Marissa Chmiola

Faces of Innovation—a new GHTC project that features scientists on the front lines of research and development on new global health tools and technologies—profiles Hannah Wu, who we met at the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) Annual Conference, who is working to develop vaccines against the neglected tropical disease schistosomiasis at Brown University.My Name: Hannah WuWhere I work: Brown University Medical School in Providence, Rhode IslandI’m funded by: NIHMy research: We do research on neglected tropical diseases, for malaria and schistosomiasis…I’ve been working on schistosomiasis for a long time. I am lucky enough I can not only work in the lab, but also go to the field to see people. Even though schistosomiasis is more neglected than malaria, there are people in the world suffering from this disease. It’s caused by a trematoda—this is a worm. If we have a vaccine for it, that might be much better to cure the disease or to prevent the disease. So that’s what we are working at. We look at immune mechanisms from the population, and we are trying to find vaccine candidates. For the shistosomisis species, that I am specifically working on…it is also a one health strategy that we should use….We hope that we will have more funding to do other experiments and research on this vaccine, to be available in the livestock.For parasitic diseases, animals are a very important reservoir host. Some people are in touch with animals every day, in their daily life. So we are not only making vaccines for the humans, we can actually make vaccines for, in my case in schistosomiasis, for water buffalo which account for 70 to 90 percent of transmission. So that’s the concept of one health.Motivation: When I was in graduate school, I was not very clear what I wanted to do, but I think I was lucky enough, I got to see the people who had the disease…Because of their everyday life, they have to be in contact with the pathogen, so they cannot really avoid to have the disease, and they don’t have other means….Research has a curiosity I always like. And I was curious about finding new things…but if at the same time I can…contribute to this world by finding a vaccine to help people, that would be great. So that motivates me.Why federal support is critical: We are human beings. We’re not isolated…We care about other people, so that’s one basic reason we can do this research for the world, to improve human health. And I really believe that everyone deserves an opportunity to get health care and to live a more healthy life.When I’m not in the lab: I am involved with my church a lot. Through the church I work with young people. I tell them science is about curiosity. We have the privilege to do science, so we should do real science for real people. We’re not doing science just for the sake of science, we’re doing science for the betterment of human life.

Faces of Innovation—a new GHTC project that features scientists on the front lines of research and development on new global health tools and technologies—profiles Dr. Heinz Weidenthaler, who we met at the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) Annual Conference, who developed a smallpox and monkeypox vaccine with Bavarian Nordic.My name: Heinz Weidenthaler, MDWhere I work: Bavarian Nordic, which is headquartered in Denmark and has offices in Morrisville, North CarolinaI’m funded by: Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, National Institutes of Health, Department of Defense, Centers for Disease Control and PreventionMy research: I am a medical doctor by training working for a company called Bavarian Nordic…We have done quite an extensive program in developing a smallpox and monkeypox vaccine with support of several federal agencies of the US, mostly BARDA, who has funded most of our clinical trials and helped us really tremendously throughout the development of this product. There were other contributions, NIH NIAID [National Institutes of Health National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases] provided support in specifically running several of the clinical trials that finally led to licensure of the product. The Department of Defense was incredibly helpful in running the key pivotal phase III trial, via USAMRIID [US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases]. We also have a collaboration with CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention], who is using our product in a study right now in the Democratic Republic of Congo [DRC].It is intended to be a safer alternative smallpox vaccine, which means it can protect the public, of course, both in America, but also on a global basis. Smallpox is a global threat, not a national threat at a given country…We received US licensure not only for smallpox, but also for monkeypox. There the global impact really comes in because the current epidemiology of monkeypox is endemic in several African countries like the DRC and Nigeria. This is something that, there will be an impact as soon as it is able to be deployed there. This is running right now with the CDC study in DRC, that could really save lives by preventing infections in these areas.Motivation: I’m a medical doctor by training and joined the pharma/biotech industry quite a while ago, and instead of just working on another blood pressure pill that would be generic a few years later, I think working in the pox virus vaccine sphere really has an impact on saving lives. And doing that with the help of government funding, in terms of a really successful public private partnership here, I think is a tremendous success, and being part of that, and helping in the clinical development of our vaccine is really a motivating thing because it just has an impact of peoples’ lives.Why federal support is critical: Global health is affecting all countries, including the US. Last year, we had these cases from Nigeria, people who were bringing cases of monkeypox, transmitting them to the UK, to Singapore, to Israel. The world is so globally connected, and infectious diseases that are endemic in sub-Saharan African countries can be anywhere in the world 24 hours later. I think this has a really huge impact on being prepared for all scenarios, and is of critical importance for the health of individuals worldwide, including the US.When I’m not in the lab: I take care of my family. I have three kids back home. I try to be there as much as possible, which is not always easy, but I enjoy the time back home with my kids. I try to do some kinds of sports as far as I find the time for that. I play volleyball quite frequently.

Faces of Innovation—a new GHTC project that features scientists on the front lines of research and development on new global health tools and technologies—profiles Dr. Geoffrey Siwo, who we met at the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Annual Conference, who develops mathematical models to accelerate product development at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana.My Name: Geoffrey Siwo, PhD.Where I work: University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, IndianaI’m funded by: National Institutes of Health and National Science FoundationMy research: My research is in developing computational methods that impact the way we do science, especially with respect to global health….Basically the goal is to ensure that we can accelerate the way new medicines are brought into the market for diseases like malaria, and so this is why our project is to arrange computation methods, such as artificial intelligence that can have a rapid impact on the way we translate some of the science findings intro practical applications for global health….We believe that artificial intelligence can cut down the time that is needed to do this. One aspect [of our research] is to understand drug resistance, especially for malaria. So for the case of malaria where there is resistance to [the malaria drug] artemisinin, we are inviting data scientists to develop computational models that predict the mechanisms of the resistance and that will help in potential surveillance of resistance.Motivation: I am from Kenya originally, and I am motivated to do this research because malaria is a big problem in Africa and the only way to make a difference is to develop the therapies that directly address the disease.Why federal support is critical: This research has the potential to affect millions of lives. We know that disease has no barriers, and the solutions that we develop for diseases in any part of the world can have an impact on any other part of the world, including the US.When I’m not in the lab: I like reading some novels, especially regarding future technology and the future of the world.

Faces of Innovation—a new GHTC project that features scientists on the front lines of research and development on new global health tools and technologies—profiles Dr. Mark Kortepeter, who we met at the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) Annual Conference, who does research on emerging infectious diseases at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln.My name: Mark Kortepeter, MD, PhD.Where I work: University of Nebraska in LincolnI’m funded by: Assistant Secretary of Preparedness and Response and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.My research: I’m an infectious disease and public health physician and I work for the University of Nebraska Medical Center. I lead what’s called the special pathogens research network, so this is a network, we have ten centers across the country, that are tied together as a research network for response to outbreaks, especially ones that are related to high consequence pathogens like Ebola. What we realized after the 2014/2016 outbreak [of Ebola], where there were patients coming into the US, was that there were a number of different investigational products that were used to treat the patients. We realized in the end that we really didn’t understand what was beneficial and what wasn’t in terms of the treatment because they were all given as individual investigational products. So the whole goal was to have a network that was tied together so we can learn more if this happens again—whether it’s Ebola or some other disease like Nipa virus or some novel influenza—so at the end of an outbreak, we would actually be able to compile data, be working off the same sheet of music, off the same protocol, to essentially advance science in understanding what works best for patients.If there are novels products that are still investigational, we would track with those—so we have some Ebola countermeasures that we have been working with…as well as if there was something new that popped up and a need to study something in real time, we could do that. In addition, if there is something for which there is no therapy, we also have the ability to follow the natural history of the disease and what clinical interventions also seem to be useful.Motivation: I got into this because I had a travel bug, and I liked the idea of doing work in infectious diseases because there is a travel component with it because you’re dealing with exotic diseases across the world. So that’s what really got me into it. I just found it fascinating working with people of other cultures.Why federal support is critical: It’s important to invest in this because we really don’t know where the next outbreak will come from…It’s possible that something will come out of left field and surprise us. So it’s very important to have some preparedness in mind, such that you can be ready for anything that comes. If you really think about it, we were all caught up with Ebola in 2014/2016, and then suddenly there is Zika virus, or we were surprised when West Nile showed up on the US shores. So we have to have a global mindset, we have to understand what’s going on outside the country as well as what can land on our shores, because we just never know what’s going to happen next. We’re all kind of one global world now in terms of infectious diseases. Infectious diseases have no boundaries or borders.When I’m not in the lab: The thing I’m really excited about right now is that I wrote a book about my experiences dealing with bioweapon defense when I worked at Fort Detrick, Maryland at the US Army laboratory there…It’s called “Inside the Hot Zone: A Solider on the Frontline of Biological Warfare.” It just came out this week. It’s written like a medical thriller, but it’s also very educational, and it gives an insider’s perspective on things like the anthrax attacks, preparation for Ebola outbreaks, dealing with Ebola in the laboratory, things like that. 

One of the great things about working at GHTC is that every day we get to read stories about incredible innovations in global health. Most of the technologies we read about are inventive, some are revolutionary, and a few are so unusual, one might think they were ripped from the pages of a science fiction novel. So, to enjoy a bit of fun and mischief this Halloween, we’ve created a new game, TRICK or TREATment, to test our readers’ knowledge of global health technologies. For each question, we will present a description of a global health technology. Choose TREATment if you believe this innovation exists and has market approval. Choose TRICK if you think we are trying to pull one over on you and, instead, the product is still in development or just a figment of our imagination.  Loading... (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) { var ql = document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if (ql) { if (ql.length) { for (var k = 0; k

For over five decades, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) has supported the development, introduction, and scale up of urgently-needed health technologies as a critical part of its mission to advance global health and development. To reflect on USAID’s decades of work in global health innovation and how continued efforts will be vital to moving countries along the journey to self-reliance, GHTC held a dialogue in early August featuring USAID Chief of Staff Bill Steiger, as well as representatives from USAID’s Global Health Bureau and nonprofit and private sector partners.Here are some of our favorite observations and insights from the discussion:BILL STEIGER ON HOW HEALTH INNOVATION IS CENTRAL TO USAID’S MISSIONDr. Bill Steiger, @USAID Chief of Staff, says the success of USAID depends on innovation. @USAIDGH's resources have reached a plateau and they must learn to do more with the same amount of resources, and that means being more innovative. #innovate4health pic.twitter.com/I1ngkhgrc4— Cassie Kobrin (@CassieKobrin) August 14, 2019 Chief of Staff Bill Steiger says @USAID looks at innovation in 4 ways: 1️⃣offerings 2️⃣delivery3️⃣process4️⃣innovative finance #Innovate4health pic.twitter.com/FIBZ6VjXwT— PATH Advocacy (@PATHadvocacy) August 14, 2019 “#GlobalHealth is our largest bureau. It’s 40% of what we do. It’s the most innovative and #data driven of all of our organizing units.” - Dr. Bill Steiger, @USAID Chief of Staff, on how health innovation at USAID is advancing the journey to self-reliance. #innovate4health pic.twitter.com/F1SjiZuCXU— USAID Global Health (@USAIDGH) August 14, 2019 “We are a risk averse organization and we need our stakeholders to tell us to take a risk. Our core business is that we give away money. We need to get better at it & more innovative about it.”- @USAID’s Dr. Bill Steiger on #globalhealth at @GHTCoalition. #innovate4health pic.twitter.com/HcthEvVwDV— Lippi (@lippidoshi) August 14, 2019 @USAIDGH is willing to take more risks, expanding how we work with the private sector to involve co-creation at the front-end and use blended finance vehicles, CoS Bill Steiger #Innovate4Health— Innovation & Impact (@CIIimpact) August 14, 2019 @USAID Chief of Staff Bill Steiger notes that #globalhealth R&D is critical to the journey of self-reliance and the importance of making innovations more affordable and more widely available. #Innovate4Health pic.twitter.com/9x1C95xeqz— GHTC (@GHTCoalition) August 14, 2019 One of @USAIDGH's goals is to deliver technical expertise to countries and partner with them on their #JourneyToSelfReliance. - Dr. Bill Steiger, Chief of Staff, @USAID #innovate4health— Heather Ignatius (@HeatherIgnatius) August 14, 2019 INSIGHTS FROM OUR PANELISTS ON THE CHALLENGES & PROMISE OF HEALTH INNOVATION The panel discussion featured Renuka Gadde, Vice President of Global Health at BD; Meghan Majorowski, Senior Advisor at USAID’s Center for Innovation and Impact; Dr. Zeda Rosenberg, founder and CEO of the International Partnership for Microbicides; Dr. Mel Spigelman, President and CEO of TB Alliance; and Dr. Monique Wubbenhorst, Deputy Assistant Administrator in the USAID Bureau for Global Health. Two points from Dr. Wunbbenhorst of @USAIDGH that resonated with me:1️⃣We’re talking about innovation & tech in the service of human beings.2️⃣Innovation in development is a long game. Bc USAID isn’t in biz of making a profit, it can support long innovation.#innovate4health— Lippi (@lippidoshi) August 14, 2019 Excited by @GHCoalition's panel discussion which included...Dr. Monique Wubbenhorst, Deputy Assistant Administrator, Bureau for Global Health, USAID. Sidebar: Presentation truly motivated me to learn more about SLAB - Saving Lives at Birth. #Innovate4Health pic.twitter.com/h1HnN3mI4d— Sally S. Cherry, BS, MT-ASCP (@CherryNetwork) August 14, 2019 Meghan Majorowski of @USAID’s @CIIimpact talks about how the center taps into the expertise of the private sector to address #globalhealth challenges with innovation. #Innovate4Health pic.twitter.com/UiialUzOre— GHTC (@GHTCoalition) August 14, 2019 "We can do more with less if we are willing to invest in innovation". Mel Spigelman, President & CEO of @TBAlliance highlighting the importance of advancing R&D in a time of constrained resources. #Innovate4Health pic.twitter.com/3LiEL7Wy6T— Philip Kenol (@Phil_kenol88) August 14, 2019 Renuka Gadde, VP of #GlobalHealth @BDandCo, highlights the company’s partnership with @USAID and the importance of collaboration with the agency to develop lifesaving innovations. #Innovate4Health pic.twitter.com/BOq4tDdOVN— GHTC (@GHTCoalition) August 14, 2019 “@GCDSavingLives does spark innovations but they’re complex. We need to think abt scale. If they were simple, private companies would have chased them. Scale is not about pilots, it’s about mothers & children’s access wherever they are.” - Renuka Gadde @BDandCo #innovate4health pic.twitter.com/u4mkF77ntT— Lippi (@lippidoshi) August 14, 2019 “Times lost are lives lost. Need to be ways to fast track product development.” - Renuka Gadde @BDandCo on harmonization of countries for regulatory processes #innovate4health— Lippi (@lippidoshi) August 14, 2019 Our CEO Zeda Rosenberg on hearing from empowered research center staff and role of @USAIDGH capacity building support at #innovate4health pic.twitter.com/hyruqcI3Tc— IPM (@IPMicrobicides) August 14, 2019 To learn more about health innovation at USAID, check out GHTC’s latest report. It examines how USAID’s investments in global health innovation are an essential enabled in accelerating partner countries along the journey to self-reliance and provides actionable recommendations to the Administration and Congress to maximize the impact of USAID’s health research and development activities.