Nuggets

DECEMBER 2006

International training for researchers from the Wits node of the CBTBR
Three researchers from the Wits node of the CBTBR have undertaken advanced training in TB basic science through the Columbia University-southern African Fogarty HIV/ AIDS International Training and Research Program (CU-SA Fogarty AITRP). Team member, Bavesh Kana, and PhD student, Betty Mowa, were awarded fellowships for training in the use of murine models of TB infection in the laboratory of Prof. Gilla Kaplan at the Public Health Research Institute in New Jersey. This was Bavesh’s second such fellowship, which enabled him to spend the months of August-November 2006 working in Prof. Kaplan’s laboratory. Betty will return to the Wits node of the CBTBR in February 2007 after completing her six-month pre-doctoral training fellowship in this laboratory. Limenako Matsoso spent her four-month AITRP postdoctoral fellowship in the laboratory of Prof. David Sherman at the University of Washington in Seattle, where she received advanced training in the data analysis aspect of DNA microarray technology. Since returning to the CBTBR, Limenako has been involved in training other CBTBR researchers in microarray data analysis.

Networking - Conferences, meetings, workshops attended
Paul van Helden, Valerie Mizrahi and Rob Warren participated in the IBSA (India-Brazil-South Africa) Workshop on TB Research, held in Stellenbosch in November The workshop, which was organized by the DST, brought together leading TB researchers from the three countries in an effort to foster collaboration in areas of mutual interest. Profs P. Sharma (ICGEB, New Delhi) and V. J. Chaudhary (University of Delhi South Campus) visited the Wits node of the CBTBR after the workshop to discuss possible areas of collaboration. Prof Rob Warren attended the South African Tuberculosis Research Initiative (SATRI) workshop on the 12 November.
CBTBR scientists, Prof Gehard Walzl, Dr Gill Black, Ms Kim Stanley and Mr Andre Loxton attended the annual project meeting of the Gates Grand Challenge in Global Health held in Kampala, Uganda (14-17 November 2006). Prof Walzl also attended the annual grantee meeting of the Gates Grand Challenge in Washington, USA (4-6 October 2006) and a Global Alliance for TB Drug Development meeting to discuss future drug development studies (New York, December 2006).
Phetole Mahasha gave a oral presentation entitled “The trafficking of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis PE and PPE proteins” at the 27th African Health Sciences Conference held in Durban, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa.
Prof Victor attended the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Association) annual meeting in Vienna, Austria (4-8 December 2006).