By Susannah Goodman, M.A.
As we mark the 37th anniversary of World AIDS Day, the NIAID Office of Research Training & Development is recognizing the 2024 NIH Intramural AIDS Research Fellowship (IARF) NIAID awardees: Sandra Mon, M.S.P.H., Mamta Singh, Ph.D., and Kenneth Ssebambulidde, MBChB, M.Sc. Designed to promote cross-disciplinary HIV and AIDS research at NIH, this competitive fellowship recruits predoctoral and postdoctoral researchers from diverse scientific backgrounds in the NIH Intramural Research Program to tackle the complex challenges posed by HIV and AIDS.
This year’s IARF cohort is comprised of 10 fellows from four different NIH Institutes, highlighting the interdisciplinary nature of HIV/AIDS research and the broad range of expertise that contributes to the global fight against the virus. Among this group of exceptional researchers in the IARF cohort, this year’s NIAID awardees are engaged in innovative work across a spectrum of research areas, from infectious disease epidemiology and vaccine development to mycology.
Meet the 2024 NIAID IARF Awardees
Sandra Mon, M.S.P.H. – Laboratory of Immunoregulation
Sandra Mon, M.S.P.H., is a graduate student in the NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program. She is completing her Ph.D. research in the Nuffield Department of Medicine at the University of Oxford and in the NIAID Laboratory of Immunoregulation. Ms. Mon is working on a Bayesian modeling study of HIV transmission in Ugandan couples through a dyadic and socioecological lens. By combining population-based epidemiologic data with a Bayesian proportional hazards modeling framework, she seeks to determine the longitudinal dynamics of within- vs. extra-couple HIV transmission in stable couples over three periods of antiretroviral therapy (ART) scale-up: pre-ART, initial ART rollout, and universal test and treat.
When reflecting on her motivations for applying to the IARF, Ms. Mon shared, "I was excited by the aims of the IARF program, which felt inherently structured for ‘chimeric’ researchers like me who enjoy blending elements from different fields to solve a problem.” Overall, the application provided a unique opportunity to highlight her project’s innovations within NIH’s HIV research agenda and to contextualize her work for a wide-ranging HIV research audience.
Mamta Singh, Ph.D. – Laboratory of Immunoregulation
Mamta Singh, Ph.D., a postdoctoral researcher in the Laboratory of Immunoregulation, aims to evaluate mucosal immunization strategies for optimization of mRNA vaccines against HIV-1. Her work’s current findings signify that intramuscular (i.m.) mRNA vaccines generate a strong systemic immune response and a weaker mucosal response, which needs to be improved. Consequently, Dr. Singh asserts that the most efficient platform for translating an HIV vaccine for human use could be a multi-platform vaccine that incorporates mRNA priming and early boosting (i.m.) with poxvirus vectors for final boosting (intra-dermal or intra-rectal).
"I was extremely motivated to apply for the Intramural AIDS Research Fellowship because it was a great opportunity to consolidate and further expand my experience in the field of HIV research,” said Dr. Singh. Ultimately, she aspires to become an independent scientist in the field of HIV-1 vaccine immunology. Dr. Singh believes the IARF award will significantly enhance her career by fostering her independence and supporting her research to attain her scientific goals.
Kenneth Ssebambulidde, MBChB, M.Sc. – Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology
Kenneth Ssebambulidde, MBChB, M.Sc., is a postdoctoral fellow in the Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology. His research focuses on cryptococcal disease progression, tracing its course from asymptomatic cryptococcal antigenemia through neurologic symptomatic cryptococcal antigenemia to overt cryptococcal meningitis. Inspired by the work of previous IARF recipients, Dr. Ssebambulidde devised a project related to HIV-associated cryptococcal disease, an opportunistic infection that can be fatal if left untreated.
"The IARF program will enable my capacity development as far as using single-cell RNA sequencing techniques to study immune responses," said Dr. Ssebambulidde. “This will build my skillset preparing me to transition to an independent investigator.”
Pictured from left to right: Sandra Mon, M.S.P.H., Mamta Singh, Ph.D., and Kenneth Ssebambulidde, MBChB, M.Sc.
NIAID 2024 Intramural AIDS Research Fellows
Sandra Mon, M.S.P.H.
International HIV/STD Section, Laboratory of Immunoregulation, DIR
Mentor: Steven Reynolds, M.D., M.P.H., F.R.C.P. (C)
Project Title: Uncovering HIV Transmission Dynamics among Couples for U=U in Uganda: a Bayesian Phylodynamics Approach
Mamta Singh, Ph.D.
Viral Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Immunoregulation, DIR
Mentor: Paolo Lusso, M.D., Ph.D.
Project Title: Evaluation of Different Mucosal Boosting Strategies for Optimization of mRNA Vaccines Against HIV-1
Kenneth Ssebambulidde, MBChB, M.Sc.
Translation Mycology Section, Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology
Mentor: Peter Williamson, M.D., Ph.D.
Project Title: Using RNA Sequencing to Characterize Differential Gene Expression During Cryptococcal Disease Progression