Thumbi Ndungu, BVM, PhD

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New Minds, New Ideas Attracting the Next
Generation of Investigators to HIV Vaccine
Research
Thumbi Ndungu, BVM, PhD Doris Duke Medical
Research Institute University of KwaZulu Natal
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Challenges Facing African Investigators
Challenges Facing African Investigators

• Although HIV/AIDS is overwhelmingly an African
  problem, very few Africans are involved in HIV
  Vaccine Research
• There is a moral obligation for Africans to get
  involved and for the global research community
  to address this disparity. What are the
  challenges and how do we address them?

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Challenges Facing African Investigators

• Limited research infrastructure
• Limited political will by African governments
  and institutions
• Lack of capacity for mentorship and
  grantsmanship

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Challenges Facing African Investigators
Challenges Facing African Investigators

• Limited opportunities for career growth-
  leading to brain drain, vicious cycle
• Economic issues such as poor salaries and
  cumbersome bureaucracies
• Paucity of rigorous academic/research
  environments

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Opportunities

• In some cases, it is easier and faster to do HIV
  vaccine research in Africa - study cohorts,
  cooperative and enthusiastic collaborators who
  understand the need
• Opportunities for direct impact on communities
  and institutions

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Solutions

• Investment in local leadership development
• Local ownership and attributable credits by
  collaborators
• Long-term partnerships - facilitators rather than
  competitors sustainable funding Centers of
  Excellence exchange programs that work in both
  directions

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Profile of an African in HIV Research

• Degrees from Nairobi and Harvard
• Seed funding from Harvard for a junior faculty
  position in Botswana
• Great collaborations and facilitation from
  mentors at Harvard in Botswana and South Africa

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The Doris Duke Medical Research Institute
(DDMRI) in Durban, South Africa. The facility
houses the HIV Pathogenesis Programme, a
collaborative initiative between Massachusetts
General Hospital and the Nelson Mandela School of
Medicine