The Mindie H. Nguyen, MD Travel Awards Program
The Asian Health Foundation (AHF) is pleased to announce the establishment of the inaugural Professors Ramsey Cheung MD and Gabriel Garcia MD Travel Award for Africa (Travel Awards) under the Mindie H. Nguyen, MD Travel Awards Program. Funding for the inaugural Travel Awards was generously provided by a directed contribution by AHF Board Member, Mindie H. Nguyen, MD, in honor of Professors Ramsey Cheung and Gabriel Garcia for their life-long commitment and contribution to diversity, medical education and mentoring of generations of GI and hepatology trainees, including Dr. Nguyen.
The goal of the Mindie H. Nguyen Travel Awards Program is to encourage clinical hepatology research in viral hepatitis, fatty liver disease, or hepatocellular carcinoma by early career investigators in the Africa, Central or South America, Southeast Asia, and Western Pacific regions. These awards provide recipients travel support to defray costs associated with attending educational meetings to present their outstanding research to a national or international audience.
The Gastroenterology and Hepatology Association of sub-Saharan Africa (GHASSA) received the inaugural Travel Award to support attendance at the African Viral Hepatitis Conference in Cape Town from May 16-18, 2024.
Nondomiso Mpanza
Mr. Keveshan Bhagwandin and
Dr. Chris Kassianides
Dr. Motswedi Anderson with
Dr. Chris Kassianides, Chairperson of Gastro Foundation of Sub-Saharan Africa
Dr. Bonolo Phineas at the AVHC
AHF Travel Award Recipients Attend African Viral Hepatitis Conference in Cape Town, S. Africa.
The Asian Health Foundation is excited to share that the Gastroenterology and Hepatology Association of sub-Saharan Africa (GHASSA) was the recipient of the inaugural Mindie H. Nguyen, MD Travel Awards Program, which was established in honor of Professors Ramsey Cheung and Gabriel Garcia for their life-long commitment and contribution to diversity, medical education and mentoring of generations of GI and hepatology trainees, including Dr. Nguyen.
The awards provided travel support to defray costs associated with attending educational meetings to present their research to a national or international audience. On May 16-18, GHASSA selected six recipients to received Travel Award support to present their abstracts at the African Viral Hepatitis Conference in Cape Town, South Africa.
Best abstract winners:
Lab Oral: Dr Aurelie Deroubaix
Title: Effect of HBeAg and its precursors, with or without G1862T mutation, on cancer pathways in transfected HuH-7 cells Allocation.
Clinical Oral: Dr Motswedi Anderson
Title: High endemicity of hepatitis B virus and low vaccine-mediated immunity in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa Allocation.
Meritorius work: Dr Bonolo Phineas
Hepatitis B Virus prevalence among people without HIV in rural and peri-urban areas in Botswana.
Advocacy Oral: Mrs Vanessa Hechter
Title: Point of care technology as agent for improved hepatitis B and C service uptake in people who inject drugs, South Africa Allocation.
Best Poster: Mr Keveshan Bhagwandin
Title: Exploring the Epidemiological Surveillance of Hepatitis A in South Africa: A 2023
Perspective Allocation.
Meritorius work: Ms Nondumiso Mpanza
Community Engagement to develop HBV care pathways in a rural South African population to inform interventions for diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.