The British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS has led numerous qualitative studies to gain a deeper understanding of HIV-related beliefs, risk behaviors, and the lived experiences of HIV-positive and -negative gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (MSM) in Vancouver, British Columbia. These qualitative studies typically involve in-depth interviews and the recording of life histories with participants from existing cohorts, such as The Vanguard Project and the Momentum Health Study. These studies explore issues pertaining to drug use, mental health, other cultural and social issues affecting the health risks and outcomes of this population.