GKII Executive Director Search

Melody McCoy, the first Executive Director of GKII, has spent the past year nurturing and advancing the institute's work and influence, both at Johns Hopkins and in India. Now, as Melody prepares to embark on new endeavors, we’re seeking another strong leader to fill her shoes.

If you're passionate about fostering collaborative research, education, and policy initiatives to address critical challenges in India and globally, we invite you to apply. Stay tuned next month for a message about her fantastic accomplishments! 

CONGRATULATIONS

Rama Chellappa named the 2024 Edwin H. Land Medal Recipient 

Biomedical Engineering, March 12, 2024 

Rama Chellappa, Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Electrical and Computer Engineering has been selected as the 2024 Edwin H. Land Medal winner by Optica and the Society for Imaging Science and Technology (IS&T). Established in 1992, the Edwin H. Land Medal recognizes pioneering work empowered by scientific research to create inventions, technologies and products.

Chellappa is honored for seminal contributions to the theory and practice of image/video processing and computer vision arenas resulting in inventions, technologies, and systems that have improved the lives of many worldwide.  

Rejji Kuruvilla Named AAAS Fellow 

The Hub, April 18, 2024 

Rejji Kuruvilla, Professor of Biology and Vice Dean for Natural Sciences at the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, was among six people named to AAAS Fellows.

She holds a joint appointment in the Department of Neuroscience at the School of Medicine and received her bachelor's degree from Calcutta University in India, her PhD from the University of Houston, and did her postdoctoral work at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Her research focuses on the development and functions of the sympathetic nervous system.  

Dr. Roshni Rao Promoted to Assistant Vice Provost of Doctoral and Postdoctoral Life Design 

BioBuzz, April 19, 2024 

Dr. Roshni Rao was promoted to Assistant Vice Provost of Doctoral and Postdoctoral Life Design at Johns Hopkins. In her new role, Dr. Rao will lead initiatives that offer opportunities and support for scholars through enhanced assistance and sustained advocacy. 

Sunil Solomon Receives NIDA’s Avant-Garde Award for HIV and Substance Use Disorder Research 

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Avant-Garde Award Program for HIV and Substance Use Disorder Research recently awarded Dr. Sunil Solomon the Avant-Garde Award for HIV and Substance Use Disorder Research.

This award supports scientists of at all career levels who propose high-impact research that will open new areas of HIV research or lead to new avenues for prevention and treatment of HIV among people who use drugs.

In 2016, Solomon also received NIDA’s Avenir Award for HIV Research to identify innovative, cost-effective strategies that capitalize on network-connectedness of PWID to identify viremic HIV-infected persons who may or may not be aware of their HIV or HCV status and link them to care centers. 

Engineering Alum Among Paul and Daisy Soros Fellows 

The Hub, April 18, 2024 

Alumnus Shubhayu Bhattacharyay, Engr '20, was recently named a Paul and Daisy Soros Fellow! Bhattacharyay, born in Kolkata, India, double majored in biomedical engineering and applied mathematics and statistics with a minor in Spanish.

He was supported by the Milken Scholars Program and graduated with full departmental and Tau Beta Pi honors. As an undergraduate, Bhattacharyay founded Auditus Technologies, a company inventing individualizable, accessible hearing devices for adults living with dementia. 

IN THE NEWS

G20 Meeting Highlights CGDHI Research

Center for Global Digital Health Innovation

Dr. Smisha Agarwal recently traveled to Brasilia, Brazil as a member of the official US delegation to present research findings to the G20’s Health Working Group. She presented at a panel discussion called “Operationalizing the Global Initiative on Digital Health (GIDH)”, to disucss the importance of strategic investments in health care, digital ecosystem readiness, and insights that can strengthen primary healthcare systems. 

Finding Her Own Community

The Johns Hopkins Newsletter, April 27, 2024 

Sudha Yadav, a Johns Hopkins graduate student from North India in the Department of Chemistry shares her story about her life as a grad student, a reflection on who she is as a person, and finding her own community.

“The early 20s are tough: a lot of self-discovery goes into them and lots of difficult decisions await me. Yet here I am — trying to be myself and become better every day, picking myself up repeatedly by letting myself be with my people and having all of them there for me in case I need it.” 

The New Johns Hopkins Data Science and AI Institute at WSE 

The Whiting School of Engineering has released information on how Johns Hopkins is investing in the new Data Science and AI Institute! It will include a state-of-the-art facility on the Homewood campus and an expansion of the computing resource capacity, as well as 80 new tenure-track faculty positions and 30 new endowed chairs. 

U.S. tech CEOs give India PM Modi boost ahead of election 

CNBC, April 18, 2024

Pravin Krishna, Chung Ju Yung distinguished professor of international economics and business spoke with CNBC and discussed why Apple’s expansion into India has been beneficial for Prime Minister Modi.

"The story of Apple, such a marquee name, has worked in Modi's favor – not only has it helped the economy, but it has also given him political swagger."

Free water, housing, food: Modi's $400bn welfare bet to win Indian elections 

BBC, May 8, 2024

Devesh Kapur, Starr Foundation Professor of South Asian Studies spoke with the BBC about the "virus of cash transfers with numerous schemes across states and political parties... Every party in India knows that welfare matters for votes," he said.

EVENTS

HMHB Coffee and Chai Chat

May 16, 11:00 - 11:30 AM EDT

The Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Consortium (HMHB) invites you to its first virtual Coffee and Chai Chat of the year. Join Dr. Parul Christian and Dr. Mihaela Ciulei. Participants will learn about the benefits of Balanced Energy and Protein (BEP) Dietary Supplementation during pregnancy and participate in a live Q&A. 

PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

Navigating Your Career with Informational Interviews: A Guide to Building Professional Connections 

By Beth Romanski, Program Manager



Your journey toward achieving your dream career involves many variables, but it begins with a clear vision of what you want. Taking the time to reflect on your short- and medium-term goals is crucial, as is gaining the experiences that can shape your understanding of where you want to go professionally. To achieve this clarity, it’s important to explore different career paths and learn from those who are already in the roles that interest you. Curiosity is key.

By embracing a mindset of exploration and considering various career options, you set the stage for informed networking. Networking is a critical skill, and experts estimate that between 70% and 80% of jobs are secured through this method. However, effective networking is about more than just job-seeking; it's about building relationships and gaining insights to guide your career journey.

The GKII Johns Hopkins One Hop Mentoring Group is the perfect platform for making meaningful connections! If you are a JHU student or alumni from India or the Indian diaspora, engage in GKII’s JHU India One Hop Mentoring Group discussion to gain access to the full article and more Informational Interview tips!

Global Health Systems Summer Institute 

May 28–August 2, 2024

The Health Systems Program in the Department of International Health (Bloomberg School of Public Health) is hosting a Global Health Systems Summer Institute for early- to mid-career public health professionals to expand their skill sets and improve job performance. Topics will include global health technology and innovation, health economics, primary health care, health systems strengthening, health governance, health management, health policy, health financing, and more. Enrollment by two weeks prior to the course start date is recommended.

Know India Programme 

Deadline: May 31, 2024

The Know India Programme of the Ministry of External Affairs is a three-week knowledge programme designed for the diaspora youth. The primary objective of the KIP is to foster a closer connection between Indian diaspora youth and their ancestral homeland by augmenting their understanding of India. KIP participants get an opportunity to acquaint themselves with the history and culture of India as a civilization as well as the advancements and achievements of modern India across diverse domains.

GKII Summer Communications Intern Position

GKII is seeking a JHU student to be a communications intern for the summer! We're looking for a creative and self-driven intern that can boost our social media presence through engaging visual content and student-focused stories. You’ll work closely with the GKII team to create compelling content for the GKII's Instagram account and OneHop mentoring group. The role involves highlighting student experiences and promoting the Institute's mission through stories, reels, and other visual and written content. 

Log into your JHU SMILE account and search "GKII Communications Intern" for the posting!

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR JOHNS HOPKINS AFFILIATES

Digital Education and Learning Technology Acceleration Initiative

Deadline: May 31, 2024

The Johns Hopkins University Provost's Digital Education and Learning Technology Acceleration (DELTA) initiative is offering grants of up to $75,000 for students, faculty, and staff seeking funding to develop digital education initiatives with the potential to demonstrably enhance the online and on-campus teaching and learning experience at Johns Hopkins. Up to five proposals are expected to be funded in 2024.

OPEN FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

Spencer Foundation Large Research Grants on Education 

Deadline: May 22, 2024

The Large Research Grants on Education Program supports education research projects that will contribute to the improvement of education, broadly conceived, with budgets ranging from $125,000 to $500,000 for projects ranging from one to five years. We anticipate awarding grants with budgets across each of the following funding tiers -- $125,000 to 250,000; $250,001 to $375,000; and $375,001 to $500,000. 

Understanding Dengue and Zika Spread, Immunity and Clinical Outcomes 

Deadline: June 25, 2024

This funding call will support multidisciplinary teams to generate evidence on where dengue and Zika viruses co-circulate and investigate the implications this has on host immune responses and clinical outcomes. Research funded through this award will support global efforts to understand and predict the spread of these pathogens, especially where data are limited. Funded projects will also help to design and implement future interventions to reduce dengue and Zika’s growing burden and impact on health. 

USAID Integrated Health Systems Strengthening 

Deadline: July 6, 2024

The purpose of the Integrated Health System Strengthening (IHSS) program is to accelerate countries’ Health System Strengthening (HSS) efforts and achieve sustainable, equitable, and resilient health systems through locally-led, evidence-driven, and context-specific approaches to HSS. The primary goals are to advance primary health care (PHC), accelerate progress toward universal health coverage (UHC), and improve health outcomes.  

CFAR HIV/AIDS Training Fellowship Awards

Deadline: July 31, 2024

The CFAR Training Fellowship Awards offer training opportunities for Indian early-stage investigators to expand capacity in HIV/AIDS research through short-term research. CFAR sites are invited to apply for funding focused on priority areas of HIV/AIDS research aligned with NIH NOT-OD-20-018. Two to three fellowship grants, each up to $300,000 USD total cost ($150,000/year), will be awarded.

NEWS OF NOTE

Realizing the Power and Promise of AI

Whiting School of Engineering, April 2, 2024

Learn how Johns Hopkins engineers are using AI to extend human capabilities, ensure equity in healthcare, enable a new age of space exploration, and more. 

No Ifs, Ands, or Butts

The Hub, April 22, 2024

Tobacco causes a long list of well-known health issues, from cancer and diabetes to stroke and lung disease. But this addictive substance is also wreaking havoc on the environment. One of the most visible issues? Tobacco product litter, which makes up 25% to 40% of all litter globally, according to the World Health Organization.

Against this backdrop, Johns Hopkins researchers and collaborators set out to better understand the problem of tobacco product litter in India and Brazil. For one study, they visited nine cities in India and walked 250-meter street sections in search of tobacco litter. In 135 total observations—including some near schools—they found more than 17,000 pieces of tobacco product litter, including smokeless tobacco packaging and cigarette butts.

Asia-Pacific gets new weapon in fight against drug-resistant TB 

France 24, April 12, 2024 

A faster and vastly more effective treatment for drug-resistant tuberculosis is being rolled out in the Asia-Pacific region, raising hopes of a "new era" in tackling one of the world's deadliest infectious diseases. In India, where BPaL has been approved, there is growing impatience for it to be introduced into health clinics given the country's world-beating caseload. 

NEW IN RESEARCH

Exploring the feasibility, acceptability and preliminary effects of a nurse delivered mhealth intervention for women living with HIV in South India: a pilot randomized controlled trial 

Archives of Women’s Mental Health, April 17, 2024 

We evaluated the feasibility, acceptability and preliminary efficacy of a standardized nurse delivered mobile phone intervention to improve adherence to antiretroviral treatment and clinical outcomes. The mobile-delivered counseling intervention was feasible and acceptable and shows promise among women living with HIV and psychosocial vulnerabilities in rural South India.

Satyanarayana VA, Duggal M, Jeon S, Singh P, Desai A, Chandra PS, Reynolds NR.

HIV-1 low-level viraemia predicts virological failure in first-line and second-line ART-experienced individuals in India: A retrospective longitudinal study 

HIV Medicine, April 25, 2024

To study the prevalence of low-level viraemia (LLV) and its association with virological failure (VF), we conducted a retrospective analysis of 3498 participants at YRG CARE, Chennai, India (2013-2018) on antiretroviral therapy (ART) for ≥6 months with two or more plasma viral load (pVL) measurements. The prevalence of LLV was intermediate in our study population.

VF. Dinesha TR, Boobalan J, Kumar CV, Manikandan P, Muhila M, Solomon SS, Srikrishnan AK, Murugavel KG.

Injection network drivers of HIV prevention service utilization among people who inject drugs: results of a community-based sociometric network cohort in New Delhi, India 

Journal of the International AIDS Society, April 27, 2024

Injection drug networks may influence their network members' health-seeking behaviours. Using data from a sociometric injecting partner network of people who inject drugs (PWID) in New Delhi, India, we assessed the role of injecting partner (alter) behaviours on individual engagement in HIV prevention services. We found differential associative relationships between individual HIV prevention service engagement and the health or risk behaviours of direct and indirect alters. Characterizing network exposure beyond direct injecting partnerships provided important context on possible mechanisms of behavioural influence.

Prata Menezes NS, Mehta SH, Wesolowski A, Clipman SJ, Srikrishnan AK, Kumar MS, Zook KJC, Lucas GM, Latkin C, Solomon SS.

Voucher incentives to improve viral suppression among HIV-positive people who inject drugs and men who have sex with men in India: a cluster randomised trial

Lancet HIV, May 11, 2024

Progress on HIV treatment outcomes for people who inject drugs and men who have sex with men in India has been slow compared with that in other populations. We assessed whether HIV treatment incentives would improve outcomes among these groups. Despite high intervention engagement, incentives did not improve survival with viral suppression among people who inject drugs and men who have sex with men living with HIV in India. The poor outcomes overall underscore the need for innovative, multilevel approaches to engage marginalised people living with HIV in low-income and middle-income settings.

Solomon SS, McFall AM, Srikrishnan AK, Verma V, Anand S, Khan RT, Kushwaha BS, Vasudevan C, Saravanan S, Paneerselvam N, Kumar MS, Das C, Celentano DD, Mehta SH, Lucas GM.

Undernourished Household Contacts Are at Increased Risk of Tuberculosis (TB) Disease, but not TB Infection- a Multicenter Prospective Cohort Analysis 

Clinical Infectious Diseases, April 23, 2024 

Undernutrition is the leading risk factor for tuberculosis (TB) globally and in India. This multicenter prospective cohort analysis from India suggests that undernutrition is associated with increased risk of TB disease but not TB infection among household contacts of persons with TB.

Sinha P, Ezhumalai K, Du X, Ponnuraja C, Dauphinais MR, Gupte N, Sarkar S, Gupta A, Gaikwad S, Thangakunam B, Paradkar M, Christopher DJ, Mave V, Viswanathan V, Ellner JJ, Kornfeld H, Horsburgh CR Jr, Padmapriyadarsini C, Gupte A.

Association between Covishield vaccine and menstrual disturbance. Findings from a cross-sectional study among participants of Zero TB cohort in India 

Vaccine, April 27, 2024 

The association between covid-19 vaccine and menstrual disturbance is unclear. Menstrual problems were reported by Covishield vaccinees, but they were minor and reversible within three months and do not constitute a ground for vaccine hesitancy. Studies designed to assess causal link taking care to avoid selection bias or confounding are needed. 

Dorjee K, Namdon T, Topgyal S, Gyatso U, Tsundue T, Dolma T, Kumar V, Lhadon D, Yangkyi T, Khachoe T, Dorjee S, Sadoff RC, Peters D, Gupta A, Paster Z, Chaisson RE, Phunkyi D, Sadutshang TD. 

A Comparative Analysis of Intraocular Pressure Measurement Accuracy With Reused iCare Probes 

Ophthalmology Glaucoma, Feb. 23, 2024 

A total of 118 eyes from 59 patients recruited from the Aravind Eye Hospital glaucoma clinic in Tirupati, South India. In this prospective comparative analysis, we found that reusing iCare probes up to 5 times does not compromise the accuracy of IOP measurements when disinfected with 70% isopropyl alcohol swabs and ethylene oxide. Reusing iCare probes has the potential to transform care by reducing cost, decreasing environmental waste, and allowing for glaucoma screening camps and increased glaucoma monitoring in low resource settings leading to earlier identification and treatment of glaucoma. 

Kulkarni VM, Ciociola EC, Vardhan AS, Sundar B, Rajendrababu S, Ramulu PY. 

Cooking with liquefied petroleum gas or biomass and fetal growth outcomes: a multi-country randomised controlled trial 

Lancet Global Health, May 12, 2024 

Household air pollution might lead to fetal growth restriction during pregnancy. We aimed to investigate whether a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) intervention to reduce personal exposures to household air pollution during pregnancy would alter fetal growth.

Checkley W, Thompson LM, Hossen S, Nicolaou L, Williams KN, Hartinger SM, Chiang M, Balakrishnan K, Garg SS, Thangavel G, Aravindalochanan V, Rosa G, Mukeshimana A, Ndagijimana F, McCracken JP, Diaz-Artiga A, Sinharoy SS, Waller L, Wang J, Jabbarzadeh S, Chen Y, Steenland K, Kirby MA, Ramakrishnan U, Johnson M, Pillarisetti A, McCollum ED, Craik R, Ohuma EO, Dávila-Román VG, de Las Fuentes L, Simkovich SM, Peel JL, Clasen TF, Papageorghiou AT. 

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