Ava Avalos, MD

Ava Avalos is a dancer and a doctor of internal medicine specializing in HIV and AIDS. Her interests in non-Western dance healing practices lead her to the study of physiology and finally to medicine after completing her graduate and undergraduate degrees with dance at UCLA.

For the past seven years, Ava has been living and working in Botswana, now serving as an HIV specialist and technical advisor for the Botswana Ministry of Health.  As coordinator of clinical research, and secretariat to the HIV and AIDS research advisory committee, she oversees all clinical research – with her own areas of clinical research focusing on issues of adherence and the development of resistance mutations to antiretroviral therapy.  She also serves as coordinator of TB and HIV and AIDS integration efforts at the Ministry of Health.

Her greatest joy remains dancing, directly caring for patients and teaching yoga.  To maintain what little sanity is left after her intensive clinical responsibilities, Ava directs the Tshedisa Institute a Care for the Caregiver center where health care providers can come to restore and rejuvenate their body, mind and spirit.