NAN-F-38
Awards
By Akeem Abas
Paris, July 25, 2017 (NAN) The International AIDS Society (IAS) has awarded research grants to four exceptional early-stage investigators and two Growing the Leaders of Tomorrow fellowships.
The grants and fellowships were announced on Tuesday at the plenary of the ongoing 9th IAS Conference on HIV Science in Paris.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the grants and fellowships were given by the Society’s Collaborative Initiative for Paediatric HIV Education and Research (CIPHER).
NAN also reports that the recipients of the grants–Andrew McCrary, Amy Slogrove, Wipaporn Songtaweesin and Ute Feucht—would receive up to $150,000 over two years to support their investigations.
The two fellowship recipients are Adrie Bekker from South Africa and Namangolwa Mutanga from Zambia.
The awards are given to individuals conducting pioneering research to help reduce the impact of HIV on children and adolescents to keep future generations safe from infection.
The President of IAS, Prof. Linda-Gail Bekker, said that the IAS CIPHER grants support early-stage principal investigators on important research in paediatric and adolescent HIV.
Bekker, a professor of Medicine, also said CIPHER through its fellowships promote mentoring between research leaders and investigators working on HIV clinical science in sub-Saharan Africa.
“The impact of HIV on infants, children and adolescents is most severe in sub-Saharan Africa.
“ Yet research funding, capacity and leadership are often concentrated far from the heart of the epidemic.
“IAS CIPHER grants and fellowships help bridge that gap by supporting innovative research and mentorship where they are needed most and where they might never exist without CIPHER support,’’ she said.
Helen McDowell, an official of Viv Healthcare, the founding sponsor for CIPHER, said the grants and fellowships make a difference in tackling the epidemic
“They help answer the most pressing questions in paediatric HIV today and support early-stage investigators to become the HIV research leaders of tomorrow.
“Building opportunities for mentorship between experienced and early-stage investigators and bridges between research institutions is essential in developing world-class research capacity in countries where children and adolescents are impacted by HIV,’’ she said.
CIPHER has provided more than $ 3.5 million to support crucial research by early-stage investigators.
The investigators are working to advance the diagnosis, treatment and care of infants, children and adolescents affected by HIV in resource-limited settings.
The programme strengthens paediatric HIV clinical research capacity in sub-Saharan Africa by providing promising early-stage investigators with a two-year $70,000 research fellowship.
CIPHER would also support their linkages with internationally renowned mentors to help guide their investigations in paediatric HIV. (NAN)
TAA/OSA/OJO
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(Edited by Shittu Obassa/Mufutau Ojo)