Judd Walson Named Department of Global Health Vice Chair

Dr. Judd Walson, MD, MPH, has been named Vice Chair of the Department of Global Health, effective August 1, 2019. 

Walson is a professor of Global Health, Medicine, and Pediatrics, as well as an Adjunct Professor of Epidemiology. In addition, Walson is also the Principal Investigator of the DeWorm3 Project, which focuses on finding ways to eliminate soil-transmitted helminths, known commonly as intestinal worms. 

PrEP Use High but Wanes after Three Months Among Young African Women

In a study of open-label Truvada as daily pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV among 427 young African women and adolescent girls, 95% initiated the HIV prevention strategy, and most used PrEP for the first three months. However, PrEP use fell among participants in this critical population during a year of follow-up clinic visits, although HIV incidence at 12 months was low. The preliminary results suggest that tailored, evidence-based adherence support strategies may be needed to durably engage young African women in consistent PrEP use. 

Most Women Use Vaginal Ring for HIV Prevention in Open-Label Study

In an open-label study of women in southern and eastern Africa, a vaginal ring that is inserted once a month and slowly releases an antiviral drug was estimated to reduce the risk of HIV by 39%, according to statistical modeling. In addition, the study found that participants appeared to use the ring more in the open-label study than in a previous clinical trial. These and other results of the HIV Open Label Extension (HOPE) study were presented today at the 10th IAS Conference on HIV Science (IAS 2019) in Mexico City.

Faculty Profile: Susan Graham - Associate Professor, Global Health and Medicine

In late-May of 2019, Kenya’s high court voted to uphold laws criminalizing homosexual sex. This news was pertinent to Susan Graham, an Associate Professor in the UW Departments of Global Health and Medicine whose research focus is on HIV prevention and care for vulnerable populations. Graham began working in Kenya in 2004, and started research on HIV prevention and care for gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM) there in 2006. 

Global Health Professor Receives $1.4 Million Grant to Study New Technologies in Tuberculosis Testing

A new grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will allow Paul Drain, a professor in the UW Department of Global Health, to conduct clinical evaluation studies of point-of-care tuberculosis (TB) diagnostic tests. These rapid tests deliver quick results to patients and clinicians in hospital and community clinics. By accelerating the initiation of TB treatment, patients may have better outcomes and will be less likely to transmit TB to others. TB has become the leading infectious cause of mortality in the world, due partly to poorly performing diagnostic test practices.

Global Health Professor Receives Grant to Investigate Innovative Detection Methods to Eliminate Intestinal Worm Infections

Judd Walson, a University of Washington professor of Global Health, Medicine, and Pediatrics, recently received $621,029 in funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for a research grant focused on the development of a molecular diagnostic platform for the detection of soil transmitted helminths (STH), commonly known as parasitic worms. Investigators will use these methods to support a large, multi-country, randomized trial evaluating the feasibility of interrupting STH transmission through expanded mass drug administration.

Global Health Faculty Members Receive WGHA Awards

Dr. Benjamin Anderson and Dr. Jillian Pintye were both recently recognized by the Washington Global Health Alliance (WGHA) with a pair of awards. Winners were selected by a panel of global health experts chaired by Erin McCarthy, senior program officer at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and WGHA board member. Anderson, a professor of Global Health, earned the Pioneers Award for Impact. Pintye, an Assistant Professor Global Health, received the Pioneers Rising Leader honor. 

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