Dr Karen du Preez, a clinical researcher with the Paediatric TB Research Programme at the Desmond Tutu TB Centre, recently received a grant of nearly R9 million ($540 000) from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the United States for a project which will help to provide more knowledge about tuberculosis meningitis in children.
Du Preez, who is currently in the final stages of her PhD, said the awarding of the grant is an "incredible opportunity".
"Despite tuberculosis (TB) being a treatable and preventable disease, it is still one of the top 10 causes of death in young children globally. TB meningitis (TBM) is a very serious form of TB. The symptoms are often non-specific, which can cause delays in diagnosis and lead to poor outcomes (death or life-long disability). Young and HIV-infected children have the highest risk of developing TBM," she said.
Her project is entitled Interdisciplinary and multi-level approach to estimate the disease burden and outcomes of childhood tuberculosis meningitis.
Du Preez successfully applied for a Fogarty Emerging Global Leader Award from the NIH. The purpose of the award is to provide research support and protected time (three to five years) to an early-career research scientist from a low- or middle-income country (LMIC) who is in a junior faculty position at an LMIC academic or research institution.
She said she was very excited about the grant. "This award provides me with the opportunity to not only do really important research, but also to develop specialized research skills in spatial and mathematical modelling. It also gives me the opportunity to build a research network with local and international world experts, which will be an extraordinary resource for me when leading future research projects and funding applications."
This is a career-development grant, and a successful application relies on identifying appropriate mentors that is willing to support the applicant. "I'm extremely privileged to have a team of world experts, both locally and internationally, who are willing to support and mentor me for the duration of this award. I have been working at the Desmond Tutu TB Centre, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health since 2008, and the mentorship I have received from Professor Anneke Hesseling and the support I have received from the department has been instrumental in my successful application."
Du Preez said her research will be conducted over five years, and has three aims. "TB programmes are not required to routinely report data on TBM, and we have no idea how many children are affected or how much TBM contributes to TB mortality in children. Our first aim is therefore to estimate how many children in the world develop TBM every year, and how many of the TB deaths in children are due to TBM, using mathematical modelling.
"Secondly we will use routine TB data from South Africa, to understand differences in where children with TBM are treated and reported at a national level. We will also use this data to identify predictors of poor TB outcomes in children with TBM. This will help us to identify where in South Africa interventions to improve diagnosis and outcomes are most needed.
"Lastly, we will work closely with routine health services in Cape Town using multiple data sources to identify all diagnosed and undiagnosed children with TBM over a two-year period. All identified children will be eligible for enrolment in an observational cohort study that will collect data on diagnostic certainty, disease severity, comorbidities, outcomes and missed opportunities for both TB preventive therapy and earlier diagnosis of TBM. This could help us to develop diagnostic algorithms to assist with earlier diagnosis, and identify opportunities for targeted interventions to improve TBM prevention and care.
She said the grant funding will primarily cover staff and activities specifically related to the research project, as well as career-development activities.
