About

Training Years: 2015-2016

Training Site: UNC Project-Malawi

Country: Malawi

Mentors: Satish Gopal, MD, MPH; Ken Ataga, MD; Nigel Key, MD

Title: Defining Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) Comorbidities in Malawi – Malaria as a Screening Marker

Project Objectives:  

Hypothesis: The prevalence of HIV is lower in adult sickle cell trait (SCT) individuals in Malawi compared to the general population due to depressed hepcidin and/or elevated ferroportin levels in these individuals.

Aim 1: To determine the prevalence of HIV in a sample of individuals seeking HIV testing in Lilongwe, Malawi.

Aim 2: To determine the sickle cell status of those individuals.

Aim 3: To collect blood samples from study participants in which to measure levels of hepcidin and ferroportin to determine whether the hypothesized resistance to HIV infection is associated with depressed hepcidin levels and/or elevated ferroportin levels.

NIH Support: Fogarty scholars doctoral training award