Anne-Marie Amies Oelschlager, MD: Ethiopia

Dr. Anne-Marie Amies Oelschlager with Bishikiltu villagers

Projects:

• Program evaluation of a "waiting home" for pregnant women at risk of complications run by Project Mercy

• Assessment of the impact of providing clean water source on the health of women and girls in collaboration with Water First:

In 2009, Dr. Anne-Marie Amies Oelschlager (seated left) with villagers from Bishikiltu village, Oromia, Ethiopia, piloted a survey instrument to investigate how girls and women (who traditionally have had primary responsibility for water collection and are therefore unable to go to school) use their time.

This time-use research tool will be used to investigate how time-use changes with the implementation of clean water and sanitation in the village. Pictured in the photo is the survey instrument developed with the villagers.

Thomas Easterling, MD: South Africa, India

Projects:

• Low-technology magnesium sulfate delivery system:

Dr. Easterling is participating in a trial of a low-tech restricted flow device for delivery of magnesium sulfate to women with pre-eclampsia. Magnesium sulfate is used to prevent seizures, but to prevent toxicity must be given at a slow, controlled rate, which is managed with an electronic pump in the developed world. Intramuscular administration is common, but is painful, and in the ideal protocol, requires an IV bolus to start therapy. The SpringFusor® pump being studied in Dr. Easterling's trial would allow control of an IV magnesium sulfate infusion without electricity. The trial is currently underway in two hospitals in India: Government Medical College, Nagpur and Christian Medical College, Vellore.

• Evaluation of remote use of ultrasound:

Dr. Easterling also recently completed a project in South Africa in collaboration with the Department of Bioengineering in which a portable ultrasound machine was used to perform obstetric ultrasounds in remote villages, which were then transmitted electronically to clinicians in South Africa and toDr. Easterling. The goal of the project was to create a system that could be used as an instructional tool. Dr. Easterling was able to provide comments about ultrasound quality and make suggestions for improving images.

Linda Eckert, MD: Kenya, Worldwide

Projects:

• Kenya:

Study evaluating the immunogenicity of HPV vaccine in HIV-infected adolescents

• Worldwide:

Consultant for WHO on HPV vaccine and cervical cancer prevention guidelines

Michael Gravett, MD: Worldwide

Projects:

• GAPPS – Global Alliance to Prevent Prematurity and Stillbirth
• PATH – Landscape analysis of maternal sepsis
• U of Edinburgh – Lives saved – modeling of neonatal sepsis
• WHO – Expert Consultant for maternal sepsis treatment guidelines
• Oxford University – establishing optimal ethnic and geographic fetal growth standards by ultrasound

Benjamin Greer, MD: China

Projects:

• Working with the GOG (Gynecologic Oncology Group) to develop clinical trial protocols in China

Dr. Benjamin Greer is an active partipant with a Gynecology Oncology Group affiliate in Hong Kong, China. He has also worked with the National Comprehensive Cancer Network for Gynecology Oncology developing guidelines for mainland China for over two years.

Jane Hitti, MD: Kenya

Projects:

• Studies examining correlates of HIV shedding in the female genital tract (secondary analyses)

Connie Mao, MD: Ethiopia

Projects:

• Development of pre-service education tools for women's health in collaboration with ITECH

Caroline Mitchell, MD: Ethiopia, Peru

Hospital Nacional Dos de Mayo, Lima, Peru

Projects:

• Ethiopia:

Development of pre-service education tools for women's health in collaboration with ITECH

• Peru:

Study evaluating genital shedding of HIV in women and men starting antiretroviral treatment

Dr. Mitchell works with a team of investigators at the Hospital Nacional Dos de Mayo in Lima, Peru. Her mentor, Dr. Lisa Frenkel, a pediatrician and HIV specialist, is the principal investigator of a study evaluating the cause of persistent genital shedding of HIV in women and men who have undetectable HIV in the plasma while on successful antriretroviral therapy. Dr. Mitchell's interest is in the contribution of abnormal vaginal flora and inflammation to this phenomenon.

In a second project, also with Dr. Ann Melvin from pediatric infectious diseases, and a group at Universidad San Marcos and the Instituto Nacional Materno-Perinatal she is examining the success of three-drug antiretroviral therapy in pregnancy to reduce maternal viral load and prevent both perinatal HIV-1 transmission and development of drug resistance.

Sarah Prager, MD: Zambia, Uganda, Nepal

University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia

Projects:

• Development and implementation of immediate post-partum IUD placement training program for health care providers in collaboration with Population Services International

In February 2009, Dr. Prager travelled to Lusaka, Zambia to conduct training for midwives and physicians on insertion of post-partum IUDs. Together, the team placed over 80 IUDs in the first month, and more training sessions are planned in the future.

Jennifer Unger, MD, MPH: Kenya

Projects:

• Study evaluating risk of HIV acquisition during pregnancy, and whether/how antenatal care systems modify this risk

Dilys Walker, MD: Mexico

Projects:

• Ongoing study evaluating and comparing the quality of basic obstetric care provided by professional midwives, obstetric nurses and general physicians.

• Evaluation of the impact of Mexico's Opportunidades incentive based poverty program on reproductive health indicators

• Consultant to IDB to inform and guide development of incentive based program in the Dominican Republic to impact adolescent pregnancy rates.

• PRONTO – Obstetric and neonatal emergency training program using high-fidelity, low-tech models, implementation and evaluation in Mexico: http://www.pronto2international.com/