Center for International Health Research

Interdisciplinary Research for Global Public Health

To address the many urgent global health challenges, the Center for International Health Research (CIHR) at Rhode Island Hospital was founded in 2005, under the aegis of the departments of pathology and pediatrics.

The CIHR embraces interdisciplinary approaches by linking basic lab science with cutting edge population-based science to mitigate morbidity and mortality due to pathogens of global significance such as malaria, tuberculosis, schistosomiasis, and other neglected tropical diseases.

The CIHR also mentors the next generation of global health researchers with nine core faculty engaging with post-doctoral scientists, as well as PhD, Masters, medical, and undergraduate students.

Through the center, faculty work to understand the mechanisms that cause tropical infectious diseases, with a focus on malaria, schistosomiasis, and TB to harness this knowledge to design improved treatments and vaccines.

“We want to know how these parasites cause disease in the host, when it’s most effective to treat, and how to prioritize the limited health care resources in these developing countries,” says Jonathan Kurtis, MD, PhD, Director of Laboratories at CIHR,. “Ultimately, what drives us is to make something deliverable: a pill, a vaccine, a tool that could protect millions of people from infection and disease.”

Other center faculty conduct research addressing the intolerable burden of sickle cell disease globally with Patrick McGann, MD, leading efforts to employ better screening and diagnostic tools as well as optimal treatment for individuals living with sickle cell disease globally.