Report by Dr. Andrea Doltrario, a Postdoctoral Associate in Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine about participation in the Tuberculosis Research Units (TBRU) Myco3V Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) meeting
This past February, I set off to Cape Town to attend the Tuberculosis Research Units (TBRU) Myco3V Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) meeting. Myco3V is one of the TB Research Units sponsored by the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) to foster collaboration on ground-breaking TB research efforts. The Myco3V counts on Dr. Branch Moody (Brigham and Women’s Hospital) and Dr. Kyu Rhee (Weill Cornell Medicine) as its administrative core co-leaders.
The SAB meeting was an energetic gathering where researchers from the group shared their latest findings while engaging in discussions about the future directions of our collective work. I had the privilege of presenting the latest advancements in my project, which focuses on developing novel urine-based biomarkers for diagnosing pulmonary tuberculosis in people co-infected with HIV. My project, supported by the Developmental Project Award from the NYC TRAC, is part of the commitment of the Myco3V TBRU group to identifying metabolic biomarkers of TB disease, treatment responses, and disease infectiousness.
The activities in Cape Town were about more than just the meetings. We visited the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation (DTHF), which was particularly inspiring. DTHF is a registered non-profit organization established with the Desmond Tutu HIV Centre, an accredited research center within the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town (UCT). The center operates as a youth health center in Masiphumelele. In addition, it is actively engaged in laboratory and clinical research, studying the biology of TB airborne transmission.
This academic voyage culminated in a Mini symposium on Tuberculosis Research at the Institute of Infectious Disease & Molecular Medicine at UCT. A full auditorium of students and TB researchers from South Africa dedicated a few hours to learning from leaders in the field. Even after the scientific events concluded, I still had time to enjoy some breathtaking landscapes of this beautiful city and region. I left already thinking about when I can return.
Photo 1: Some of the TBRU Myco3V members at the University of Cape Town campus.
Photo 2: Dr. Kyu Rhee and Dr. Andrea Doltrario at the University of Cape Town.
Photo 3: Desmond Tutu Health Foundation - Masiphumelele Research Office entrance.
