News & Events

Two Grand Challenges Explorations Grants for Global Health

Groundbreaking research promises new drugs for malaria and low-cost diagnostics

May 15, 2011. The innovative research of three Northwestern University professors who are making a big difference in the highly promising area of synthetic biology has been recognized with two early-stage discovery awards from Grand Challenges Explorations, an initiative funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The global health projects will focus on creating new compounds to combat malaria and on producing biosensors for low-cost, in-home diagnoses.

The prestigious awards are two of 107 Grand Challenges Explorations (GCE) grants announced this week. The funding supports scientists, researchers and entrepreneurs worldwide who are testing unconventional ideas that show great promise to improve the health of people in the developing world.

Northwestern now has received a total of three GCE grants as part of the Gates Foundation’s call to “Apply Synthetic Biology to Global Health Challenges.” (Synthetic biology is the design and construction of new types of biological systems.) To date, only 30 synthetic biology grants have been awarded as part of this initiative, acknowledging Northwestern as being at the forefront of its use to address global health issues. (The University received its first GCE grant in November.)

“The Gates Foundation support allows us to pursue high-risk, high-reward projects that are utilizing cutting-edge techniques to engineer biological systems,” said Keith Tyo, an investigator on all three grants. “Success on any one of these projects could result in a dramatic improvement in quality of life for millions of suffering people.” Read on...

Source: Northwestern News

NU's Engineering World Health plans fundraiser for Mission Outreach

April 25, 2012. The Northwestern chapter of Engineering World Health is planning campus-wide efforts to raise funds for Hospital Sisters Mission Outreach, a nonprofit focusing on global health care. Recently, EWH raised over $400 in private donations for the organization through a fundraiser at NU’s Sheil Catholic Center.

“It’s always a really meaningful sponsorship,” said Betsy Johnson, the volunteer associate at Mission Outreach. “Every dollar donated is really an investment in another country.”

According to the organization’s website, Mission Outreach recovers medical supplies and equipment and redistributes these supplies to developing countries. By sending these supplies, which would otherwise be thrown away, the organization is able to assist with the medical needs of people in these countries. The Hospital Sisters of St. Francis founded the organization in 2002, and since then have distributed more than $24 million of usable medical equipment and supplies.

Students from EWH began volunteering with Mission Outreach in August 2010, Johnson said. Students from EWH go to Mission Outreach’s warehouse site in Chicago every other month and also repair and test medical equipment before it is sent to other countries. Mission Outreach’s effort is closely related to the mission of EWH, said McCormick junior Paaras Modi, the EWH volunteer chair. Read on...

Source: The Daily Northwestern

Project RISHI solidifies plans for service trip to Indian village

April 23, 2012. Members of Northwestern’s Project Rural India Social and Health Improvement will travel to the northern Indian village of Charniya in August to gather data on building a sustainable health care clinic in the community.

Project RISHI, a national organization that began in California, consists of six chapters. NU is the only college outside of California to have started its own chapter.

Weinberg senior Manisha Bhatia is one of the co-founders of NU’s Project RISHI, which started in the spring of 2011.

“Our overarching goal is to make some sort of change and to hopefully create a sustainable clinic,” Bhatia said. “Health is a priority for them.”

Of the group’s 40 members, 13 will head to Charniya this summer. The group plans to leave Aug. 24 and come back to the United States on Sept. 6. Last summer, three members of NU’s Project RISHI traveled to India to explore the area and get more information about potential sites. Read on...

Source: The Daily Northwestern

Northwestern Hosts Annual Global Health Summit

GlobeMed summit prepares students to lead on global health equity, social justice issues

April 11, 2012. Students and global health leaders will come together on Northwestern University’s Evanston campus April 12 through 14 at the 2012 GlobeMed Global Health Summit to advance the movement for social justice and global health equity.

“Walking Together, Walking Far: Partnership as a Framework for Meaningful Action” will bring together more than 275 students from 46 universities around the country to participate in a series of lectures and workshops focused on knowledge sharing, collaboration and community building.

Speakers will include Melissa Covelli, senior programs officer, Polio, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Gary Slutkin, executive director, CeaseFire; Pamela Barnes, CEO, EngenderHealth; and Pamela Angwech Judith, executive director, Gulu Women’s Economic Development and Globalization, Uganda. Read on...

Source: Trib Local Evanston

Join the International Medical Corps Emergency Response Deployment Roster

April 11, 2012. The Center for Global Health has worked with the International Medical Corps (IMC) in the past, especially during the emergency response after the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. While we do not have a formal arrangement with IMC, we do direct Northwestern medical personnel who are interested in emergency response to IMC as it is a well-organized and trusted organization. Your participation in IMC's Emergency Response Deployment Roster is independent of the Center for Global Health and it is your responsibility to get guidance from the leadership of your unit about allowances for your participation. If you have any questions regarding Northwestern's relationship with IMC, please contact Carolyn Baer, Deputy Director of the Center for Global Health, at c-baer@northwestern.edu.

For more information visit Northwestern's Center for Global Health website.

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