Global Health

Microbiology in Thailand Acurately diagnosing infections is particularly challenging in tropical environments. Researchers at the Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU) are working to develop effective and practical means of diagnosing and treating malaria and other neglected tropical diseases, such as dengue fever. The development of rapid tests for dengue, similar to pregnancy tests, allow rapid and acurate diagnostics in the field.

Dr Alexander Finlayson tells us how MedicineAfrica aims to bring healthcare professionals around the world in a global expert network. Disparity in healthcare between the developed and developing world is a major global health problem. MedicineAfrica, an online health facility, aims to connect doctors and healthcare professionals in Africa to clinical support teams around the world. Dr Alexamder Finlayson established MedicineAfrica in 2008, and is now working to develop this platform for future users, such as medical students, doctors and nurses, in other countries including Palestine and India.

Dr Jay Berkley tells us about his work on childhood nutrition and immunity in East Africa. Malnutrition is responsible for almost a third of childhood mortality worldwide. A better understanding of the bacteria in a child's gut will assist researchers in developing better treatment options. Dr Jay Berkley works in the KEMRI/Wellcome Trust Collaborative Research Programme in Kilifi, Kenya. His research interests include tackling the infection and inflammation of the gut to prevent mortality in malnourished children. He is also an expert advisor on severe acute malnutrition to the Ministries of Health, and the World Health Organisation.

Dr George Warimwe talks about his research on Rift Valley Fever. Rift Valley Fever is a mosquito-borne virus, which affects both livestock and humans in Africa and parts of the Middle East. There is currently no licensed vaccine for use in humans. Amid fears that the virus may spread to Europe, Dr George Warimwe is working with the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) in Africa, and the Jenner Institute to develop a vaccine against Rift Valley Fever for both humans and livestock.

Dr Kerstin Luhn talks about her research on Dengue infection. Dengue is a major public health problem in the tropics, with around 100 million cases each year. Dr Kerstin Luhn is investigating the effect of Dengue virus infection on innate immune cells to understand why Dengue, unlike other viral infections, is associated with high levels of immunopathology. An in vitro Dengue model is used and results are confirmed with Dengue patient samples from a cohort in Vietnam. This work may lead to future anti-viral treatments or vaccines.

Dr Tao Dong tells us about her collaborations in China on infections such as HIV, flu and Hepatitis B. Due to its population size, China is a major contributor to infectious disease worldwide - large-scale patient cohorts, well-established infrastructure, and government funding also make research more accessible. Dr Tao Dong's research interests include antigen-specific T cell responses in human virus infections and their contribution to the consequences of the disease. Dr Dong is currently collaborating with Chinese hospitals to research human virus infections such as Hepatitis B, influenza, and Hepatitis C/HIV co-infection.

Professor Dominic Kwiatkowski talks about his work on global health, how genomics can help us fight infections such as malaria. Professor Dominic Kwiatkowski aims to reduce the burden of infectious disease in the developing world. He translates advances in genomic science into clinical and epidemiological applications. By sequencing over 1000 Plasmodium parasite samples around the world, Professor Kwiatkowski has identified genetic information to assist in monitoring the spread of drug resistance, and to fight the global burden of malaria. Professor Kwiatkowski mostly works on malaria but many of his tools and methodologies in genetics, statistics, informatics and ethics have applications for other diseases.