$400,000 will fuel public-private collaboration to discover new disease biomarkers

 

A new project co-led by Thomas Durcan, PhD, Director of The Neuro's Early Drug Discovery Unit, and overseen by Mathilde Chaineau, PhD, the EDDU’s program manager, will receive $400,000 in support from Génome Québec. In partnership with Nardin Nakhla and Armstrong Murira from the Montreal-based company Simmunome, Durcan and Chaineau will develop a computational model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) on which to test for new biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

$400,000 will fuel public-private collaboration to discover new disease biomarkers

 

A new project co-led by Thomas Durcan, PhD, Director of The Neuro's Early Drug Discovery Unit, and overseen by Mathilde Chaineau, PhD, the EDDU’s program manager, will receive $400,000 in support from Génome Québec. In partnership with Nardin Nakhla and Armstrong Murira from the Montreal-based company Simmunome, Durcan and Chaineau will develop a computational model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) on which to test for new biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

$400,000 will fuel public-private collaboration to discover new disease biomarkers

 

A new project co-led by Thomas Durcan, PhD, Director of The Neuro's Early Drug Discovery Unit, and overseen by Mathilde Chaineau, PhD, the EDDU’s program manager, will receive $400,000 in support from Génome Québec. In partnership with Nardin Nakhla and Armstrong Murira from the Montreal-based company Simmunome, Durcan and Chaineau will develop a computational model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) on which to test for new biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

$400,000 will fuel public-private collaboration to discover new disease biomarkers

 

A new project co-led by Thomas Durcan, PhD, Director of The Neuro's Early Drug Discovery Unit, and overseen by Mathilde Chaineau, PhD, the EDDU’s program manager, will receive $400,000 in support from Génome Québec. In partnership with Nardin Nakhla and Armstrong Murira from the Montreal-based company Simmunome, Durcan and Chaineau will develop a computational model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) on which to test for new biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

$400,000 will fuel public-private collaboration to discover new disease biomarkers

 

A new project co-led by Thomas Durcan, PhD, Director of The Neuro's Early Drug Discovery Unit, and overseen by Mathilde Chaineau, PhD, the EDDU’s program manager, will receive $400,000 in support from Génome Québec. In partnership with Nardin Nakhla and Armstrong Murira from the Montreal-based company Simmunome, Durcan and Chaineau will develop a computational model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) on which to test for new biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

$400,000 will fuel public-private collaboration to discover new disease biomarkers

 

A new project co-led by Thomas Durcan, PhD, Director of The Neuro's Early Drug Discovery Unit, and overseen by Mathilde Chaineau, PhD, the EDDU’s program manager, will receive $400,000 in support from Génome Québec. In partnership with Nardin Nakhla and Armstrong Murira from the Montreal-based company Simmunome, Durcan and Chaineau will develop a computational model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) on which to test for new biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

$400,000 will fuel public-private collaboration to discover new disease biomarkers

 

A new project co-led by Thomas Durcan, PhD, Director of The Neuro's Early Drug Discovery Unit, and overseen by Mathilde Chaineau, PhD, the EDDU’s program manager, will receive $400,000 in support from Génome Québec. In partnership with Nardin Nakhla and Armstrong Murira from the Montreal-based company Simmunome, Durcan and Chaineau will develop a computational model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) on which to test for new biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

$400,000 will fuel public-private collaboration to discover new disease biomarkers

 

A new project co-led by Thomas Durcan, PhD, Director of The Neuro's Early Drug Discovery Unit, and overseen by Mathilde Chaineau, PhD, the EDDU’s program manager, will receive $400,000 in support from Génome Québec. In partnership with Nardin Nakhla and Armstrong Murira from the Montreal-based company Simmunome, Durcan and Chaineau will develop a computational model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) on which to test for new biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

$400,000 will fuel public-private collaboration to discover new disease biomarkers

 

A new project co-led by Thomas Durcan, PhD, Director of The Neuro's Early Drug Discovery Unit, and overseen by Mathilde Chaineau, PhD, the EDDU’s program manager, will receive $400,000 in support from Génome Québec. In partnership with Nardin Nakhla and Armstrong Murira from the Montreal-based company Simmunome, Durcan and Chaineau will develop a computational model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) on which to test for new biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

$400,000 will fuel public-private collaboration to discover new disease biomarkers

 

A new project co-led by Thomas Durcan, PhD, Director of The Neuro's Early Drug Discovery Unit, and overseen by Mathilde Chaineau, PhD, the EDDU’s program manager, will receive $400,000 in support from Génome Québec. In partnership with Nardin Nakhla and Armstrong Murira from the Montreal-based company Simmunome, Durcan and Chaineau will develop a computational model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) on which to test for new biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

$400,000 will fuel public-private collaboration to discover new disease biomarkers

 

A new project co-led by Thomas Durcan, PhD, Director of The Neuro's Early Drug Discovery Unit, and overseen by Mathilde Chaineau, PhD, the EDDU’s program manager, will receive $400,000 in support from Génome Québec. In partnership with Nardin Nakhla and Armstrong Murira from the Montreal-based company Simmunome, Durcan and Chaineau will develop a computational model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) on which to test for new biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

$400,000 will fuel public-private collaboration to discover new disease biomarkers

 

A new project co-led by Thomas Durcan, PhD, Director of The Neuro's Early Drug Discovery Unit, and overseen by Mathilde Chaineau, PhD, the EDDU’s program manager, will receive $400,000 in support from Génome Québec. In partnership with Nardin Nakhla and Armstrong Murira from the Montreal-based company Simmunome, Durcan and Chaineau will develop a computational model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) on which to test for new biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

$400,000 will fuel public-private collaboration to discover new disease biomarkers

 

A new project co-led by Thomas Durcan, PhD, Director of The Neuro's Early Drug Discovery Unit, and overseen by Mathilde Chaineau, PhD, the EDDU’s program manager, will receive $400,000 in support from Génome Québec. In partnership with Nardin Nakhla and Armstrong Murira from the Montreal-based company Simmunome, Durcan and Chaineau will develop a computational model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) on which to test for new biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

$400,000 will fuel public-private collaboration to discover new disease biomarkers

 

A new project co-led by Thomas Durcan, PhD, Director of The Neuro's Early Drug Discovery Unit, and overseen by Mathilde Chaineau, PhD, the EDDU’s program manager, will receive $400,000 in support from Génome Québec. In partnership with Nardin Nakhla and Armstrong Murira from the Montreal-based company Simmunome, Durcan and Chaineau will develop a computational model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) on which to test for new biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

96 Global Health NOW: Cholera Deepens Ethiopia's Health Crisis; India’s Off Its Elimination Target; and The Rise of New Nicotine View this email in your browser March 17, 2025 Forward Share Post Two women carry a patient at the emergency ward of the Suhul General Hospital. Shire, Ethiopia, October 11, 2024. Michele Spatari/AFP via Getty Cholera Deepens Ethiopia's Health Crisis 
A swiftly-spreading cholera outbreak poses a new threat to Ethiopia, which is already coping with a broken health system in its war-scarred northern Tigray region, reports Al Jazeera. 

Cholera outbreak: ~31 people have died from a cholera outbreak that has sickened 1,500+ people over the past month, per Médecins Sans Frontières.

• The scope of the outbreak is widening as more people arrive in Ethiopia after fleeing violence in neighboring South Sudan. 

Cut aid: Meanwhile, over 1 million people in the Tigray region face hunger and mounting health threats as USAID-funded programs are frozen and dismantled, reports the AP. 

• Food deliveries have been halted to a camp of 20,000+ people in Tigray. While USAID waivers to continue distributing U.S. grain have been granted, the payments system is still nonfunctional. 


• Also halted: HIV medication programs, vaccination efforts, and care for women who were raped during the civil war. 

The Quote: “We will just die in silence,” said Haile Tsege, a 76-year-old displaced man. 

Another “alarming” outbreak: In the DRC, a “catastrophic deterioration of health services” amid conflict is contributing to a cholera outbreak in North and South Kivu, where cases have increased by ~40% since last week, warns the IRC (news release). 

Related: Namibia's cholera-free decade ends with one confirmed case – Reuters GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners   Tanzania declared its Marburg virus outbreak over late last week after 42 days with no new cases since the death of the last confirmed case; the outbreak—the country’s second known brush with the virus—led to two confirmed and eight probable cases (all deceased). WHO Regional Office for Africa (news release)
 
Saudi Arabia has reported four MERS infections, including two deaths, over the past few months from the Hail, Riyadh, and Eastern provinces; all four of the infected men had underlying medical conditions, and only one had indirect contact with dromedary camels and their raw (unpasteurized) milk. CIDRAP

An oral antiviral successfully protected monkeys from Ebola infections, per a new study published in Science Advances; researchers determined the drug, Obeldesivir, protected 100% of rhesus macaques exposed to a highly potent variant of Ebola. The Independent

A rise of laughing gas usage and injuries in the U.S. has led the FDA to issue a warning about nitrous oxide—which is being sold in colorful packaging and fruity flavors; inhaling the gas can cause dangerously low blood pressure, leading to loss of consciousness and injuries. AP Cuts to Health & Science ____________________________________________________________ Fear spreads that NIH will terminate grants involving South Africa – Science

Young scientists see career pathways vanish as schools adapt to federal funding cuts – AP

In wake of federal funding cuts, Johns Hopkins scales back USAID-supported work around the globe – The Hub

‘My career is over’: Columbia University scientists hit hard by Trump team’s cuts – Nature

Can NIH overturn a court order blocking it from slashing overhead payments? Unlikely, one expert says – Science

‘Fund research not Tesla trucks’: The HIV casualties of Trump’s war on science – Bhekisisa

Her research grant mentioned ‘hesitancy.’ Now her funding is gone – The Washington Post (gift article) TUBERCULOSIS India’s Off Its Elimination Target 
In 2018, India’s leaders vowed to eliminate TB by 2025. But the goal remains out of reach due to a confluence of factors, including: 

Spending: While spending on TB care and prevention has increased, the government allocated only two-thirds of the money needed, as per its own National Strategic Plan, for ending TB, data show. 

Shortages: Providers frequently run out of critical medications, especially for drug-resistant TB. There were several instances of nationwide shortages in 2024, advocates say. 

• The nation’s TB program is also coping with manpower and infrastructure shortages. 

Deficient diagnostics: The government has spent well below its budget on testing.

Catastrophic expense: 45%+ of patient families suffer “catastrophic expenses” while seeking care for TB in India, per a 2024 paper.

IndiaSpend

Related: The World’s Deadliest Infectious Disease Is About to Get Worse – The Atlantic GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES TOBACCO The Rise of New Nicotine
White snus—pure nicotine mixed with filling agents, wrapped into cellulose pouches—was originally designed to help Swedish women quit smoking.

But marketed in the U.S. under brand names like Zyn, it’s found a foothold with men, thanks to “manosphere” champions like Joe Rogan. And business is booming.

• Zyn’s producer, Swedish Match, says ~70% of canisters in the U.S. are purchased by men. 


• In the first quarter of 2024, Philip Morris International shipped 131.6 million Zyn canisters to the U.S.—an 80% increase from the same period in 2023. 

Cigarette alternatives like Zyn present an opportunity for Big Tobacco to expand their business in the “new nicotine” market. And, despite nicotine’s negative health effects, addiction researchers are acknowledging the importance of smokeless tobacco products in the fight against cigarettes.  

The New Yorker

Related: What We Know (and Don’t) About Nicotine Pouches – Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Accounts of child survivors shed light on surge of rape and sexual violence in conflict-torn DRC – CNN

Measles remains a danger to health even years after an infection – NPR Shots

Keeping With Kennedy’s Advice, Measles Patients Turn to Unproven Treatments – The New York Times (gift article)

Africa's defining moment: the time to lead the HIV response is now – The Lancet Global Health (commentary)

All creatures great and culled: inside the global bird flu poultry slaughter – The Telegraph

KFF Poll Finds Most Republicans Do Not Trust CDC on Bird Flu – KFF Health News

As AI nurses reshape hospital care, human nurses are pushing back – AP

The Unequal Impacts of Abortion Bans – Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Giving blood linked to lower risk of pre-cancer gene – BBC Issue No. 2692
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The rapid spread of the highly infectious avian flu virus H5N1 has reached an “unprecedented” scale, wiping out hundreds of millions of birds worldwide and increasingly spilling over into mammals, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned on Monday.

The Security Council on Monday extended the mandate of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) for another year, as UN agencies reported sharp declines in resources for lifesaving aid.

Five clinicians and scientists at The Neuro have been awarded King Charles III Coronation Medals in recognition of their contributions to our understanding of neurological disease. The Coronation Medal commemorates the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III as King of Canada. The medal is administered by the Chancellery of Honours at Rideau Hall.

 

Five clinicians and scientists at The Neuro have been awarded King Charles III Coronation Medals in recognition of their contributions to our understanding of neurological disease. The Coronation Medal commemorates the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III as King of Canada. The medal is administered by the Chancellery of Honours at Rideau Hall.

 

Five clinicians and scientists at The Neuro have been awarded King Charles III Coronation Medals in recognition of their contributions to our understanding of neurological disease. The Coronation Medal commemorates the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III as King of Canada. The medal is administered by the Chancellery of Honours at Rideau Hall.