Global WACh

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April 29, 2021

Research Assistant Michelle Bulterys selected for UW CFAR STD/AIDS Research Training Fellowship in Epidemiology

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Michelle Bulterys spent the summer of 2019 conducting fieldwork at the antenatal care research site in Kampala, Uganda.

Michelle Bulterys, first year PhD student in the Department of Epidemiology, Global WACh research assistant, and the 2020 Recipient of the UW School of Public Health’s Gilbert S. Omenn Award for Academic Achievement, was recently selected for a prestigious predoctoral fellowship which will support the remaining three years of her doctoral training. The UW Center for AIDS and STD (CFAR)’s STD/AIDS Research Training Fellowship Program is an NIH-supported T32 training grant, directed by Drs. Anna Wald and Sheila Lukehart. The Program aims to train the next generation of leaders in STD and AIDS research. (more…)


April 9, 2021

New grant award supports a tuberculosis and HIV co-infections training program in Kenya

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A collaborative team leading a new TB and HIV training program in Kenya includes Thomas Hawn, Elizabeth Obimbo, Videlis Nduba, David Horne, Sylvia LaCourse, and Ksenia Koon

Tuberculosis (TB) and HIV are two deadly infectious diseases causing complex, intertwined epidemics.  TB is especially life-threatening to people living with HIV who have weakened immune systems.  Treating TB and HIV simultaneously is possible with services that have traditionally treated one illness over the other.  The integration of prevention, diagnosis, and treatment programs can reduce the impact of the HIV epidemic on TB incidence and the burden of TB in HIV-infected individuals.

Despite progress in collaborative TB/HIV activities, there is still an urgent need for the research and development of new tools and strategies to accelerate progress towards TB and HIV elimination. (more…)


Cost-effectiveness analysis leading to updated WHO maternal HIV retesting guidelines published in JIAS

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HIV rapid test and a blood sample vial (Credit: American Psychological Association)

A new manuscript by Global WACh researchers, trainees, and collaborators was published in the Journal of the International AIDS Society (JIAS) last week.  The publication summarized the findings of the study, “Optimizing HIV retesting during pregnancy and postpartum in four countries: a cost-effectiveness analysis,” which examined the cost, impact, and cost-effectiveness of maternal HIV retesting timing and frequency in four countries—Colombia, Kenya, South Africa, and Ukraine. (more…)


February 25, 2021

DeWorm3 Study to interrupt transmission of parasitic worms moves to UW Global WACh

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Global WACh is pleased to announce we are now hosting the DeWorm3 Study, an ongoing community cluster randomized controlled trial.  The study uses a community-wide drug administration approach to determine whether deworming both children and adults can disrupt the transmission of soil-transmitted helminth (STH), or parasitic intestinal worms across multiple geographies including India, Malawi, and Benin.  The study is led by Principal Investigator Dr. Judd Walson (Global WACh’s Co-Director and Professor of Global Health, Medicine, Pediatrics, and Epidemiology), in collaboration with teams in India, Malawi, Benin, and London. (more…)


February 23, 2021

Researchers plan to present latest HIV science at virtual CROI 2021

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The Conference on Retroviral Opportunistic Infections (CROI) is an annual forum for scientists and clinical investigators to present, discuss, and critique their investigations into the epidemiology and biology of human retroviruses and associated diseases.  Every year, many Global WACh researchers present their study findings, contributing to the accelerating global progress in HIV and AIDS research.

This year, CROI will be held online from March 6-10, 2021.  We have compiled a list of Science Spotlight presentations and an oral symposia presentation that our researchers are presenting.  See their presentations at the conference and visit our blog next month when we feature the full abstract summaries and authors! (more…)


Researchers receive award to explore low-cost hearing testing technology for universal hearing screening for children in Kenya

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Dr. Irene Njuguna, Dr. Dalton Wamalwa, Dr. Sarah Benki-Nugent, Dr. Grace-John-Stewart

Being hearing impaired as a child can be an uphill struggle on top of the usual trials and tribulations of growing up, learning to make friends, and attending school.  Globally, approximately 34 million children, many living in sub-Saharan Africa, have disabling hearing loss resulting from head trauma, illness, exposure to loud noises, or certain medical treatments.  Early detection and treatment are crucial to prevent children from enduring delays in speech, language, social, and academic development.  Due largely to the prohibitive cost of hearing screening equipment (~$7,000 for what is considered standard equipment), hearing screening is rarely conducted in children. (more…)


February 19, 2021

Linda Kizazi Study team receives award to examine benefits of postnatal home visits for HIV-exposed mother-infant pairs in Kenya

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Congratulations, Dr. Ednah Ojee (Tutorial Fellow and Pediatrician, University of Nairobi Pediatrics and Child Health) and the Linda Kizazi Study (LKS) research team for receiving a 2020 UW/Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) International Pilot Award to support a new project to help formulate a home-based postnatal intervention to improve neonatal health outcomes in Kenya.  This project is a collaboration between investigators at the University of Washington, University of Nairobi, and Kenyatta National Hospital. (more…)


A new award funds a water purification system to improve testing quality at collaborative laboratories in Kenya

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The importance of water quality and its role in generating reliable, consistent, and cost-effective laboratory analysis is often overlooked in research laboratories.  Without high-quality pure water, very few tests would be possible. An effective water purification system can meet the needs of laboratories to remove contaminants that would interfere with specific tests or procedures.

With funding from a recent 2020 UW/Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) International Infrastructure Award, Dr. Bhavna Chohan (Clinical Assistant Professor, Global Health; Senior Research Scientist, Kenya Medical Research Institute) will purchase a water purification system with UV radiation treatment that will serve the UW-affiliated collaborative research laboratories in Nairobi, Kisumu, and Mombasa in Kenya.  This proposal garnered the support of partnerships between the University of Washington and the University of Nairobi, and between Partners in Health and Research Development (PHRD) and Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI). (more…)


February 15, 2021

Global WACh virtually participates in the seventh annual Global Healthies

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Global WACh participated in the Department of Global Health’s seventh annual Global Healthies event this month, an event that brings the UW and Seattle-area global health community together to explore opportunities for collaborations and to highlight students’ global health research. (more…)


December 1, 2020

Researchers receive award to estimate COVID-19 prevalence, household transmission, and antibody response among pregnant women in King County, WA

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Dr. Alison Drake (Assistant Professor, Global Health and Epidemiology [Adjunct]) and Dr. Sylvia LaCourse (Assistant Professor, Medicine and Global Health) are the Principal Investigators of a new study to estimate the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in King County, WA.
(more…)



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