Stay up to date

As of October 2019, Dr Faith Osier (TMA2015SF1001) is the president of the International Union of Immunological Societies (https://iuis.org/about/who-we-are/executive-council/) for a three year term.

The International Union of Immunological Societies (IUIS) is an umbrella organization for many of the regional and national societies of immunology throughout the world. As articulated in its Constitution, the objectives of IUIS are:

• to organize international co-operation in immunology and to promote communication between the various branches of immunology and allied subjects
• to encourage within each scientifically independent territory co-operation between the Societies that represent the interests of immunology
• to contribute to the advancement of immunology in all its aspects.

Dr Osier was also recently appointed as a #TOGETHERBAND Amasssador for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3: Good Health & Well Being.

This week Dr Osier gave a Spotlight talk at the Grand Challenges meeting held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Congratulations on these great career acheivements!

The ICREID 2020 Scientific Programme Committee will begin accepting abstract submissions on October 18 for the March 2020 International Conference (see attached). Abstracts should have a focus around the theme “EMERGING INFECTIONS AND ONE HEALTH” and must be submitted to one of the following four major tracks – (1) One Health, Zoonosis and Emerging Infections, (2) Human, Environmental and Animal Health: The Interfaces of Health Security, (3) Innovations in Public Health, Laboratory Diagnostics, and Networking, (4) Role of National Public Health Institutes in Implementing One Health.

ICREID 2020 Program includes:

o 6 Plenaries: 3 Invited Speakers 90-minute sessions that consist of 3 invited speaker presentations, followed by a 15-minute panel discussion

o 24 Oral abstract sessions are 60-minute sessions that consist of five to six 10-minute oral presentations, each followed by a five-minute question and answer session

o Poster viewing: 60-minute sessions

o Satellite symposia/Satellite sessions

Visit: http://www.icreid.com/

Enhancing networking among African and European scientists to close regional and gender disparities experienced in EDCTP1 and EDCTP2 funded health research capacity activities in sub-Saharan Africa

Start date:19 November 2019, 09:00

End date:20 November 2019, 17:00

Location:Africa CDC, Africa Union Headquarters, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Objective: To facilitate collaborations between African and European scientists geared towards closing regional and gender imbalances seen in previously and currently funded EDCTP1 and EDCTP2 projects.

Specific objectives:
1. To brainstorm on practical solutions to address the regional, sub-regional and gender research and research capacity imbalances;
2. Prioritise and discuss potential strategies and plans to address these gaps (categorized into short, medium and long term);
3. Identify potential synergies and complementarities with the efforts and plans of EDCTP strategic partners to address these gaps.

Expected outputs:
– A clearer understanding of the challenges in regional and gender imbalances that exist within health research in sub-Saharan Africa (with a focus on EDCTP funded projects)
– To identify suitable collaborative strategies that will improve both geographical and gender distribution in future funded projects (short, medium, and long term strategies)
– To align or synergise the EDCTP efforts in the intended objective with initiatives being implemented by its like-minded partners.

Eligible participants: Scientists/researchers (from sub-Saharan Africa and Europe) working in the scope of EDCTP intending to apply for future EDCTP2 grants will be eligible to attend the planned workshop including:
– Members of the EDCTP Alumni Network
– Members of the EDCTP Regional Networks of Excellence
– EDCTP grant holders (EDCTP 1 & EDCTP2)
– EDCTP public and private regional and global partners in R&D and health research capacity development
– Any other parties interested in fulfilling the EDCTP objective.

Participants in the workshop will be selected through an open, fair and transparent process. Selection of scientists to attend the workshop will be based on their ability to justify how their participation will meet the objectives mentioned above:
– Involvement in research within the scope of the EDCTP programme 40%
– Novel potential solutions to address gender and geographical gaps 60%.

Applicants from underrepresented countries in sub-Saharan Africa and females are encouraged to apply.
Countries in sub-Saharan Africa with disproportionately low uptake of EDCTP funded projects and/or low gender balance among project coordinators include but are not limited to Angola, Benin, Burundi, Chad, Congo, Central African Republic, DRC, eSwatini (Swaziland), Gabon, Guinea, Lesotho, Liberia Mauritius, Madagascar, Namibia, Niger, Sierra Leonne, Rwanda, and Togo.

http://www.edctp.org/event/call-for-participants-to-attend-workshop/

On Monday 19 August 2019, the World Health Organisation (AFRO) awarded Dr Misaki Wayengera the 1st prize for the WHO Innovation Challenge in the Product Development Category.

Dr Wayengera (TMA2016CDF1545) and his team from Makerere University have developed a rapid test for Ebola that has the potential to be used for cross boarder screening.

Congratulations on this great achivement!

https://www.basepairbio.com/elasa-aptamer-based-elisa/