The Philippines
The University of Virginia's collaboration with the University of the Philippines has opened doors to create the multidisciplinary Study Group on Enteric Diseases. This program was initiated by UVa's first graduate of the Center for Global Health's International Fellowship Program, Philippine native Dr. Cirle Warren.
Another graduate of the fellowship program, Dr. Raul V. Destura, is the current head of the study group. In addition, he has used the knowledge gained from the fellowship program to return to the Philippines and create the Enteric Diseases Molecular Research Core Facility. This was achieved with help from The University of the Philippines, which has been very supportive of researchers and scientists returning from UVa's Center.
With help from the University of the Philippines (UP), new diagnostic tests are under way to support the research agenda of the Study Group on Enteric Diseases. In addition, undergraduates at UP have been able to pursue research in the fields of enteric infections, such as Cryptosporidium genotyping among children with persistent diarrhea, assemblage differentiation of Giardia intestinalis and clinical utility studies on the molecular diagnosis of Entamoeba and Salmonella infections. These undergraduate students are also benefiting from the mentorship of current Center for Global Health fellow Dr. Emmanuel Sevilleja, who is working in the Center's UVa laboratories.
New research undertakings are being prepared for 2007 in the fields of immunonutrition and intestinal health, as identified by the Study Group on Enteric Diseases as priority research agenda items.