GRK 1522:  HIV/AIDS and Associated Infectious Diseases in Southern Africa

• Subject Area: Microbiology, Virology and Immunology
• Term: from 2008 to 2013
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 62973901

The principal scientific aims of the International Research Training Group are to translate clinical into basic research on infectious diseases in South Africa, to acquaint German PhD and medical students with conditions of transmissible diseases that are currently only very rarely seen in Germany, and to broaden the fields of basic research undertaken at Würzburg University by introducing a new international level in the spectrum of infectious agents/infectious diseases currently under study.
The background of this International Research Training Group is the understanding that whilst Africa has the highest burden of infectious diseases of all continents, South Africa as the most developed country on the continent has excellent research facilities and an infrastructure that enables the research of this programme to be conducted at the same level with German institutions. Taking advantage of the excellent research conditions at the participating facilities in Cape Town and the experience and broadness of infectious diseases research at Würzburg University, a programme is suggested that will
(1) allow the analysis of clinical samples with methods currently not available in South Africa,
(2) complement ongoing research activities at Würzburg by adding novel scientific aspects,
(3) foster basic research in South Africa in fields, which are of utmost importance and in which expert teams are not currently present in the Western Cape region, and
(4) guide young scientists through an organised postgraduate student education and exchange programme into basic research and into the medically important clinical conditions of infectious diseases in South Africa. In particular, the student exchange programme is central to this proposal.
The research topics are divided into three main areas: In the focus of area I are clinical and basic research on HIV/AIDS and on general mechanisms of virus-induced immunosuppression. AIDS-associated opportunistic infections will be investigated in area II, while area III covers questions on the immunology of infectious diseases.

• DFG Programme: International Research Training Groups
• International Connection: South Africa
• Applicant Institution: Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg
• IRTG-Partner Institution: Universiteit Stellenbosch; University of Cape Town
• Spokesperson: Professor Dr. Axel Rethwilm (†)
• Participating Researchers: Privatdozent Dr. Jochen Bodem; Professor Dr. Klaus Brehm; Professor Dr. Thomas Hünig; Professor Dr. Hartwig Klinker; Privatdozentin Dr. Eleni Koutsilieri; Professor Dr. Manfred Lutz; Professorin Dr. Heidrun Moll; Professor Dr. Joachim Morschhäuser; Professorin Dr. Gabriele Pradel; Professorin Dr. Sibylle Schneider-Schaulies; Professor Dr. Bhanu Sinha
• Cooperation Partners: Professor Dr. Frank Brombacher; Professor Dr. Gordon Brown; Dr. Paul Carey; Professor Dr. Kelly Chibale; Professor Dr. Mark Cotton; Professorin Dr. Susan Engelbrecht; Professor Dr. John Fincham; Professor Dr. Marc Mendelsohn; Dr. Heidi Orth; Dr. Helen van der Plas; Dr. Melanie Revaz-Breton; Dr. Chris Seebregts; Professor Dr. Cathal Seoighe; Dr. Jantjie Taljaard; Professor Dr. Gerhard Walzl, Ph.D.; Professorin Dr. Elizabeth Wassermann
• IRTG-Partner: Spokesperson: Professor Dr. Wolfgang Preiser