MOMENTUM
MOVI N G FO RWA RD AT CO LUMB I A MA I LMA N SC HO O L O F P U BLIC HEALTH
Bode Shobayo, PhD, of Liberia practices testing in the GAPP lab at Columbia Mailman School.
Teaching the World to Prevent Pandemics JUST OVER A YEAR INTO ITS TRAINING PROGRAMS, THE GLOBAL ALLIANCE FOR PREVENTING PANDEMICS (GAPP) HAS WELCOMED researchers and clinicians from Bangladesh,
Germany, Mali, Mexico, Nigeria, and Zambia, as well as personnel from the U.S. Department of Defense, to its Columbia Mailman School lab. They are learning how to use VirCapSeq-VERT, a test invented at the School that detects all known viruses that infect people and other vertebrates and discovers new viruses as well. Using it means the global health community can achieve faster, better awareness of emerging infections with fewer samples to analyze. GAPP aims to ensure equitable, The work will be done by Malians, sustained access to breakthrough diin Mali, for Malians,” says Wickiser, agnostic technology and to promote adding that countries in the global medical independence and excelSouth do not pay for testing materilent healthcare for all. Each training als. “We provide materials; if necestakes about three weeks. “Then they sary, we help secure funds.” can return to their lab confident Next up? GAPP will add trainthey can use the test effectively, and ings for BacCapSeq, another test can train others,” says J. Kenneth created in the School’s Center for Wickiser, PhD, GAPP’s administraInfection and Immunity. It identitive director. A training with Malian fies all bacteria with clinical relpartners is one example of GAPP in evance. Says Wickiser, “The more action: “We have trained their unipeople who adopt these tests and versity scientists and their equivalent realize they save lives, the closer we of the CDC. We are set to supply get to the goal of GAPP, which is them with test materials, so they can eventually to put ourselves out of be up and running, independently. business.” Photographs: (left) Diane Bondareff; (above) Anne Foulke Toner
HONORS Lipkin Joins Task Force W. Ian Lipkin, MD, the John Snow Professor of Epidemiology and director of the Center for Infection and Immunity at Columbia Mailman School, is one of a group of scientists and public health leaders convened by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists to be part of a new international task force to consider trends and oversight of high-risk pathogen research.
Navas-Acien Named to Cancer Advisory Board President Joe Biden appointed Ana NavasAcien, MD, PhD, MPH, to the National Cancer Advisory Board, which plays an important role in guiding the National Cancer Institute. A professor of Environmental Health Sciences and member of the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Navas-Acien has more than 300 peer-reviewed publications and leads multiple National Institutes of Health-funded research projects.
Pei Receives Pilot Grant Sen Pei, PhD, assistant professor of Environmental Health Sciences, is the recipient publichealth.columbia.edu
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