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Grand
Challenges Explorations
In October, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
announced 104 grants to explore bold and largely unproven
ways to improve global health. The grants of US$100,000
each will go to scientists from 22 countries and five
continents. This marks the first round of funding from
Grand Challenges Explorations, an initiative to help
lower the barriers for testing innovative ideas in global
health. The initiative fosters creative projects that
show great promised to improve the health of people
in the developing world. The Science with Africa e-newsletter
is proud to announce that 5 winners were from Africa,
representing Cameroon (1), Kenya (1), South Africa (2)
and Uganda (1):
Anthony Mbonye
Tropical Disease Research Network, Uganda
Topic:
Prevent or Cure HIV Infection
Title: Involving the Private Sector
in the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of
HIV in Uganda: A Randomized Trial to Evaluate Access
to HIV Testing and Anti-Retroviral Treatment
Summary: Anthony Mbonye of the Tropical
Disease Research Network in Uganda will assess the feasibility
and effectiveness of using private sector midwives to
provide HIV testing and antiretroviral drugs in an effort
to reduce mother to child transmission of HIV.
About: I am a part-time Associate Professor at Uganda
Christian University and I am interested in capacity
building for young researchers.
Leonard
Damelin
National Health Laboratory Service, South Africa
Topic:
Prevent or Cure HIV Infection
Title: Expression of Multiple Anti-Viral
Molecules within the Mucosal Milieu via Bacteriophage-Mediated
Plasmid Transduction of Endogenous Mucosal Bacterial
Populations
Summary: Leonard Damelin with South
Africa's National Institute for Communicable Diseases
will investigate whether anti-HIV molecules can be introduced
into Lactobacillus bacteria populations typically found
in the cervix and vagina of healthy women. Lactobacillus
has already been found to provide a natural barrier
against HIV, and Damelin hopes that his project will
further fortify this protection.
Anwar
Jardine
University of Capetown, South Africa
Communications Contact: Megan Morris, +27 021
6503735, megan.morris@uct.ac.za
Topic:
Drugs and Delivery Systems
Title: Mycothiol Processing Enzymes
as Potential Anti-Mycobacterial Drug Targets
Summary: Anwar Jardine of the University of Cape Town
in South Africa will attempt to disrupt the biosynthetic
pathway of mycothiol, which is produced by tuberculosis
as a protective chemical compound. By targeting this
metabolic pathway specific to mycobacteria, Jardine
hopes to eliminate latent tuberculosis or make it more
vulnerable to existing drugs.
About: I have spent most of my career
in corporate R&D working for major pharmaceutical
and FMCG companies in the U.S. The success of these
companies rests on their ability to transform scientific
innovation into global brands affecting the lives of
many. At the same time millions of people do not benefit
from the wealth and prosperity generated by the sale
of these basic commodities. Instead, they are plagued
by poverty and disease for which cures exists. With
the support of the Gates Foundation, I would be able
to utilize my experience in the translation of research
in the area of neglected diseases.
Elijah Songok
Kenya Medical Research Institute, Kenya
Communications Contact: James Wodera, +254-722-767-682,
Jwodera@kemri.org
Topic: Prevent or
Cure HIV Infection
Title: A Developing Story: HIV Resistance
among African populations maybe linked to genotypic
traits of type 2 diabetes
Summary: Elijah Songok at the Kenya
Medical Research Institute hopes to better understand
preliminary findings from studies of sex workers that
natural resistance to HIV may be linked to genetic markers
for type-2 diabetes.
About: I am attempting a challenging
program to build local capacity in Nairobi in the use
of genomics and bioinformatics techniques to search
for new insights and updated tools for HIV prevention
and treatment. The program involves the Kenya Medical
Research Institute, University of Nairobi and Institute
of Tropical Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Jomo Kenyatta
University. The Bill & Melinda Gates Grand Challenges
Explorations grant awarded to me will form a seed grant
for this evolving initiative.
Odile Ouwe Missi Oukem
Centre International de Reference Chantal Biya, Cameroon
Communications Contact: ooukem@yahoo.fr
Topic: Drugs and Delivery
Systems
Title: Design and Setting-up of a Bioinformatics
Platform Dedicated to HIV Drug Resistance Problems
Summary: Odile Ouwe Missi Oukem of
Cameroon’s Centre International de Reference Chantal
Biya will set up a suite of computer tools to manage
and analyze biological, clinical and epidemiological
data collected from African HIV-infected patients to
better study HIV resistance to antiretroviral drugs.
About: I am a senior research scientist,
with a Ph.D. degree in Immunology since 1995 and also
the Deputy Director of the Chantal Biya International
Research Centre since 2006. I have over 15 years experience
working in the immunology of tropical infectious and
viral diseases and have a experience in working in Medical
Research Centers in Africa (Niger, Gabon). My research
experience has been focused on experimental and Phase
II clinical trials, experimental treatment trial for
primates infected with viral and eukaryotic pathogens,
follow-up of cohorts and related data management. I
have also participated in many research contracts and
am experienced in supervising research projects and
students project reports (graduate and doctoral students
of Science or Pharmacy and Medical Doctors). I have
been working on HIV since 2001 and I have been entirely
focused on this pandemic since 2006. In addition to
my administrative and scientific duties, I am also the
liaison between the Centre and its Scientific Council
and Ethics Committee.
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