Dr. Gronvall’s Project, Policy Actions for India-US Collaborations on Climate and Health, will identify areas and propose initiatives where India and the US may collaborate to advance health, mitigate, and address infectious disease risks brought on by climate change, and strengthen national ties.

“I am very excited to begin this GKII-sponsored project, which aims to find new opportunities for the US and India to work together to confront and mitigate infectious disease risks caused by climate change. Our team will work to identify projects already underway which could use more support, or areas where the US and India are working separately but would benefit from a joint approach,” Dr. Gronvall said.

This exciting collaboration with Ashoka University is focused on the field of Health Data Research. Two teams were selected, each with a lead PI from both Johns Hopkins University and Ashoka University. This grant challenge awards $60,000 to each winning proposal for 18 months.

Steven Clipman, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and Debayan Gupta, Assistant Professor of Computer Science, Ashoka University were selected with their project: Machine Learning Methods for Enhanced Forecasting of Antiretroviral Therapy Demand in India.

Matthew Robinson, Assistant Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and Rintu Kutum, Faculty Fellow of Computer Science, Ashoka University were also selected for the project: Leveraging language models and a common data model to unlock real world evidence from unstructured electronic health record data in India.

GKII-KCDH Breakthrough Research Grant

Application Deadline: Feb. 9, 2024

Don't forget about the deadline for this grant! Proposals in the thematic areas of Non-Communicable Diseases, Mental Health, Infectious Diseases, Maternal and Child Health, Health Systems Strengthening, and Climate Change & Environmental Security will be preferred.

We also recently hosted an info-webinar to discuss frequently asked questions with some of the faculty involved in the program. If you missed or just want a refresher, check out the link below with the passcode: n38Pg=7s

SPOTLIGHTS

Sara Bennett Faculty Spotlight

Professor & Associate Chair in the International Health Department

Director of the Health Systems Program

GKII Faculty Co-Chair

“India has no shortage of medical technologies and treatments, but the real challenge is getting them out to the populations who are most in in need of them.”

Dr. Bennett, a seasoned health policy and systems researcher, has been involved with India's healthcare sector since her early career. Her expertise lies in dissecting health systems' structures, focusing on financing and governance, in an effort to comprehend policy formation.

Tanisha Luthria Student Spotlight

Degree/School: Krieger School of Arts and Sciences

Name of the program: Public Health Studies & Biology (Double Major)

Anticipated Graduation Date: 2024

What advice do you have for incoming students?

My advice to incoming students would be to take risks and step out of your comfort zone. Hopkins has a plethora of opportunities - academic, non-academic or social - that students can take advantage of! Take the class that you would never have thought you’d take, join a club “just for fun”, send that message, talk to that professor - you never know what might come out of it! Another thing I would say is to explore your options rather than having everything decided before you start college - you might be missing out on something you didn’t even know you liked! And of course, have fun :)

Tell us something you're involved with here at Johns Hopkins

Hopkins has allowed me to explore so many diverse extracurriculars however JOSH has been a constant throughout all the 4 years I’ve been here. JHU JOSH is Hopkins’ premier competitive all-female and GNC South Asian fusion dance team. I joined JOSH my freshman fall (2020) amidst the pandemic when everything was virtual. Despite that, I was able to find an amazing community that has been an integral part of shaping my college journey. Through JOSH, I have been able to choreograph and teach since my freshman year, perform at numerous events on & off campus as well as travel with the team to compete at other universities. JOSH has allowed me to grow not only as a dancer but also as a person and make some of my best memories at Hopkins!

What’s your favorite spot on campus?

Homewood is a beautiful campus - the perfect blend of classic red brick buildings juxtaposed against newer glass facades. My favorite spot on campus is definitely “the beach”. One of my earliest memories at Hopkins was building a snowman on the beach with my friends! I love having picnics on the beach on a warm spring day, play games, listen to music or just hang out with my friends in the evenings.

Vedant Gabhwala Student Spotlight

Degree/School: Whiting School of Engineering

Name of the program: Mechanical Engineering (Major)

Anticipated Graduation Date: 2024

What skill did you learn at Hopkins?

The skill I have learnt in my time at Hopkins is time management. At Hopkins there are numerous things happening at once and it was essential in order to do most or all of the things I wanted was to manage my time. Having a schedule and time table set for day to day tasks is extremely helpful and allowed me to allocate enough time for all my activities. This skill allowed me to play competitive cricket again, something I never thought would happen.

What advice would you have for incoming students?

The advice I would give incoming students is to never give up and to not only focus on academics. Diversifying your interests and joining clubs is a good way to use ones time and not get bogged down by the pressures of college. Focusing on your mental health is the most important thing and to always reach out to people if you need anything.

What is your favorite quote?

"It is what it is". That is a quote and phrase I have lived by my entire life. Focusing on stressful situations is never helpful and there are certain things that are out of the control of everyone. Hence, moving on from tough situations is an important skill and is one I have developed over the last four years.

GKII IN THE NEWS

Catching Up with Kunal Parikh

Johns Hopkins Medicine News

Kunal Parikh, Ph.D. is no stranger to the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Medicine community. He first came to Johns Hopkins University in 2012 to start his Ph.D. degree. He gained valuable research experience while working at the Center for Nanomedicine at Wilmer and has collaborated with Wilmer faculty on several initiatives, earning two Catalyst Prizes from the U.S. National Academy of Medicine this year in tandem with Wilmer ophthalmologists. Now, he has joined the Wilmer faculty as an assistant professor in the Glaucoma Center of Excellence.

Who Is Indian-American Girl On World’s Brightest Students List

Daily Hindustan News, Jan. 17, 2024

A nine-year-old, Indian-American schoolgirl, was named in the “world’s brightest” students list by the prestigious Johns Hopkins Centre for Talented Youth. This was based on the results of above-grade-level tests of over 16,000 students across 90 countries.

Preesha Chakraborty, a Warm Spring Elementary school student in Fremont, California took the US-based Johns Hopkins Centre for Talented Youth (JH-CTY) test in Summer 2023 as a class 3 student.

Pune: BJ Govt Medical College to check efficacy of ultra-short TB preventive therapy on people with HIV

The Indian Express, Dec. 21, 2023

A new jointly undertaken by Pune’s B J Government Medical College and Johns Hopkins University will assess the acceptability of an ultra-short TB preventive therapy in people living with HIV.

“Evidence from this study will give insights into the adoption of ultra-short 1HP regimens in Indian settings,” said Dr. Vidya Mave, director and leader of BJGMC JHU Clinical Research Site.

NEWS OF NOTE

The Whiting School of Engineering Releases List of 2023 Major Faculty Awards and Honors

GKII faculty steering committee members Drs. Rama Chellappa and Sridevi Sarma were featured on a list of major awards and honors for 2023 released by the Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering. Congratulations to Dr. Chellappa on the PAMI Distinguished Researcher Award and the honor from the National Academy of Engineering, and to Sridevi Sarma on the NIH Outstanding Investigator Award.

Johns Hopkins Leads Nation in Research Spending for 44th Consecutive Year 

The Hub, Jan. 5, 2024

Johns Hopkins University once again surpassed all U.S. universities in the amount of federal support it received for research and development spending in fiscal year 2022, according to the annual National Science Foundation report on higher education R&D. In its 44th consecutive year in the top spot, Johns Hopkins directed a record-breaking $3.4 billion into an array of projects across the enterprise.

How Healthcare Stakeholders are Prioritizing AI, Analytics

Medical Buyer, Jan. 9, 2024

Over the past year, rapid advancements in technologies like generative artificial intelligence (AI) have dramatically shifted the healthcare IT landscape, altering how some stakeholders are approaching their AI and analytics strategies in the year to come.

Leaders from Cedars-Sinai, Emory Healthcare and Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures (JHTV) recently sat down with HealthITAnalytics to discuss their priorities for building on existing initiatives, deploying new projects, addressing challenges, and innovating in the AI and data analytics space.

Rita Rastogi Kalyani named to American Diabetes Association board

New India Abroad, Jan. 5, 2024

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) has announced the list of principal officers and board of directors for 2024 which includes three Indian-origin experts. Dr Mandeep Bajaj, Dr Rita Rastogi Kalyani, and Dr. Madi Rajulapalli have been named to the 15-member board which is composed of medical, scientific, education, and executive business professionals, as per a news release issued by ADA.

Rita Rastogi Kalyani, president-elect of medicine and science, is an associate professor of medicine in the division of endocrinology, diabetes, and metabolism at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland. She was chair of the ADA’s professional practice committee which was responsible for developing the ADA standards of care in Diabetes in 2018. Kalyani also served as president of the ADA’s Maryland community leadership board, according to the ADA release.

Millions of India’s Women Brick Kiln Workers Find Health Care Elusive

Global Health Now, Jan. 10, 2024

Women like Shakundevi make up 30–50% of workers in India’s brick kilns, per a 2020 Prayas Centre for Labour Research and Action report. A key part of a massive migrant workforce that produces India’s bricks, the women kiln workers face considerable barriers to health care, including: a lack of proper documents, distant health care centers, and the loss of income when not working, according to interviews with workers in Rajasthan’s Ajmer and Bhilwara districts.

EVENTS

MMA Webinar: Student Loans

Jan. 24, 2024

Join Marsh McLennan Agency (MMA) at 2 p.m. on Wed., Jan. 24 for a live session on navigating the complexities of student loans and making informed financial decisions for your education. Registration is required.

NEW IN RESEARCH

The sound of silent RNA in tuberculosis and the lncRNA role on infection

iScience, Jan. 19, 2024

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, and Diabetes Mellitus is one of the major comorbidities (TB/DM) associated with the disease. A total of 103 differentially expressed ncRNAs have been identified in the TB and TB/DM comparisons. A machine learning algorithm was employed to identify the most informative lncRNAs: ADM-DT, LINC02009, LINC02471, SOX2-OT, and GK-AS1. These lncRNAs presented substantial accuracy in classifying TB from HC (AUCs >0.85) and TB/DM from HC (AUCs >0.90) in the other three countries. Genes with significant correlations with the five lncRNAs enriched common pathways in Brazil and India for both TB and TB/DM. This suggests that lncRNAs play an important role in the regulation of genes related to the TB immune response.

Rocha EF, Vinhaes CL, Araújo-Pereira M, Feitosa Mota T, Gupte A, Kumar NP, Arriaga MB, Sterling TR, Babu S, Gaikwad S, Karyakarte R, Mave V, Kulkarni V, Paradkar M, Viswanathan V, Kornfeld H, Gupta A, Andrade BB, Queiroz ATL. 

Glycated Hemoglobin Trajectories and Their Association With Treatment Outcomes Among Patients With Pulmonary TB in India: A Prospective Cohort Study

Chest, Sept. 4, 2023

Of the 587 participants, 443 participants (76%) had persistent euglycemia, 118 participants (20%) had persistent hyperglycemia, and 26 participants (4%) had transient hyperglycemia. One participant had incident hyperglycemia and was excluded. Compared with participants with persistent euglycemia, those with transient hyperglycemia showed a twofold higher risk of experiencing an unfavorable treatment outcome (adjusted incidence rate ratio [aIRR], 2.07; 95% CI, 1.04-4.15) after adjusting for confounders including diabetes treatment, and BMI; we did not find a significant association with persistent hyperglycemia (aIRR, 1.64; 95% CI, 0.71-3.79). Diabetes treatment was associated with a significantly lower risk of unfavorable treatment outcomes (aIRR, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.15-0.95).

Pardeshi G, Mave V, Gaikwad S, Kadam D, Barthwal M, Gupte N, Atre S, Deshmukh S, Golub JE, Gupte A.

Tuberculin test using Indian indigenous purified-protein derivative (PPD) shows only moderate agreement with international standard PPD 

Journal of Clinical Tuberculosis and Other Mycobacterial Diseases, Dec. 1, 2023

In India, the prevalence of Latent TB infection (LTBI) is estimated to be around 40%. Various formulations of PPD(Purified protein derivative) are available, for diagnosis of LTBI, which may give variable responses. The commercially available PPD in India is by Arkray Healthcare (TST-Arkray). It is unclear if this product may have a similar sensitivity compared to other internationally accepted tuberculins (TST-Tubersol).  The Indian TST (Arkray Diagnostics) has shown moderate agreement with the internationally accepted Tubersol. Additionally, there was poor agreement between the TSTs and QFT plus test.

Christopher DJ, Priya N, Shankar D, Isaac B, DeLuca A, Sarkar S, Prakash Babu S, Samuel P, Cattamanchi A, Gupta A, Ellner J, Srinivasan S, Cox S, Thangakunam B. 

OPPORTUNITIES

Girish and Himangi Rishi Student Travel Awards

Deadline: Feb. 7. 2023

This program will support students traveling from Johns Hopkins University to India across any school, division, department, or center, for the purpose of research, field practicums, capstone research, student travel exchange et al. at JHU sites in India under the Center for Global Health. Each travel award will be up to $3,500 per student. This program will support up to 8 students in the 2024 cycle.

Job Opening: Team Lead HRH / Program Manager for the Uttar Pradesh (UP) Health Systems Support (HSS) Project

Johns Hopkins India aims to hire a Team Lead HRH / Program Manager for the Uttar Pradesh (UP) Health Systems Support (HSS) project. With funding support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and under the auspices of the University of Manitoba and the India Health Action Trust (IHAT), Johns Hopkins is contributing technical and analytical support to strengthening the health system in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. This is a broad project with planned and ongoing work in the fields of human resources for health, institutional strengthening and public health management and trainings. The purpose of these analytic activities is to provide informed recommendations related to possible health systems interventions in the state.

Wellcome Climate Impact Awards

Deadline: April 3, 2024

The aim of this scheme is to make the impacts of climate change on physical and mental health visible to drive urgent climate policy action at scale. We will fund transdisciplinary teams to deliver short-term, high-impact projects that maximise policy outcomes by combining evidence generation, policy analysis, engaged research approaches and communication strategies.

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