Dr. Jeffrey Tornheim, MD, MPH, was recently elected to serve on the AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) Network's Tuberculosis Transformative Science (TSG) Group. The TB TSG is responsible for the development, implementation, and oversight of the ACTG research agenda related to the treatment and prevention of TB with and without HIV co-infection. 

In observance of World AIDS Day 2023, Savita Kanade, Community and Outreach Coordinator, Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Government Medical College Clinical Research Site (BJGMC CRS), Pune, hosted a discussion on six major HIV related studies being conducted at BJGMC, bringing in multiple regional partners and approximatelty 350 people living with HIV.

SPOTLIGHTS

Adelaide Benoit Student Spotlight

School and Major: Johns Hopkins University Krieger School of Arts and Sciences

Public Health Studies and Natural Sciences Major

Applied Mathematics and Statistics Minor

Are you in any Clubs or Organizations?

I am a part of the JHU Fencing Team and Johns Hopkins FiberArts.

Why did you choose JHU, and what’s the most surprising thing you learned here?

I chose Johns Hopkins as a leader in public health and epidemiology – my ultimate educational goal. I knew there would be research opportunities available for undergraduates, but I didn’t quite grasp the extent and also how willing faculty were to work with undergraduate students.

What skills are you learning at Hopkins that will be of value your whole life?

While my education at Hopkins is ongoing, I have learned to appreciate the value of finding and maintaining networks of peers, mentors, leaders, and friends.

Which professor has been the most influential to your studies—and why?

Dr. Heather McKay has been the most influential in my studies as she co-taught my Fundamentals to Epidemiology course which truly cemented my interest in epidemiology and infectious diseases. Additionally, she aided me in planning my educational journey at Hopkins.

What unique experiences or achievements have shaped your educational journey so far?

In my first year and a half as an undergrad, I have taken many interesting classes and have had a chance to work with CIDI. I am looking forward to what awaits me throughout my educational journey.

Can you share a specific project or initiative you have been involved in that demonstrates your passion and commitment to a particular field or cause?

A project I have had the pleasure to be involved in was working with Dr. Jeffrey Tornheim on a paper regarding COVID-19. This experience offered me insight and experience with research regarding infectious diseases.

Manvi Poddar Student Spotlight

What was the most unexpected or surprising aspect of your research journey in India, and how did it impact your perspective on healthcare and research? 

Prior to pursuing my master’s degree at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public (JHSPH) Health, I worked with organizations in India on various public health areas such as tuberculosis, maternal health, and nutrition. Through the field placement, I was excited at the prospect of going back to my home-country to apply the skills and knowledge I gained over the past year at JHSPH.  

Can you describe a memorable or impactful encounter you had while collecting data in Pune, India, and how it influenced your perspective on the project? 

While we were conducting in-depth interviews with tuberculosis (TB) survivors and their household members in a tuberculosis unit in Pune, it was heartening to hear how appreciative survivors and their family members were towards health workers. TB survivors held the health workers in high regard and credited their successful completion of the treatment to the health workers who guided and counselled them along their treatment journey. 

What skills have you developed or refined through your participation in the Global Health Established Field Placement program, and how do you plan to apply them in your future endeavors? 

My program (MSPH in International Health in Social and Behavioral Interventions) provides training in qualitative research methods and mixed-methods approaches to develop and evaluate evidence-based public health interventions. During my time in Pune, India, I had the opportunity to apply classroom theories and concepts to this ongoing study. 

How have your interactions with local experts and professionals in the Indian healthcare field shaped your research methodology and approach? 

During my time in Pune, India, I had the opportunity to interact with field investigators, study coordinators, mental health providers, tuberculosis providers, and TB survivors. It was exciting to be able to immerse myself in an ongoing research study and learn from field investigators while also being able to converse with patients and providers.  

What are your plans post Hopkins? 

I hope to continue and grow my work in leveraging human-centered design and community-based participatory approaches to inform and develop public health interventions or policy.  

GKII IN THE NEWS

What would an AI Three Mile Island Look Like?

Forbes, Nov. 30, 2023

Nov. 30 was the one-year anniversary of the launch of ChatGPT. After the launch, the hype quickly took over. “AI” became the nuclear power of the 21st century, a potentially humanity-ending technology that required the instant attention of regulators around the world … and lots of funding from FOMOed venture capitalists. Rama Chellappa, SAIS Bloomberg Distinguished Professor is quoted.

NIH Clinical Trial of Tuberculosis Meningitis Drug Regimen Begins

NIH, Dec. 7, 2023

The Improved Management with Antimicrobial Agents Isoniazid Rifampicin Linezolid for TBM (IMAGINE-TBM) trial will compare a six-month regimen of four drugs with the nine-month, standard-of-care regimen for TBM. Dr. Vidya Mave, GKII steering committee member, is the global co-chair of the trial. The research site in Pune, India that she directs was also the first to enroll into the trial. 

Common Antibiotic Can Prevent Drug-Resistant TB in Kids, Study Says, But is it Safe?

Indian Express, Nov. 20, 2023

These guideline-changing trials inform national policies on how close contacts of MDR-TB patients can receive preventive therapy with levifloxacin, a widely available drug in India. As Dr. Vidya Mave, Director, Johns Hopkins India Program, says, “India has already rolled out levofloxacin prophylaxis for MDR-TB household contacts and these trial results provide much needed evidence in this space.”

India Philanthropy Forum Launches In London To Foster A Robust Corridor Between India And UK Towards Accelerated Social Impact In India

India Education Diary, Nov. 13, 2023

The inaugural edition of the India Philanthropy Forum 2023 (IPF), anchored by Dasra in collaboration with The British Asian Trust and Indiaspora, is scheduled to take place on November 13, 2023 at Saddlers’ Hall in London. One of the distinguished speakers was Dr. Amita Gupta, discussing healthcare equity in India. 

NEWS OF NOTE

Bloomberg School of Public Health Magazine

Check out the Fall/Winter edition of the Johns Hopkins BSPH Magazine, featuring numerous articles on Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, and how we can, should, and already are utilizing them.

Why Tuberculosis, an Ancient Disease, Remains a Public Health Threat

Public Health on Call, Dec. 11, 2023

Tuberculosis is one of the oldest diseases on earth—taking more than 1 billion lives throughout history. Dr. Richard Chaisson, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Tuberculosis Research, talks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about how TB continues to be a significant threat to global public health, what progress is being made in treatment and prevention, and why research will be needed until the day the last case is treated.

World AIDS Day: Why the World's Most Lifesaving AIDS Program is in Danger

Public Health on Call, Dec. 1, 2023

PEPFAR, or the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, was initiated by President Bush in 2003 is credited with saving 25 million lives over the past 20 years and remains the largest commitment to a single disease in history. But the global bipartisan program is now at the mercy of American politics. Dr. Chris Beyrer, director of the Duke Global Health Institute and a member of the scientific advisory board for PEPFAR, returns to the podcast to talk with Stephanie Desmon about why PEPFAR’s reauthorization is in jeopardy and what the failure of reauthorization could mean for global health.

JHU Division of Infectious Diseases Launches Video Series

The Division worked with the JHM Video Production Team on a 5-video series that offers an overview of the division and that highlights their commitment to excellence across their institutional mission. It features the contributions of several GKII affiliated faculty across the division who gave their time and perspectives to the project.

ACTG Debuts New Name and Logo

ACTG, Dec. 1, 2023

The ACTG has announced that have officially undergone an update to their name. They will still use the acronym “ACTG”, however they are changing the meaning of the letters in their name and will now be known as Advancing Clinical Therapeutics Globally for HIV/AIDS and Other Infections. After hearing concerns that “AIDS Clinical Trials Group” no longer fully represented the breadth of their clinical research, the network undertook a process to determine whether the name should be updated.

Let Communities Lead

Program Accelerate, Dec. 8, 2023

In partnership with the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO), ACCELERATE shined a spotlight on the virtual platform Safe Zindagi, as well as the Orphans and Vulnerable Children program at this year’s World AIDS Day event in Guwahati on Dec 1.

Thousands of people perused the red and white stalls to learn about the national HIV response and celebrate the UNAIDS theme “Let Communities Lead.” The message underscores how person-centered, community-led programs are essential in ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic and improving the lives of the 2.4 million people in India living with HIV.

EVENTS

Dr. Krishna Ella Elected to Receive the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Dean’s Medal

May 22, 2024

Dr. Krishna Ella has been elected as a recipient of the Dean's Medal, the Bloomberg School of Public Health's highest honor, reserved for outstanding public health researchers and practitioners who demonstrate exceptional leadership in their fields, safeguarding and improving the public’s health.

Among many other accomplishments, Dr. Ella’s contributions to shaping India’s policies on science, research and innovation has made possible the development of vaccines and monoclonal antibodies, including Covaxin, India’s own COVID-19 vaccine, which have saved countless lives. The Dean’s Medal will be awarded at the Bloomberg School’s Convocation Ceremony.

Johns Hopkins inHealth Precision Medicine Symposium

Oct. 3, 2023

Drs. Amita Gupta and Rama Chellappa were were speakers at the Johns Hopkins inHealth Precision Medicine Symposium: Convened with thought leaders in precision medicine, discovering ways to improve care through collaborative research, exploring implementation science best practices.

NEW IN RESEARCH

Network centrality and HIV prevention service use among people who inject drugs: Findings from a sociometric network cohort in New Delhi, India 

Addiction, Nov. 15, 2023

In a socioeconomic network of people who inject drugs (PWID) in New Delhi, India, there are common characteristics among individuals based on their network position (central vs. peripheral) but individual-level predictors have only moderate predictive accuracy. Although central network members appear to be more likely to use HIV prevention services than peripheral network members, their potential as change agents may be limited by other factors that impede their ability to adopt or promote HIV prevention service use.

Prata Menezes N, Mehta SH, Wesolowski A, Clipman SJ, Srikrishnan AK, Kumar MS, Zook KJC, Lucas GM, Latkin C, Solomon SS. 

Cumulative violence exposures among men who have sex with men living with HIV in India: Psychosocial correlates of HIV care continuum outcomes 

PLoS One, Dec. 1, 2023

Lifetime exposures to violence among men who have sex with men (MSM) are associated with multiple psychosocial health risks and can affect engagement and outcomes of HIV treatment. This study a) explored relationships between levels of exposures to violence and HIV care continuum outcomes among MSM living with HIV in India, and b) identified psychosocial correlates of HIV care continuum outcomes among MSM living with HIV and those with lifetime cumulative exposures to violence (CVE).

Sabri B, Budhathoki C, McFall AM, Mehta SH, Celentano DD, Solomon SS, Srikrishnan AK, Anand S, Vasudevan CK, Lucas GM.   

Voting with their feet: Primary care provider choice and its implications for public sector primary care services in India 

Social Science & Medicine, Jan. 1, 2024

Government efforts in establishing networks of rural health centers are premised on the belief that government intervention is necessary for communities to have access to affordable quality primary care. The large-scale bypassing of PHCs observed in Bihar reflects their limited relevance to local healthcare felt needs in a context where their presence is needed most. Making communities value their local PHC requires a community-centered approach to the organization and delivery of primary care services.

Rao K, Mehta A, Noonan C, Peters MA, Perry H. 

Healthcare provider perspectives on COVID-19 vaccination for children in India 

BMJ Paediatics Open, Nov. 7, 2023

Conclusions: Most respondents were in support of the COVID-19 paediatric vaccination, although just over half did not feel adequately informed. Concerns about vaccine hesitancy among caregivers were the leading reported barrier. Targeted interventions are needed to provide adequate knowledge support to healthcare providers and evidence-based public health messaging to reduce vaccine hesitancy among caregivers.

Mehta K, Kaur A, Banerjee P, Gupta P, Thacker N, Saxena V, Shet A. 

Early Microbiologic Markers of Pulmonary Tuberculosis Treatment Outcomes 

Annals of the American Thoracic Society, Dec. 20, 2023

Rationale: Earlier biomarkers of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) treatment outcomes are critical to monitor shortened anti-TB treatment (ATT). Conclusions: Our analysis identifies Week 2 respiratory mycobacterial culture as the earliest microbiologic marker of unfavorable PTB treatment outcomes.

Paradkar MS, Pradhan NN, Balaji S, Gaikwad SN, Chavan A, Dharmashale SN, Sahasrabudhe T, Lokhande R, Deshmukh SA, Barthwal M, Atre S, Raskar SS, Sawant TU, Gupte AN, Kakrani A, Golub J, Padmapriyadarsini C, Gupta A, Gupte NA, Mave V. 

OPPORTUNITIES

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.

Grand Challenges India: Catalyzing Equitable Artificial Intelligence (AI) Use to Improve Global Health

Deadline: Dec. 22. 2023

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has significant potential to transform healthcare around the world. But as AI technology continues to advance, there is an urgent need to position low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to lead on the design and co-creation of AI-enabled technologies – thereby helping to improve the health and well-being of their women, children, and vulnerable communities. Through this call for proposal, we are emphasizing AI solutions that are locally driven and owned hence more relevant to address the needs of people they intend to serve and more likely to be accepted and used by local communities. 

NIH Initiative for Maximizing Student Development

Internal Application Deadline: December 29, 2023 

Full Application Deadline: January 29, 2024 

The goal of the IMSD program is to strengthen research training environments and promote broader participation in the biomedical research workforce by expanding the pool of well-trained scientists, encouraging the inclusion of individuals from underrepresented groups. 

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