U of M continues to expand research across the globe

Lab in Kenya opens in result of collaboration with U of M and the U of Nairobi

VERONICA CARR STAFF

The first infectious diseases research facility in East Africa was opened last week in Kenya, the result of a 27-year partnership between the universities of Manitoba and Nairobi to fight HIV/AIDS in that country.

Although many students only recognize the University of Manitoba’s presence in Winnipeg, the fact is, it is actually all over the world. The new centre in Kenya is part of the International Infectious Diseases Centre (IIDC) located at the University of Nairobi’s Kenyatta National Hospital Campus.

The U of M has been a leader in HIV/AIDS research since the 1980s when it launched a successful prevention program in Kenya. More recently, in November of last year, the U of M received a US$22 million grant from the United States Agency for International Development to aid in a program used to educate and assist people currently suffering from HIV or AIDS, specifically in the Indian province Karnataka and it’s neighboring region.

In addition to the researchers from the U of M and the University of Nairobi, there are several other universities that are participating in the project, including the University of Toronto, the University of British Columbia, the Université de Montréal, Laval University, Oxford University, and the University of Washington.

“Canada is committed to improving global public health and I am extremely proud of our involvement in this project. I congratulate the universities of Manitoba and Nairobi on this tremendous achievement,” Stated Tony Clement, health minister, in a U of M press release.

Although there are two other labs in Africa capable of safely handling highly contagious pathogens, samples would have to be collected and shipped elsewhere for assessment — now all of this will be able to be done right on site.

“From a research perspective, this lab is revolutionary in Africa. Being able to do the research right on site is going to create a much more efficient way of doing research and a lot quicker outcomes in regards to taking the results and using them for knowledge purposes or for public health intervention. We are very proud to be a part of this scientific community,” explained Joanne Keselman, U of M vice-president (research).

In 2001, the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), a branch of the Canadian government, initiated a call for proposals for grants from a new International Access Fund. The grant would fund a limited number of facilities to allow Canadian researchers and graduate students to participate in major international collaborations. In June 2002, the U of M was awarded $3.8 million from the CFI. The rest of the funding for the $4-million facility comes from the Province of Manitoba, the public health agency of Canada and the two principal universities — the U of M and the U of Nairobi.

In return, U of M professors and students in undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral programs work at the lab, as the new facility provides effective and valuable training experiences for students, as well as a chance to interact with those on the front lines of HIV/AIDS research.

The opening took place on Jan. 19 with representatives from the government and both universities present.

“The celebration that went along with the grand opening was incredible. There was salsa dancing to poetry readings and everyone was so warm and welcoming. You really felt their appreciation and the gratitude and pride of Manitobans,” explained James Dean, U of M director of international relations.

Co-operating with various universities around the globe, U of M students and graduates can be found from South Africa to Asia. There are opportunities for engineers in Ukraine to social workers in China, medical researchers in India, Afghanistan, Cuba, and most recently Kenya.

“The university has a reach in a lot of different countries around the globe and because we are good collaborators we are well known in certain areas for our research efforts and we see participating at an international level very important,” said Keselman. “As a provincial university we have a special responsibility to our province.”