# Building the Next Generation of Researchers in TB/HIV Diagnostics in Mali (B-NextGen)

> **NIH NIH D43** · NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $307,993

## Abstract

The overarching goal of this five year research training program, “Building the Next Generation of
Researchers in HIV/TB Diagnostics in Mali” (B-NextGen), is to strengthen the scientific capacity at the
Université des Sciences, Téchniques et des Téchnologies de Bamako (USTTB; University of Bamako) to
conduct HIV research on the evolving HIV epidemic in Mali. B-NextGen will address four NIH high priority HIV
research topics, including: 1) Reducing HIV incidence by improving screening and detection,
treatment monitoring assays, and HIV drug resistance assays; 2) Diagnosing HIV-associated TB and non-
tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM); 3) Reducing health disparities by developing testing technology that can
function in underserved community settings; and 4) Training the LMIC workforce to conduct high
priority HIV/AIDS research. Mali is a low-income country in Sub-Saharan West Africa where the incidence of
mycobacterial infections, primarily tuberculosis (TB), remains high driven in a large part by the persistence of
the HIV epidemic with TB being the main cause of dealth in HIV-infected adults and children. The World Health
Organization (WHO) guidelines for managing HIV recommend rapid initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART)
and enhanced screening and diagnosis of TB, yet detection rates for HIV and TB, particularly in children,
remain low in Mali as the current diagnostic and treatment monitoring tools are not adapted to the low- and
middle-income (LMIC) environment. Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Stellenbosch
University, have been successfully collaborating with USTTB for over a decade on several major projects
focused on HIV and mycobacterial diseases including the predecessor to this renewal proposal “HIV and
Mycobacterial Disease in Mali” (R Murphy, S Diallo, MPIs), which has been highly productive providing three
“sandwich” PhD and ten MS degrees; > 200 short-term university diplomas; 25 peer-reviewed publications;
and four major NIH grant awards. We will train the same number of researchers in this renewal proposal while
we leverage this success to focus on outcome indicators of high public health importance. Our aims are: 1)
Create a Department of Biomedical Engineering at the Mali National School of Engineering and establish a
Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering focused on the development of devices and assays critical for the
diagnosis and/or monitoring of HIV and mycobacterial diseases; 2) Develop an interdisciplinary core of
research scientists from virology, applied molecular biology, immunology and microbiology to enhance the
capacity to diagnose, treat, and monitor HIV and mycobacterial diseases; 3) Train clinical researchers and
basic scientists in research methodology, validation and implementation applied principles, and career
development activities essential for developing independent faculty; and 4) Develop the next generation of
academic leaders in diagnostics, virology and mycobacteriology. Throu...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10244715
- **Project number:** 2D43TW010350-06
- **Recipient organization:** NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Almoustapha Issiaka MAIGA
- **Activity code:** D43 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $307,993
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2016-04-09 → 2026-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10244715

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10244715, Building the Next Generation of Researchers in TB/HIV Diagnostics in Mali (B-NextGen) (2D43TW010350-06). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10244715. Licensed CC0.

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