Duong Duy An in the TB research group has been awarded a highly competitive ISID small grant to continue her work on fluoroquinolone resistance in mycobacterium tuberculosis. The Small Grants Program is designed to fund pilot research projects by young investigators in developing countries. www.isid.org
Duy An recently completed her Msc in genetics at the University of Science in Ho Chi Minh City and has been a researcher in the TB group for 3 years.

The Mountain Medicine Society of Nepal (MMSN) is a  society of medical doctors, students and allied health professionals interested and involved in mountain medicine, high altitude physiology and related maladies. We are a non-governmental organization working to understand and explore the science behind altitude related illnesses and utilizing this knowledge in making our mountains safer. Our regular activities include: journal clubs to discuss research papers in the field; organizing national and international seminars and workshops; health camps for pilgrims; research on altitude related illnesses; publication of newsletters and books; and programs to create awareness among trekkers, pilgrims and porters going to high altitude.

In addition to our works on altitude medicine, we also function as an intellectual scientific community dedicated to promote research and scientific thinking within and outside Nepal. Eight years since inception, we have created a reputation in promoting medical research and evidence based practice. Most of the participants in our journal clubs and other activities are young medical professionals. In a country that emphasizes on rote learning, we believe over the years we have enabled our members to think on their own in critically appraising biomedical articles and scientific reports. The Oxford University Clinical Research Unit in Vietnam and in particular Professor Jeremy Farrar has helped us tremendously in our research endeavors.

MMSN NEWSLETTER.pdf

Peter Horby

The new Laboratories provide state-of-the-art diagnostic and research capabilities that will improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of major infectious diseases that continue to exert a heavy toll in Vietnam and elsewhere. The Laboratories are the latest development in the partnership between NHTD, the Wellcome Trust and the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit (OUCRU) in Vietnam and herald a new level of commitment of the partners towards tackling national and global health issues.

The opening ceremony was attended by His Excellency the Minister of Health, Mr Nguyen Quoc Trieu, His Excellency UK Ambassador Mark Kent, the Director of NHTD, Dr Nguyen Van Kinh and the Director of the Unit in Hanoi, Dr Peter Horby.

"We are delighted to welcome His Royal Highness to open our Clinical and Research Laboratories," says Dr Kinh. "Teams of Vietnamese and international researchers are leading the fight against some of the most serious health issues facing our country and the neighbouring region. We look forward to the opportunity to showcase our new facilities and the outstanding research being conducted by our scientists."

HRH The Duke of York visited the laboratories in his capacity as the UK Special Representative for International Trade and Investment, where he met with Vietnamese researchers working in areas such as antibiotic resistance, pneumonia and Dengue fever.

"These new facilities have provided an important opportunity to build research capacity within Vietnam so that Vietnamese and international researchers working on Vietnamese priorities can conduct research in an internationally competitive environment", says Dr Peter Horby, Director of OUCRU-Hanoi.

The new NHTD-OUCRU Laboratories are jointly funded by the Wellcome Trust, the Li Ka Shing Foundation, and the South-East Asia Infectious Disease Clinical Research Network. They are a further extension of the Wellcome Trust Major Overseas Programme in Vietnam which was established 1991.

OUCRU Hanoi

Peter Horby, Director of the Hanoi Unit of the Wellcome Trust Major Overseas Programme – Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, was awarded the title of Honorary Professor at a ceremony held at Hanoi Medical University on 22nd October 2010. Peter has been Director of the Hanoi Unit since its inception in 2006 and the title was conferred in recognition of the Unit’s contribution to research and training at Hanoi Medical University.

The Vice Dean of Hanoi Medical University, Professor Nguyen Huu Tu, led the ceremony, which was attended by staff of OUCRU and the UK Ambassador to Vietnam, Mark Kent. Speaking at the occasion His Excellency Mark Kent said " I am very proud to attend this ceremony to honour the great contribution of Peter Horby to Vietnam. His work sets a model of partnership for others to follow, not just in the healthcare field but beyond. This award is also a tribute to the role of UK science in supporting the development of research capacity in Vietnam and in harnessing the best science to improve health. It demonstrates the relevance and value of the work of the Wellcome Trust - Oxford University group to their academic partners in Vietnam and to the people of Vietnam."

The appointment symbolizes a new era of collaboration between two great Institutions: Hanoi Medical University is the oldest University in Vietnam and its first Dean was the famous physician and bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin. The University of Oxford is the oldest university in the United Kingdom, and has a great tradition of medical research.

Peter Horby said of the award, “It is a great honor to receive this award. It is an important recognition of the hard work and dedication of all my colleagues in the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, Hanoi Medical University and other institutions, that have worked so hard to understand and improve the health of the people of Vietnam. It has been a team effort and the whole team must be congratulated.”