As part of the UCSF Resource Allocation Program (RAP), the Institute for Global Health Sciences co-funded four global health research projects for the Fall 2025 application cycle.
You can learn more about the awardees and their global health research below.
Awardees
Kimberly Badal, PhD
Assistant Adjunct Professor of Surgery, Dept. of Surgical Oncology, UCSF; Community Engagement Liaison, Breast Oncology Program, Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
Can the Caribbean Cancer Patient Navigation Training Program be Adapted to Vietnam?
Cancer patient navigation (CPN) has emerged as an effective strategy to reduce barriers to timely diagnosis and treatment, particularly in limited-resource settings where fragmented health systems and financial hardship often contribute to poor outcomes. While most CPN training programs have been developed in high-income countries, few have been adapted for limited-resource settings (LRSs), and none currently exist in Vietnam. The Caribbean Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), led by PI Badal, developed the “Navigator” CPN training program in 2016, designed for the Caribbean setting. This project will adapt and deliver the “Navigator” CPN training to Vietnam and evaluate feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy. It will lay the groundwork for future studies testing the effectiveness of a CPN program at Vietnam National Cancer Hospital. Ultimately, this work will contribute to establishing the “Navigator” program as a sustainable model that can be scaled across LRSs globally.
Badal’s project is co-funded by IGHS and the HDFCCC Global Cancer Program (GCP).
Joshi Hemant, PhD
Post Doctoral Scholar
Unlocking the Potential of Novel Streptogramins for Tuberculosis Treatment: in vivo efficacy and mechanistic structural investigations
TB remains the world’s deadliest infectious disease, with rising antimicrobial resistance limiting treatment options. Although regimens such as BPaLM are promising for drug-resistant TB, linezolid-associated toxicities frequently require dose reduction or discontinuation. This pilot project aims to develop streptogramin antibiotics as a novel alternative, building on preliminary data showing that two combinations have potent activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and are orally effective in a stringent murine TB model. We will evaluate their therapeutic efficacy in combination therapy in mice and define the molecular basis of activity and resistance through high-resolution structures of drug–ribosome complexes. This investigation – the first evaluation of streptogramins against TB – will provide crucial preclinical evidence for their potential as TB therapeutics while establishing a framework for structure-based optimization of next-generation streptogramins. The insights gained will also inform the design of next-generation ribosome-targeting antibiotics, ultimately contributing to global efforts to combat TB and antibiotic resistance.
Hemant’s project is co-funded by IGHS and the UCSF Center for Tuberculosis.
Mollie Hudson, PhD, RN, NP
Pulmonary nurse practitioner and adjunct assistant professor at UCSF
Cost and cost-effectiveness of the Bolsa Familia Program for reducing tuberculosis incidence and mortality
Tuberculosis (TB) is the leading cause of infectious disease deaths worldwide. TB-affected individuals are often trapped in a vicious cycle of poverty; impoverished individuals often have risk factors that make them susceptible to TB, and becoming ill with TB often precipitates devastating economic consequences. Social protection can decrease TB incidence, improve TB treatment outcomes, and improve socioeconomic outcomes. However, no studies have examined the cost-effectiveness of government implemented social protection interventions for people with TB. Using cost and TB outcome data obtained by literature review, we propose to 1) estimate the societal costs associated with implementation of the Brazilian Bolsa Familia Program for TB affected individuals and households (Aim 1), and 2) To estimate the cost-effectiveness of conditional cash transfer provided by Bolsa Familia for reducing TB incidence and mortality (Aim 2). We hypothesize that at 30%-70% implementation, Bolsa Familia will be cost-effective for a) reducing TB incidence in the population eligible to receive Bolsa Familia, and b) reducing TB mortality when considering the costs of implementing Bolsa Familia for only TB-affected individuals. The results of this research will inform the design and piloting of studies to optimize the implementation of social protection interventions in other settings, such as Sub-Saharan Africa.
Hudson’s project is co-funded by IGHS and the UCSF Center for Tuberculosis.
Anya Platt, MD
Clinical Fellow, Pediatrics
Evaluating Outcomes in Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia Patients Undergoing Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation by Donor Type
Juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML) is an aggressive pediatric malignancy for which hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) is the only curative option, yet cure rates with HLA-matched donors remain around 50%, among the lowest in pediatric leukemias. Haploidentical HSCT offers attractive prospects: first, it expands donor availability by rendering parents and siblings viable donors. Second, disparate HLA profiles may confer a stronger graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) effect without increasing the risk of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). While the theoretical risks and benefits of haploidentical HSCT are well-understood, however, there is insufficient data comparing this approach in JMML to the standard of care to determine its relative efficacy.
This study aims to establish the first comprehensive JMML transplant database by collecting demographic, clinical, treatment, and complication data from centers in the U.S. and abroad over the past decade, comparing overall and event-free survival between matched and haploidentical cohorts, and assessing GVHD, relapse, and transplant-related mortality. This study will provide contemporary evidence on the safety, feasibility, and efficacy of all donor types to inform curative treatment decisions for patients with JMML.
Platt’s project is co-funded by IGHS and the HDFCCC Global Cancer Program (GCP).
Banner photo: (top, left-to-right) Kimberly Badal, PhD and Joshi Hemant, PhD. (bottom, left-to-right) Mollie Hudson, PhD, RN, NP and Anya Platt, MD.