Classic list
News
On the 18th June 2024, Makerere University Biomedical Research Center (MakBRC) was honored to host a distinguished guest Dr. Peter Kim, MD who is the Director of the Therapeutics Research Program at the Division of AIDS, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). His visit provided a unique opportunity for the research community of the College of Health Sciences-Makerere University to engage with one of the leading experts in the field of HIV/AIDS research. In lead with the Managing Director and Head of Research and Innovations MakBRC, Professor Moses Joloba and Dr. Ivan Mwebaza respectively, together with other scientists and researchers, Dr. Peter Kim was given a tour around MakBRC and the College of Health Sciences. Among the so many facilities he visited were the Genomics, Molecular and Immunology Laboratories and the IBRH3AU Biorespository. Dr. Peter Kim was over joyed to see the so much infectious disease research being undertaken and the available resources to support the same. To close off the visit, Dr. Peter Kim gave a presentation; sharing valuable insights into the latest advancements in therapeutic research, emphasizing groundbreaking approaches and ongoing efforts to combat infectious diseases globally. The presentation was very interactive and interesting as it saw so many vibrant committed young scientists engaging with the Director Therapeutics Research Program at the Division of AIDS, NIAID.
We as MakBRC commit to fostering collaborations with esteemed institutions like NIAID to enhance our understanding of infectious diseases and accelerate progress towards effective treatments. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Dr. Peter Kim, MD, Director of the Therapeutics Research Program at the Division of AIDS, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) for his visit and enlightening presentation and looking forward to future collaborations that will further enrich our research endeavors.
Conference Dates: October 16th – 18th, 2024
Location: Hotel Africana, Kampala, Uganda
Theme: Global Health Security: Partnerships for Epidemic Response and Control in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Themes:
- Prevention
- Biosafety & Biosecurity
- Zoonotic Emergence Prevention
- Vaccination
- Detection
- Community Preparedness
- Public Health Surveillance
- Role of Laboratory Systems
- Response
- Case Management
- Mathematical Modelling, Data Science, and AI
- Intra-epidemic Research
- Recovery
- Psycho-social Impact
- Socio-economic Impact
- Health Systems Strengthening
- Health Workforce Development
- Infrastructure and Supply Chain
- Policy and Governance
- Health Financing, Regulation, and Stewardship
- Cross-Cutting Themes
- Infectious Diseases and Neglected Tropical Diseases
- Translational Science and Biomedical Research
- Population Health and Climate Change
- Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs)
- Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health
- Mental Health
- Digital Health, AI, and Big Data
- Professionalism, Health Professional Education, Ethics, and Medico-legal Issues
- Occupational Health and Safety
Abstract Submission Details:
- Submission Deadline: August 15th, 2024
- Format: Structured (Title, Introduction, Objectives, Methods, Results, and Conclusions) or Unstructured
- Word Limit: Maximum 250 words
- Submit To: jashc2024@gmail.com
Registration Fees:
| Category | Early (15th June – 30th September) | Late (From 1st October) |
|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate Students | UGX 80,000 | UGX 100,000 |
| Graduate Students | UGX 100,000 | UGX 150,000 |
| International Delegates | USD 250 | USD 300 |
| Non-students (E. African Region) | UGX 300,000 | UGX 350,000 |
| Online | USD 100 | USD 150 |
Payment Details:
- Account Name: Makerere University College Of Health Sciences Research
- Account Number:
- UGX: 9030005655047
- USD: 9030008068061
- Bank Name: Stanbic Bank (U) Ltd, Crested Towers Branch
- Swift Code: SBICUGKY
Contact Information:
- Email: jashc2024@gmail.com
- Website: https://chs.mak.ac.ug/jash2024
- Phone: +256 784 574 544 / +256 759 287 297
Join us at the 30th UNACOH Conference and the 22nd Mathew Lukwiya Lecture to share your research and engage with professionals dedicated to advancing global health security.
Project acronym:
HIV-LUNG MICROBIOME STUDY
Project Duration:
1st November 2021 to 30th June 2024
Recipient:
Dr Alex Kayongo, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.
Funding acknowledgement:
This project has received funding from the EDCTP2 programme (TMA2020CDF-3194) supported by the European Union and Novartis Global Health Basel Switzerland.
Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is increasing in prevalence among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) as widespread use of Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) has increased longevity in this population. In rural Ugandan ART clinics, we report COPD prevalence of 6.22%. Currently, it’s not fully known what drives chronic lung inflammation in PLWHA population despite being virologically suppressed on ART. Airway dysbiosis has been implicated as a driver of airway inflammation in COPD and HIV infection has been reportedly associated with significant changes in airway microbiome in several studies. In this study, we aimed at investigating airway microbiome-driven inflammation.
Study aims: We specifically aimed at: (1) establishing a relationship between airway microbiome and Th17/Treg cellular phenotypes among HIV-infected individuals with COPD; (2) investigating bacterial-mediated Th17 upregulation of pro-inflammatory genes among HIV individuals with COPD and (3) exploring the role of bacterial outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) in mediating microbiome-driven Th17 immune responses among HIV individuals.
Methods: In this study, we conducted a detailed airway microbiome-immune profiling of a Ugandan COPD cohort using high dimensional mass flow cytometry combined with 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. We further interrogated the relationship between identified immune clusters and microbiome-derived outer membrane vesicles. We assembled a cohort of 160 individuals recruited from two large independent cohorts in rural Uganda. We collected 5mls of induced sputum for downstream microbiome analysis using 16S amplicon sequencing and high dimensional time of flight mass cytometry using a 30-marker panel targeting over 25 immune cell populations.
Results: We identify broad immune landscape profiles across a COPD population in rural Uganda. Interestingly, a reduction in microbiome richness and evenness significantly correlated with a high frequency of double negative T cells (thymocytes), naïve helper T cells, mucosal homing effector T, and Natural Killer cells. Using a confounder-aware algorithm for biomarker search, we summarize the effect size of the top airway microbiome signatures on immune phenotypes. Among the top signatures, Streptococcus spp significantly affected the proportions of Th17 and NKT immune cells. Enrichment with streptococcal spp was associated with increased Th17-like immune cells. On the contrary, depletion of streptococcal spp was associated with increased NKT cell response. In conclusion, the airway-microbiome immune crosstalk in a Ugandan COPD cohort was driven by Streptococcus, associated with Th17 and NKT cell immune responses.
Further interrogation of induced sputum transcriptomic profile in relation to the airway 16SrRNA amplicon sequence data illuminated the relationship between the airway microbiome and the mucosal immune responses in a rural Ugandan HIV-COPD cohort. Pro-inflammatory gene signatures, ccl4, ccl3, ilr1, irak2, cxcl2, hivep2, ccl3l3, cxcl8, ccl4l2, rel, and cxcl9 enriched the airways of a COPD population and positively correlated with microbiome-derived outer membrane vesicles, a marker of live bacterial biomass. Depletion of keystone species or enrichment of specific pathobionts in the airways drove a pro-inflammatory gene signature expression, an effect possibly driven by microbiome-derived outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) signaling via TLRs to activate the NF-kB and chemokine signaling pathways.
Conclusions: : The COPD phenotype we observe in Africa is infection-driven NOT smoking-driven. Depletion of keystone species or enrichment of specific pathobionts in the airways drives a pro-inflammatory gene signature. This effect is possibly driven by microbiome-derived outer membrane vesicles (OMVs), signaling via TLRs to activate NF-kB and chemokine signaling pathways.Enrichment with streptococcal spp was associated with increased Th17-like immune cells. On the contrary, depletion of streptococcal spp was associated with increased NKT cell response. In conclusion, the airway-microbiome immune crosstalk in a Ugandan COPD cohort was driven by Streptococcus, associated with Th17 and NKT cell immune responses.
Outputs and achievements
- We established the airway microbiome-immune crosstalk Lab at Makerere University.
- We developed a novel airway microbiome-immune library.
- We trained one bioinformatician in metagenomics, transcriptomics and proteomics during the project.
- We trained one immunologist in CyTOF and OMV ELISA during the project
Implications
- The COPD phenotype we observe in Africa is infection-driven NOT smoking-driven.
- Immune pathways driving COPD are Toll-like receptor signalling, Nuclear factor kappa B and chemokine pathways
- We are now piloting the airway microbiome immune library’s utility in deciphering the airway microbiome crosstalk in other diseases such as TB.
Results dissemination
Through workshops, community outreaches and community advisory board meetings, we have successfully disseminated our findings to our primary stake holders ( participants) and policy makers. The COPD phenotype we observe in Africa is infection-driven NOT smoking-driven. More emphasis has to be put on the treatment of lung infections.
Socio-economic impact of the action, including its wider societal implications
We have improved access to COPD screening and treatment in rural Ugandan communities. There has been community sensitization and increased awareness about COPD and its risk factors in rural Ugandan communities.
Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact
We have successfully established the airway microbiome-immune crosstalk laboratory/ working group at Makerere University. We are currently investigating how such microbial signatures impact airway mucosal immunity in the setting of HIV and COPD, utilizing a well-characterized cohort, we have built over the last 5 years. We have established a niche in the field of HIV-COPD mucosal immunobiology, testing novel chronic airway inflammation models as platforms to immune-phenotype airway microbiome with a goal of identifying novel immune-protective and inflammatory signatures using multi-omics approaches.
Epilepsy accounts for a significant portion of the global disease burden, often accompanied by extensive discrimination and stigma. These factors, along with other barriers, prevent many individuals with epilepsy from accessing medical care. Comprehensive understanding of epilepsy’s characteristics, comorbidities, and risk factors is essential for developing targeted preventive strategies and interventions.
In collaboration with Duke University in the USA, Makerere University College of Health Sciences is leading a national research study on epilepsy. This study involves local experts in neurology and psychology in Uganda, alongside international specialists in neurology and neurosurgery from the USA. The research aims to explore the spectrum of epilepsy in Uganda, focusing on its clinical features, comorbidities, and risk factors across different age groups, with particular attention to stigma among adolescents.
Applications are now open for the AWE Change Masters Fellowship Programme from postgraduate students at:
- Makerere University College of Health Sciences
- Mbarara University of Science and Technology
- Gulu University
The programme will support two (2) successful graduate candidates in their final year of Master’s degree training in any of the specified programs at these universities.
Eligibility
This opportunity is available to postgraduate students in their final year of study in the following graduate programs: Medicine, Pediatrics, Nursing, Public Health, Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Social Sciences, or any Biomedical/Health-related field.
Selection Criteria
- Proof of admission to a Master’s program at the specified university.
- Normal progress in the Master’s program.
- Demonstrated interest in research training and conducting research within the relevant discipline.
- A letter of recommendation and support from the program’s Head of Department.
- A career development plan.
- Potential for attaining research leadership and international recognition in their field.
- Commitment to developing at least one manuscript for publication based on their research.
- Research concepts must focus on Epilepsy in any of the following aspects: Clinical, Public Health, Cognitive, Psychosocial, or Biomedical.
Application Process
Enquiries and applications should be sent to awechangeproject@gmail.com. Applications must include: a cover letter (1 page), a resume (maximum 3 pages), a personal statement (maximum 1 page), a research concept (maximum 1 page), an admission letter, proof of normal progress for the initial years of training, and two letters of recommendation. The personal statement should outline your career aspirations for the next 5-7 years, research interests, and any other relevant information.
Timelines:
Application deadline extension: July 31, 2024.