focusing on health issues for marginalized populations, and has also completed the International Committee of the Red Cross’ International Humanitarian Law summer program at the University of Ottawa.

In 2009, Daniella was a recipient of the TD Scholarship for Outstanding Community Leadership, and in 2016 received a CIHR Master’s Award for her research into experiences of violence for sex workers and women living with HIV. In 2017, Daniella was cited in the City of Vancouver’s official proclamation for Black History Month as a young person who has demonstrated innovative work and exceptional leadership in the city.