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Deputy Rector, Leszek Borysiewicz visits alumni and researchers - News

Tuesday 13 February 2007
By Naomi Weston

In celebration of ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½'s international health research programmes in Uganda,  , Deputy Rector of Imperial is visiting the key researchers in the country as part of his alumni tour.

Professor Borysiewicz also hosted an alumni event last night with an emphasis on the College's alumni links with Uganda to mark the Centenary year. He gave a presentation on 100 years of living science at the College.

Imperial has a range of health-focused international research groups. One example is Professor Alan Fenwick's Schistosomiasis Control Initiative (SCI), funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which is fighting neglected tropical diseases. The primary goals of the SCI are to identify the most heavily infected regions in at least four African countries, provide health education, treat victims of schistosomiasis and monitor the impact of the treatment programme.

There are also a number of ongoing collaborations between the Faculty of Medicine at Imperial and the Ugandan Virus Research Institute (UVRI) based in Entebbe. The Microbicides Development Programme (MDP), funded by the Medical Research Council and the UK Department for International Development, aims to develop vaginal microbicides for the prevention of HIV transmission, led by Professor Jonathan Weber. This works alongside the Spartac study, funded by the Wellcome Trust, which is looking at the biology of acute HIV infection. Professor Frances Gotch is currently involved with the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative lab in Entebbe.

In addition there is the Development of Antiretroviral Therapy in Africa (DART) study, working towards fighting HIV infection, overseen by Professor Charles Gilks, from Imperial’s Infectious Diseases Section.

Deputy Rector, Leszek Borysiewicz, explains: "One of the major strategic directions for Imperial is to make a real impact on the international health agenda. Nowhere is this more evident than in Uganda where we have programmes in 'orphan' diseases such as schistosomiasis, as well as control and prevention of HIV infection and the development of HIV vaccines."

There are at least eight research projects running in Uganda. The College also has projects running with a number of other countries worldwide including South Africa, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Ghana, Morocco and Egypt.

The trip to Uganda was part of a series of important international alumni events and Centenary events happening over the course of 2007.

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