Antoine Tesniere

A world-class biomedical research laboratory sits in an unassuming recycled shipping container in a neighborhood in one of the global epicenters of tuberculosis. Scientists and technicians in the lab — owned and operated by Socios En Salud, the Peruvian branch of the international health care delivery nonprofit Partners In Health — work to improve TB diagnosis for the sick people in their neighborhood, improve treatment for TB and other diseases worldwide, and deepen scientific understanding. Those collaborations have helped build a biobank with hundreds of thousands of sputum and blood samples, tens of thousands of cultures of purified samples of tuberculosis from different patients, and more than 5,000 complete genome sequences of the bacteria that cause TB. The samples are linked to electronic medical records that include valuable, anonymized patient information, such as how people responded to TB drugs; what other illnesses they had; and social, economic, and environmental factors that researchers suspect play a role in determining who gets sick. “Those samples, linked to robust clinical and demographic data in a searchable database, are an unequaled, irreplicable resource for the future of science and for the fight against tuberculosis,” said Megan Murray, an HMS professor of global health. Much of Murray’s work has been done in collaboration with Socios En Salud and other branches of PIH. The lab has supported efforts to find better treatments and diagnostic tools for TB and to deepen understanding of how the disease infects and sickens people and develops resistance to antibiotics. But reductions in funding from the National Institutes of Health, USAID, and other U.S. agencies that support science and global health may now make it impossible to keep the lab running or to maintain the freezers that preserve the samples. “If we lose those freezers and can’t preserve the archive they contain, we’re never going to get it back. There isn’t anything like it anywhere in the world,” Murray said. The team has spent 20 years of hard work building an irreplaceable resource for the world, Murray said. “Research is a huge part of our mission to help find solutions for the most vulnerable populations, not just in our own backyard but everywhere,” said Leonid Lecca, executive director of Socios En Salud and HMS lecturer on global health and social medicine.

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Advancing women’s #health research is essential not only to strengthening the quality and integrity of medical science — but also to unlocking meaningful innovation in #healthcare. When we close the gaps in research, we gain a more complete understanding of human biology. This fuels the development of smarter, more inclusive health solutions — ultimately improving outcomes for everyone. Through the World Economic Forum’s Global Alliance for Women’s Health, we are promoting policies that catalyze robust, evidence-based innovation. By embedding #women’s needs into the core of scientific inquiry and product development, we can drive forward a new era of health #innovation — one that works for all. Now is the time to move from commitment to action — and ensure women’s health is no longer overlooked, but prioritized at the heart of global health innovation. Better science leads to better innovation — and better outcomes for every patient, everywhere. Read more from Amira Ghouaibi, Head of the Global Alliance for Women's Health and Sanjana Bhardwaj, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation: https://lnkd.in/emuhuisr

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#WHO has released its latest guidance for measuring the prevalence of #tuberculosis in high-burden countries. Knowing the extent of #TB is crucial, so countries can devote the resources needed to #EndTB TB-CRE Centre for Research Excellence in Tuberculosis Control Ben J Marais Australasian Clinical Tuberculosis Network (ACTnet) Justin Denholm Stephen Graham Sarah Bernays https://lnkd.in/gwRS2t8m

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🌍 The Specialized Master in Public Health Methodology, offered through the ARES International Training scholarships in Belgium, is now open for applications for the 2026–2027 academic year. This unique program provides advanced methodological training for public health professionals, with a special focus on equipping those working in low- and middle-income countries to address pressing health challenges. The program is designed to prepare graduates to design, lead, implement, and evaluate impactful public health interventions at local, national, and global levels. 📚 The master’s degree is taught in English and runs for one academic year, with 10 scholarships available. It is a joint effort by three leading Belgian universities: Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Université catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), and Université de Mons (UMONS). Through this collaboration, students gain exposure to diverse expertise across public health, medicine, economics, and applied research, ensuring a strong foundation to address complex health systems and global health priorities. 🗓️ Applications open on 4 August 2025 and close on 19 September 2025 (UTC+1). Interested candidates must apply exclusively through the GIRAF platform, as documents shared by email or messaging apps are not accepted. This program is a powerful opportunity for professionals passionate about advancing health equity, strengthening health systems, and contributing to international health development. If this aligns with your aspirations—or if you know someone who would benefit—be sure to explore and share this opportunity. https://lnkd.in/dRBJYAyq #PublicHealth #GlobalHealth #Scholarship

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📢 New publication in #EJSO – AGO Breast Commission recommendations 2025 The updated recommendations of the #AGO Breast Commission (Working Group on Gynecologic Cancers) on surgical therapy in breast cancer have just been published in the European Journal of Surgical Oncology (EJSO). 🔑 Key highlights of the 2025 update: - Focus on de-escalation of #axillary #surgery - Sentinel lymph node biopsy (#SLNB) can be omitted in select low-risk patients undergoing upfront surgery - After #neoadjuvant systemic therapy (#NAST), completion axillary lymph node dissection (#ALND) is no longer recommended in cases of low-volume residual disease (ypN0 [i+] and ypN1mi) - For patients converting from cN1 to ycN0, both TAD and ALND remain valid options - Oncoplastic breast #surgery is safe and shows comparable complication rates to standard breast-conserving surgery This update incorporates evidence from recent landmark studies such as #INSEMA (#GBG75) and #SOUND, marking another important step towards personalized and less invasive breast cancer care. 🔗 Read the full open-access article here: https://lnkd.in/dyW3u34P 🔗 INSEMA trial information: https://lnkd.in/d69SDDNd GBG Forschungs GmbH #BreastCancer #BreastCancerCare #AGO #EJSO #Oncology #Surgery #ClinicalGuidelines #Research #Review

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🚨 New Publication Alert! 🚨 Thrilled to share our latest research, just published in PLOS Digital Health: “Opportunistic use of Artificial Intelligence with X-Ray Imaging for Diagnosis of HIV Status in Tuberculosis Patients in Uganda and Tanzania” 📄 Link to paper: https://lnkd.in/e5uixcAQ 🤖🩻 In this study, we explored how AI can unlock hidden insights from routine chest X-rays—not just for TB screening, but also for inferring HIV status. A potential game-changer for low-resource settings. 🌍 Why it matters for Africa: 💡 In regions like Uganda 🇺🇬 and Tanzania 🇹🇿 where TB and HIV burdens are high and resources are limited, this approach offers a cost-effective, scalable solution by leveraging existing imaging workflows. Key takeaways: ✅ AI adds diagnostic value without additional tests ✅ Dual screening = greater efficiency & impact ✅ Supports earlier diagnosis & better health outcomes ✅ Moves us closer to equitable, tech-powered global health 🌐 🙏 Grateful to lead author Dmitrii Cherezov for driving this effort along with co-authors Tanmoy Dam, and our fantastic collaborators from Tanzania and Uganda, Drs Irene Najjingo, Margaret Mbabazi, Harriet Kisembo, Bruce J KIRENGA, grace soka, Ester Ngadaya, and Sayoki Mfinanga for making this possible. Let’s continue pushing the boundaries of what AI can do in global health. #AI #GlobalHealth #DigitalHealth #TB #HIV #Africa #MedicalImaging #Innovation #HealthcareAI #PLOSdigitalhealth

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