DGHI Grant Jumpstarts Physician’s Aim to Globalize Hepatitis C Research

Ravi Jhaveri

Published September 13, 2011, last updated on March 5, 2013 under Research News

A Duke physician in pediatric infectious diseases is broadening his research scope to a global scale, and with help from DGHI, is building important collaborations in Egypt for his research on the mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis C.

Ravi Jhaveri, assistant professor of pediatric infectious diseases and molecular genetics and microbiology, said the primary outcome of his recent trip to Egypt was to identify and meet with key local collaborators at Cairo University.  Last fall, he had received a DGHI International Travel Grant to pursue global health research opportunities in a low- or middle-income country. The grant is given out twice a year, and faculty researchers are encouraged to apply before the next deadline on October 1.

At Cairo University, Jhaveri met with leaders in OB/GYN, the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Pediatric Hepatologists, and public health representatives. 

“There is more trust about your motivation for research if people see you and meet you versus more distant and impersonal interactions. So, it was important to actually go to Egypt to speak about my research,” said Jhaveri, whose future studies will take place at Cairo University. “I was able to speak about my research to the OB/GYN group, which included many trainees. I also met with the head of Pathology, who will help us process the tissue samples we are planning to investigate.”

Jhaveri’s research focuses on the transmission of Hepatitis C virus (HCV) from mother to child. While Jhaveri’s current research has provided a greater understanding of the cellular determinants of HCV vertical transmission, his findings have been limited to laboratory observations. The aim of future studies will be to examine placental tissue from patients. Jhaveri said it was vital to consider a more global approach and Egypt would be the first spotlight.

In Egypt, the rate for HCV is very high, which is the result of a Schistosomiasis infection eradication program that used contaminated needles and infected a large segment of the population.  Because so many people became infected, there are many more infants exposed to the virus at birth. 

“The DGHI International Travel Grant program allowed me to visit the site in person, meet the key people involved, understand some of the potential limitations and how to deal with them and gain a better understanding of the local culture and population we are proposing to study,” said Jhaveri. “I am grateful for the support of the DGHI and hope I can build an ongoing research program as a result.”

DGHI travel grants support the development of global health research that promotes multidisciplinary and cross-cultural collaborations, with the idea that Duke faculty can work to secure additional funding to continue the research. In Jhaveri’s case, he has received support from Merck to fund the first year of his project and is preparing a National Institutes of Health application for work on pathogens that infect the placenta.  Jhaveri and his research team are also looking for support from the US-Egypt Science and Technology Development Fund, which is administered by USAID and the US Embassy, to support cooperative projects between the two countries.

 

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