# Characterizing Hepatitis B Transmission in Congolese Children

> **NIH NIH K08** · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · 2020 · $200,869

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Dr. Peyton Thompson is an Assistant Professor of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at the University of North
Carolina (UNC) who is applying for a K08 Mentored Clinical Scientist Career Development Award. Dr.
Thompson’s long-term career goal is to become an independent physician-scientist with expertise in
vaccinology and the epidemiology of vaccine-preventable diseases in low-resource settings.
The prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) is unacceptably high in sub-Saharan Africa given that there is an
effective vaccine against HBV. In order to design improved vaccination strategies to protect vulnerable
individuals against HBV, we must first address two important HBV-related knowledge gaps: 1) Geospatial
drivers of HBV infection in African children, and 2) HBV household transmission patterns in African children.
This proposal will address these knowledge gaps using epidemiological data and dried-blood spot samples
from a large national survey in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
This application will address the following specific aims: Aim 1) Locate hotspots of high HBV prevalence and
low population-level immunity among Congolese children using existing DBS samples from a nationally
representative survey; Aim 2) Identify patterns of HBV transmission at the household level using phylogenetic
approaches; and Aim 3) Estimate the impact of targeted vaccination strategies in the DRC using modeling
techniques. These aims align with Dr. Thompson’s career development goals: 1) Training in epidemiological
and spatial analyses of large data repositories; 2) Training in vaccinology; and 3) Training in impact modeling.
To achieve these goals, Dr. Thompson has assembled a highly qualified mentorship team comprised of: her
primary mentor, Dr. Sylvia Becker-Dreps, a global health researcher with expertise in vaccine-preventable
diseases; her co-mentor, Dr. Steven Meshnick, a skilled epidemiologist with vast experience in the DRC; an
internal advisory committee consisting of experts in analysis of large data (Dr. Jonathan Parr), hepatology (Dr.
Michael Fried), spatial analyses (Dr. Michael Emch) and vaccinology (Dr. David Weber). This multidisciplinary
team of NIH-funded researchers has an impressive track record of training junior investigators toward
independent research careers. Under their supervision, Dr. Thompson will achieve the research and career
development aims in this proposal, and will be prepared to apply for an R01 to implement and evaluate
spatially targeted vaccination strategies specific to the DRC.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10055078
- **Project number:** 1K08AI148607-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL
- **Principal Investigator:** Peyton J Thompson
- **Activity code:** K08 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $200,869
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-06-23 → 2025-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10055078

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10055078, Characterizing Hepatitis B Transmission in Congolese Children (1K08AI148607-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10055078. Licensed CC0.

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