Neglected Global Diseases Initiative at UBC

From our Wonderful Prostate Cancer Foundation Canada Executive Director Mark Mahl: "Great planning day with our amazing Board! We also added a great new member Dr. Kishor Wasan ! Thank you for the kind "shout-out" of our NGDI Co-Founder Dr. Wasan prostatecanada.ca
@apccc.bsky.social

Congratulations to NGDI UBC Co-Director Dr. Richard Lester on receiving one of these awards: aihealth.med.ubc.ca/2025/11/25/f...
His project harnesses AI & natural language processing (NLP) to advance equitable healthcare by analyzing real-world patient communication within B.C. and internationally.

Wonderful letter from the Saskatoon Prostate Cancer Support Group. NGDI UBC is honored to support their important activities. Prostate Cancer Awareness and Support is critical. www.pcssaskatoon.ca
@prostatecanceruk.bsky.social @joycevance.bsky.social @ubcmedicine.bsky.social

What will be the first AI-designed drug? These disease-fighting antibodies are top contenders Nature - Just a year after the first AI-designed protein was made, scientists are preparing for clinical trials testing AI-designed antibodies.

Just a year after the first AI-designed protein was made, scientists are preparing for clinical trials testing AI-designed antibodies

go.nature.com/4iGQ77e

The baby whose life was saved by the first personalized CRISPR therapy KJ Muldoon is part of Nature’s 10, a list of people who shaped science in 2025.

KJ Muldoon, at less than a year old, was the first known person to receive a personalised CRISPR-based genome-editing therapy

He is part of Nature’s 10, a list of people who shaped science in 2025

go.nature.com/48GqTl3

To be used with masks as part of a complete strategy. Safer Indoor Air for Kids Mechanically OR Naturally Ventilated? • schools • out of hours care • day-care • youth groups • clubs • anywhere kids get together Mechanically Ventilated Call a mechanical engineer to review the HVAC system. C02 Monitors LOW RELATIVE RISK • Below 800ppm/ MODERATE RELATIVE RISK • 800-1500 ppm • work to improve indoor air quality to low relative risk range HIGH RELATIVE RISK • Above 1500 ppm • moderate risk reading not improving • Leave room until air quality improved, • Increase ventilation bringing outdoor air indoors. • Use HEPA filters with ventilation to assist if occurs repeatedly. • Reduce occupancy or cease activity causing high risk air quality. Naturally Ventilated Open windows and doors where it is safe to do so. Complete the recommended work to increase outdoor air intake. Once the building is in use, monitor the ventilation with CO2 monitors. Work to create a cross breeze of fresh air. On still days may use a child safe fan." Use Portable HEPA filters if ventilation is not enough. Portable HEPA filters • Use filtration to clean the air, do not add anything to the air. • Use the right size and avoid low flow settings. • CADR = clean air delivery rate • Aim for an equivalent of minimum 6 air changes per hour (ACHe) • ACHe X Room volume = CADR needed • Use of more filters may allow for less noise. • HEPA filters will not lower the CO2 reading on the monitor. *Fans, if used, must be ploced to direct indoor air outside & encouroge cross ventilation. Take core not to recirculate, including avoiding the use of split system air-conditioning For more detailed odvice & warnings please see OzAGE document for Safe Indoor Air. While the building is in use monitor the ventilation with CO2 monitors. Use Portable HEPA filters if ventilation is not enough, outdoor air is polluted or bad weather OZSAGE

Got flu problems?

Try this.

🚨 Last chance: apply for BBSRC-funded #PhD studentships at @lshtm.bsky.social

The London Interdisciplinary Biosciences Programme supports projects applying modelling, machine learning, or data science methods to problems in #biosciences & biotechnology

Apply by 10 Dec 🔽
www.lido-dtp.ac.uk

Global Prevalence of Long COVID, Its Subtypes, and Risk Factors: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Quantitative evidence shows a persistent prevalence of long COVID globally, with a significant burden of symptoms that last 1–2 years postinfection, unders

1/
Actually #LongCOVID is globally prevalent after even "mild" COVID -

"Long COVID is globally prevalent after a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection, highlighting a continuing health challenge":

academic.oup.com/ofid/article...

Canadians with Long #COVID identified #virtual healthcare services as essential to their care www.eurekalert.org/news-release...

Long-COVID research just got a big funding boost: will it find new treatments? The German government has committed half a billion euros for research on long COVID and other post-infection syndromes.

The German government has committed half a billion euros for research on long COVID and other post-infection syndromes

go.nature.com/48qFiTA

🚨 NEW: One of the largest COVID-19 vaccine studies ever (28 MILLION people in France) just dropped.

Results?
• 74% lower risk of death from severe COVID-19
• 25% lower risk of all-cause mortality
• No increase in 4-year mortality
#BlueSky #MedSky #IDSky #SciSky #NewsSky #PedsSky #ObSky #NurseSky

A screenshot of a TIME magazine article. The red TIME logo appears at the top. The headline reads: “For the First Time This Century, Child Mortality Is Likely to Rise.” Two topic labels appear under the headline: “HEALTH” and “PUBLIC HEALTH.” At the bottom is a small profile image of journalist Alice Park with the title “Senior Correspondent.” The article is dated Dec 6, 2025, 3:43 AM AET. For the first time in 25 years, child mortality from preventable diseases is projected to rise — reversing decades of progress. This shouldn’t be happening.

For the First Time This Century, Child Mortality Is Likely to Rise.

"For the first time in 25 years, child mortality rates for preventable diseases are projected to increase, after having declined for 25 years."

Source: archive.md/9AqXz

A news card preview from the Daily Mirror featuring a photograph of May Parsons, the NHS nurse who administered the first COVID-19 vaccine outside clinical trials. She is wearing a dark navy nurse uniform with white trim and gold earrings, smiling slightly, standing against a blurred clinical background. Below the image, the headline reads: “NHS nurse who delivered world’s first Covid-19 vaccine warns ‘we’re getting complacent’” The article is credited to Martin Bagot and marked as posted 43 minutes ago.

UK: NHS nurse May Parsons, who gave the world’s first COVID shot 5 years ago, is urging people not to forget how life saving vaccines are. With uptake for COVID and flu falling and the UK facing a severe flu season, she warns too many regret declining vaccines when it’s too late.

archive.md/DUM3H

Scientists find hidden layers in brain’s memory center Scientists uncovered a surprising four-layer structure hidden inside the hippocampal CA1 region, one of the brain’s major centers for memory, navigation, and emotion. Using advanced RNA imaging techni...

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/202...

Wonderful letter from the Saskatoon Prostate Cancer Support Group. NGDI UBC is honored to support their important activities. Prostate Cancer Awareness and Support is critical. www.pcssaskatoon.ca
@prostatecanceruk.bsky.social @joycevance.bsky.social @ubcmedicine.bsky.social

Wonderful letter from the Saskatoon Prostate Cancer Support Group. NGDI UBC is honored to support their important activities. Prostate Cancer Awareness and Support is critical. www.pcssaskatoon.ca
@prostatecanceruk.bsky.social @joycevance.bsky.social @ubcmedicine.bsky.social

Wonderful letter from the Saskatoon Prostate Cancer Support Group. NGDI UBC is honored to support their important activities. Prostate Cancer Awareness and Support is critical. www.pcssaskatoon.ca
@prostatecanceruk.bsky.social @joycevance.bsky.social @ubcmedicine.bsky.social

It was a honor tonight to present this sponsorship on behalf of NGDI UBC to the Saskatoon Prostate Cancer Support Group lead by Murray Hill. @prostatecanceruk.bsky.social @ubcmedicine.bsky.social @ipcr.bsky.social @joycewhitevance.bsky.social @prostatecancer00.bsky.social

Thank you UT MD Anderson Cancer Center for highlighting our Co-Founder. @mdanderson.bsky.social @prostatecanceruk.bsky.social @ubcmedicine.bsky.social

What a week it's been here in Toronto at #TropMed25! We would like to extend our thanks to @ngdiubc.bsky.social for sharing this learning and networking experience with early career health professionals, many of whom are contributing towards the prevention & treatment of NTDs. @astmh.bsky.social

NGDI UBC Congratulates our Co-Founder Dr. Kishor Wasan for being elected as a Director of the Board & Chair, Scientific Board of Prostate Cancer Foundation Canada: prostatecanada.ca/about-us/our...
@prostatecanceruk.bsky.social @joycewhitevance.bsky.social @news.ubc.ca

📍 MPP Booth #50 | ⏰ 12–1 PM
Session: “The Last Mile: Innovation After Funding Cuts” with Michael Mhando & Victor Adula (@avac.org).
Discussing access to medicines, health services for vulnerable populations & post-funding innovations.
👉 lnkd.in/e7DTMEYc
@sebmoringva.bsky.social

Graphic showing rows of coin icons. The top rows in yellow represent the US$ 9.3 billion needed by 2025, while the lower rows in grey represent the US$ 3.9 billion actually invested. Text at the top reads: “Malaria funding fell far short in 2024.”

Financial cuts to #EndMalaria are disrupting health systems, weakening surveillance, and delaying malaria interventions.

Sustained and predictable funding, including a fully replenished Global Fund is crucial to getting us back on track and maintaining our progress.

Learn more 🔗bit.ly/4pETX34

Single-dose dengue vaccine ‘will help Amazon communities’ A world-first single-dose vaccine against dengue virus, manufactured and approved for use in Brazil, will benefit hard-to-reach populations.

A world-first single-dose vaccine against dengue virus, manufactured and approved for use in Brazil, will benefit hard-to-reach populations that can now be fully vaccinated in one community health visit. Here’s what you need to know: bit.ly/48Qd0lk Via SciDev.Net

#VaccinesWork
🧪

China wants to lead the world on AI regulation — will the plan work? Nature - Having placed artificial intelligence at the centre of its own economic strategy, China is driving efforts to create an international system to govern the technology’s use.

Having placed artificial intelligence at the centre of its own economic strategy, China is driving efforts to create an international system to govern the technology’s use

go.nature.com/44OJp9u

IFoRE '25—Global Health Access and Equity-Essential Medicines for Neglected Tropical Diseases
www.youtube.com/watch?v=618C...
@medicinespatentpool.org @lshtm.bsky.social @uaemcy.bsky.social @cagh-acsm.bsky.social @msfaccess.org @news.ubc.ca @petersinger.bsky.social

FG Tasks States On Sustainable Funding, Coordination To End NTDs By 2030 The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to eliminate Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) in Nigeria by 2030, urging state governments to prioritize sustainable domestic financing and effec...

The Federal Government in Nigeria is challenging states to prioritize sustainable funding & coordination to eliminate #NTDs by 2030. Progress is possible when governments take the lead! Read more: https://bit.ly/49yz452 #BeatNTDs

Lookin at a pragmatic path from research to practice in treating PSAC for schistosomiasis, today's @isntd.org Connect unpacks findings from a landmark trial in Uganda comparing PZQ dosing regimens, and discuss the urgent need & practical steps to include this age group in treatment strategies.

One day left to sign up for our annual event ISNTD D3V taking a closer look at work in #drugdiscovery and #vaccines for neglected & tropical diseases from colleagues around the world!
👉Dec 3 | 11.00-16.00 UTC
👉https://isntd.org/isntd-d3
#NTDs #globalhealth #therapeutics