Projects per year
Organisation profile
Organisation profile
The Unit of HIV & Neglected Tropical Diseases was created in April 2015, building on the post-doctoral work of the current head (Johan van Griensven, internist/clinical epidemiologist).
The unit studies the interaction between neglected tropical diseases and other conditions such as HIV coinfection. The current main research area is visceral leishmaniasis (VL)-HIV coinfection in East-Africa. Research is conducted within a research collaboration including Gondar University (Ethiopia), the Drugs for Neglected Diseaseses initiative (DNDi) and Médecins sans Frontières (MSF). Within this network, clinical trials have been conducted, evaluating approaches for improving treatment outcomes (combination therapy) and preventing relapse (secondary prophylaxis) in VL patients. An innovative approach towards a VL screen & treat strategy in HIV infected patients at risk of developing VL is currently under study.
Key ambitions for the next years include expanding clinical research projects towards cutaneous leishmaniasis, and consolidating clinical immunological work linked to the clinical research projects.
The unit was also extensively involved in the 2013-2015 Ebola outbreak in West-Africa, with the unit head acting as coordinating investigator of a clinical trial evaluation the use of convalescent plasma as a treatment for Ebola in Guinea (REF).
Research lines:
- Diagnosis and prediction of VL-HIV coinfection
- Treatment of VL-HIV coinfection and cutaneous leishmaniasis
- Clinical epidemiology of VL-HIV coinfection
- Clinical immunological monitoring of VL-HIV coinfection
- Immunopathogenesis of VL-HIV coninfection
- Clinical research during infectious disease outbreaks in resource-constrained settings
As to capacity building, the unit is leading a research and training capacity building project with the University of Gondar, funded by the Belgian government. Education and training activities cover the short course on research methods and evidence based medicine (SCREM), of which the unit head is the course director, contributions to the online antiretroviral treatment course (eSCART) and the training activities conducted within the capacity building project in Gondar.
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Profiles
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Assessing the burden and improving the diagnosis and clinical management of hyperreactive malarial splenomegaly patients in Northwest Ethiopia
Asres, M. S., Bottieau, E., van Griensven, J., Kassahun, A., Diro, E. & Berens-Riha, N.
1/01/25 → …
Project: PhD-project
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Enhancing the effectiveness and accessibility of treatment for cutaneous leishmaniasis in Ethiopia
Woge, M. T., van Griensven, J., Pareyn, M., Berens-Riha, N., Berens-Riha, N., Wegayehu, T. & Wendemagegn, Y.
1/01/25 → …
Project: PhD-project
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Quality assurance and decentralized diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis and other common skin diseases in Ethiopia
Abate, D. T., van Griensven, J., Pareyn, M., Van Geertruyden, J. & Hailu, A.
29/05/24 → …
Project: PhD-project
Research output
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Anopheles arabiensis continues to be the primary vector of Plasmodium falciparum after decades of malaria control in southwestern Ethiopia
Eligo, N., Wegayehu, T., Pareyn, M., Tamiru, G., Lindtjorn, B. & Massebo, F., 2024, In: Malaria Journal. 23, 9 p., 14.Research output: Contribution to journal › A1: Web of Science-article › peer-review
Open Access -
A preliminary indication that HLA-A*03:01 may be associated with visceral leishmaniasis development in people living with HIV in Ethiopia
de Vrij, N., Vandoren, R., Ramadan, K., Van Hul, A., Ceulemans, A., Kassa, M., Melkamu, R., Yeshanew, A., Bogale, T., Beyene, H., Sisay, K., Kibret, A., Mersha, D., Cuypers, WL., Vogt, F., van Henten, S., Ritmeijer, K., Pham, TT., Meysman, P., Laukens, K., & 5 others , 2024, In: PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases. 18, 9, 17 p., e0012000.Research output: Contribution to journal › A1: Web of Science-article › peer-review
Open Access -
Chronic high-level parasitemia in human immunodeficiency virus-infected individuals with or without visceral Leishmaniasis in an endemic area in Northwest Ethiopia: potential superspreaders?
van Griensven, J., van Henten, S., Kibret, A., Kassa, M., Beyene, H., Abdellati, S., de Hondt, A., Adriaensen, W., Vogt, F., Pareyn, M., Ritmeijer, K. & Diro, E., 2024, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Clinical Infectious Diseases. 7 p., ciae002.Research output: Contribution to journal › A1: Web of Science-article › peer-review
Open Access