Ghassan Ilaiwy, MD, MPH
Ghassan Ilaiwy, MD, MPH, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Medicine’s Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health at UVA, was one of only two recipients nationwide of the prestigious Burroughs Wellcome Fund/American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) Postdoctoral Fellowship in Tropical Infectious Diseases.
The fellowship is designed to fund and stimulate interest for physician-scientists to conduct research focused on infectious diseases in Low-to-Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). The award was established in 1999 and is open to individuals with an academic appointment of a fellow. Recipients receive funding support of two $65,000 per year for two years to transition to junior faculty appointments and must spend a minimum of three months of each funded year performing research outside the U.S. Dr. Ilaiwy is mentored by Infectious Diseases faculty members Tania Thomas, MD, MPH, and Scott Heysell, MD, MPH, to develop interventional strategies and cost-effective analyses for tuberculosis prevention and improved case finding in high-burden settings, including Haydom, Tanzania.
Over the past year, Dr. Ilaiwy has worked to identify undiagnosed tuberculosis patients and found a huge burden among household members. Worldwide, an estimated one-third of tuberculosis patients are undiagnosed and otherwise waiting to be connected to resources, a major barrier to global tuberculosis elimination. Dr. Ilaiwy has been piloting a cash transfer initiative, which provides a small monetary incentive to decrease the barriers to accessing care for tuberculosis. The work connects undergraduates like Caroline Rich and medical student Emily Kaplan, supported by the Center for Global Health Equity.
Read more on the Center for Global Health Equity website.
Filed Under: Honors & Awards, Research