Member - Board
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Dr. Blattner is involved in developing Nigeria's capacity to implement the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief in the country by supporting laboratory and clinical capacity building, training of providers and developing implementation structure to ensure that antiretroviral therapy is administered well to avoid the development of drug resistance.

Also as scientific leader in the Division of Epidemiology and Prevention of the Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland, Baltimore MD, Dr. Blattner is directly involved in the research activities of the Division's scientists and their science, in mentoring their career development as independent academic investigators, and in building structures to support their research. Division scientists engage in research involving four areas: Operations and Implementation Research; Clinical Epidemiology; Cancer Epidemiology; and Pathogenesis Research. In most cases, these research projects take advantage of the substantial clinical and laboratory infrastructure built through a $240 million PEPFAR investment in IHVN.

Over the years, his career Dr. Blattner has integrated laboratory science into his epidemiological research and this continues to be a major focus, abetted by Dr. Jean Carr's molecular epidemiology expertise and collaborative interactions with the Institute and some scientists outside IHV.

A graduate of Washington University School of Medicine, Dr. Blattner – an internationally renowned expert on AIDS and the viral epidemiology of cancer – is a Professor of Medicine; and Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine. He is also co-founder and Associate Director of the Institute of Human Virology based in Baltimore, USA.

Chief Technical Advisor, Clinical Laboratory Services

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Dr. Alash'le Abimiku is Chief Technical Advisor, Clinical Laboratory Services for the IHVN. An accomplished virologist credited with pioneering early HIV research in Nigeria and laying the groundwork for the establishment of IHVN, Dr. Abimiku is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Epidemiology and Prevention of the Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, USA. She was profiled in Science (2004; 304:1288) as a scientist with "a foot in each country" that has successfully acted as a lynchpin between her home country and the developed world.

Educated at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in Nigeria, and the London School Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Dr. Abimiku aims to epidemiologically characterize viruses from selected target study populations and HIV disease models in Nigeria to understand the pathogenesis of HIV and for HIV prevention programs including HIV vaccine research.

Building on her postdoctoral training in Dr. Robert Gallo's laboratory at the National Institutes of Health when she isolated and characterized non B subtype G HIV-1 isolates in Nigeria for the first time, she was instrumental in the establishment of a state-of-the-art two-storey research facility named the Plateau State Human Virology Research Center (PLASVIREC), also fondly called the "The Robert Gallo House" in Jos, Nigeria which has spring boarded many HIV research, training and capacity building activities funded by the Harvard's Bill and Melinda Gates AIDS Prevention Initiative for Nigeria (APIN), World AIDS Foundation, the US Department of Defense, CDC-UTAP, and PEPFAR where she has acted as Principal Investigator (PI) or co-PI.

As co-Chair of the African AIDS Vaccine Program, Dr. Abimiku is strategically placed to promote HIV vaccine research in Nigeria.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
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Dr. Patrick Dakum is the Chief Executive Officer of the Institute of Human Virology, Nigeria. He coordinates the interdisciplinary responsibilities of the Institute for effective program output in addition to providing overall management of the Nigerian team in implementing the AIDS Care and Treatment in Nigeria (ACTION) Project.

He also liaises with other US Government partners and the Government of Nigeria partners to ensure the success of the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) ACTION Project in the country. He is also an Assistant Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine in the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore. Through the Fogarty-sponsored UM-IHV AITRP research training grant, Dr. Dakum is brokering a research training agenda to build capacity of IHVN and several academic and research partners linked through the PEPFAR program.

Former Information and later Health Commissioner in the Government of Plateau State of Nigeria, Dr. Dakum trained as a medical doctor at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in Nigeria and Lagos University Teaching Hospital where he earned a Masters Degree in Public Health. His public health career has spanned through the telecommunication industry (NITEL), multilateral agencies (UNFPA), bilateral agencies implementing partners (AVSC, CEDPA, CIDA) and local NGOs (Help International).

Dr. Dakum, who was also a UNFPA local consultant to the French Embassy and Canadian CIDA on health sector bilateral assistance, loves to play table tennis and is a biblical scholar.

Chief Operating Officer (COO)

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The Chief Operating Officer (COO), is Charles Olalekan Mensah. He is responsible for the effective and efficient operations of the Institute including administration, finance, and logistics to support treatment, care and support activities for thousands of people living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria.

Mr. Mensah serves as the link between the Institute (as a business affiliate of the University of Maryland, Baltimore) and the University. In this position, he is responsible for developing short-term and medium-term strategic plans; management of resources; operating budgets and cash flow projections; compliance with all relevant policies and procedures and managing the human resource needs in support of all the University's programs in Nigeria.

Charles Mensah is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria and member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. He trained at the Federal Polytechnic, Ado Ekiti, Nigeria and the University of Baltimore, where he earned a Master of Business Administration degree in 2001. He is presently working for his doctorate degree in Public Administration at the University of Baltimore. He loves to play soccer, badminton, table tennis and lawn tennis.

Director, Office of Clinical and Community Programs

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Overseeing the Institute of Human Virology, Nigeria's implementation of an integrated medical and community care program based on best practice and evidence, is Dr.Gabou Mendy. As Director, office of Clinical and Community Programs, he provides the structures that support high quality care and ethical research to sustain program improvement and faculty development in the course of IHVN effort to migrate HIV,TB, Malaria and Cancer in Nigeria.

Dr. Mendy has over 25 years experience in providing community-based primary medical care to urban populations through specialty areas of HIV Medicine, Community Medicine, General Preventive Medicine and Emergency Medicine. He also has extensive leadership capacity in program implementation, clinical oversight and administrative operations related to HIV care, health education and technical assistance.

He was educated at King College, Bristol in Tennessee; University of Virginia, School of Medicine, Charlottes-ville in Virginia; Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans in Louisiana; and the University of California Los Angles, where he earned Bachelor of Science degree in Biology with minor in Chemistry, Doctor of Medicine degree and Master of Public Health degree.

Dr. Mendy whose hobbies include traveling, photography, ethnomusicology and mass communication, is the founder and Medical Director, Healing Health-care Inc. (New Orleans, Louisiana and The Gambia) and the immediate past Country Medical Director and Senior Technical Advisor for AIDS Relief in Haiti. Born and raised in The Gambia, Dr. Mendy is married with six children – three daughters and three sons.

Director, Office of Strategic Information, Training & Research

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Professor Clement Adebamowo is the Director of Strategic Information, Training & Research at the Institute of Human Virology, Nigeria (IHVN). He provides technical assistance in developing the research department at IHVN and ensures that all research emanating from the Institute is of high quality. Through this infrastructure and the Institute of Human Virology's large HIV treatment and prevention program in Nigeria, faculty members and those of collaborating partners in Nigeria will be able to conduct social and behavioral and epidemiology research as well as clinical trials.

A Professor of Surgery, Prof. Adebamowo was the head of the Institute of Advanced Medical Research and Training at the University of Ibadan, Ibadan. He is also the current Chairman of the National Health Research Ethics Committee of Nigeria and Director of the West Africa Bioethics Training Program funded by the United States' National Institute of Health.

Clement is also Associate Professor of Cancer Epidemiology at the Department of Epidemiology and Prevention Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore. He enjoys reading, walking and watching movies.

Senior Technical Advisor, Strategic Information

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Dr. Man Charurat is Senior Technical Advisor, Strategic Information. With advanced training in biostatistics and epidemiology methods, Dr. Charurat's work involves providing statistical and methodologic support for the ACTION Project, with particular interest in the use of statistical model of viral load dynamics to dissect the early host-virus interaction during acute HIV infection.

He is in fact leading a collaborative study between the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Health to improve the surveillance and follow-up of acute HIV infections, based on pooled nucleic acid amplication (i.e. pooled plasma PCR). Using mobile counseling and testing approach, this work targets female sex workers.

An Assistant Professor in the Division of Epidemiology and Prevention, Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland, USA, Dr. Charurat was educated at the John Hopkins University where he obtained his PhD and M.S. He had earlier obtained a bachelors degree in molecular biology from the University of Washington.

He is actively working on the identification and characterization of immunologic long-term non-progressors among HIV-infected children.

Senior Technical Advisor, Clinical Services

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Dr. Mary-Ann Etiebet is the Senior Clinical Technical Advisor at IHVN. She is in charge of providing technical advice to the Associate Director and Principal Investigator concerning all standard operating procedures and program policy decisions related to the medical care of HIV-infected adults at project sites supported by IHVN.

Dr. Etiebet is also a Co-Principal Investigator in the ACTION Adult Cohort (AACT) Study. The AACT Study is a multi-site prospective observational cohort study created to comprehensively assess the long-term outcomes of 3,600 HIV-positive patients in care at six tertiary university teaching hospital outpatient clinics supported by IHVN.

Educated at Yale University School of Medicine, Mary-Ann also holds an MBA in healthcare management from Yale University School of Management. Dr. Etiebet, who is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, USA, also provides direct clinical and didactic teaching at sites and oversees the work of other site mentors supporting the Clinical Department of IHVN. As Senior Clinical Technical Advisor, she develops and implements evaluation and clinical research studies in Nigeria designed to provide evidence regarding best practices to guide program implementation and policy.

Dr. Etiebet, who loves reading, exploring and swimming, is married with children.

Senior Technical Advisor, Community Medicine

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As the Senior Technical Advisor, Community Medicine at IHVN/ACTION Project, Mrs. Emelia Iwu provides technical support for nursing education, mentoring and role integration for comprehensive care for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs). In addition, she provides oversight for community-based activities, OVC, Safe Injection, Policy and Health Systems Strengthening to enhance access to HIV counseling and testing, linkages to quality care, treatment and community-based services.

One of her research interests is to investigate the impact of upgrading nursing capacity at traditional clinics or wards to support HIV care and treatment as part of a health care team. This research focus targets impacts on quality of care, behavioral outcomes such as treatment adherence and retention in care.

Mrs. Iwu completed her nursing and midwifery education at the University of Nigeria, Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu and Iyienu Hospital, Ogidi before leaving to practice in the USA. She also obtained a Bachelor's Degree in School Health Services from Rowan University of New Jersey; another undergraduate and graduate degree in Nursing from Rutgers University of New Jersey. She worked as a Family Nurse Practitioner at a Healthcare for the Homeless Program and later at an Infectious Diseases Clinic at Cooper Hospital University Medical Center both in New Jersey.

Mrs. Iwu was an adjunct clinical instructor at Helen Fuld School of Nursing at Camden County College, Blackwood New Jersey. As a current faculty member at the School of Nursing, University of Maryland, she is helping to design and implement a global health certificate program, which will involve clinical and research rotations for US-based nursing students in Nigeria. She has actively worked with the Nursing and Midwifery Council and Nigerian nurse leaders to develop a draft HIV/AIDS nursing curriculum and collaboration with Management Science for Health (MSH) to implement the first PEPFAR funded fellowship program for health professionals. She enjoys reading, traveling, cooking and spending quality time with family.

Head, Finance Department

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Debo Olateju is the Institute's Head of Finance Department with the responsibility of harmonizing and ensuring proper management of IHVN's financial functions. Since his assumption at the Institute, he has effectively harmonized processes and procedures at all the treatment sites that IHVN is supporting and revitalized its standard operating procedures for all the operating sites.

A Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria and Chartered Institute of Taxation, Debo was educated at the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta in Nigeria and the University of Ibadan, where he received a Higher National Diploma in Accountancy and a Master Business Administration Degree respectively.

A former Assistant Vice President in charge of regional administration, marketing, and operations at First City Monument Bank Plc in Abuja, Nigeria, Debo spends most of his leisure playing the game of golf and traveling.

Head, Administration Department

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Overseeing the personnel management, staff training and welfare, travels, fleet, general office and facilities management and acting as the security warden of the Institute is Fredrick Hayes. As Head, Administration Department, he provides support to the Chief of Party/Project Director and Deputy Chief of Party/Managing Director on general management of the Institute's administration.

Mr. Hayes, who is a Fellow of the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (Chartered), full member of the Nigerian Institute of Management (Chartered), member of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, was educated at the Lagos State University and the University of Port Harcourt, where he received a bachelor of science degree in Economics and a Master of Business Administration degree respectively.

Mr. Hayes loves traveling, reading and sports in general.

PEPFAR Training Coordinator

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As PEPFAR Training Coordinator, Mr. Emmanuel Okochi coordinates the development of integrated programs of training and assessment of IHVN natural history, care, support, data collection, and analysis. He also applies data collection and data analysis to assess the Institute's training needs and objectively monitors and evaluates their impact and gaps in knowledge that enhance the Institute's program quality. Mr. Okochi also designs integrated and coordinated curriculum/manuals across multiple program areas for health care personnel to be trained by the Institute.

Mr. Okochi holds a Masters degree in Psychology (Education) from the University of Jos and a Bachelors of Science degree in Nursing obtained from the University of Ibadan. Mr. Okochi, who has over 18 years of extensive experience in adult learning principles and training, program development, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation with Pathfinder International and the United States Agency for International Development, also holds Diploma certificates in Nursing Science and in Education.

Mr. Okochi enjoys sports and other humanitarian services in his leisure.

Head, Molecular Virology

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Dr. Sam Peters is currently Head of Molecular Virology and directs activities in this area of IHVN work (including PCR and Sequencing). Having led in curriculum development for Clinical Laboratory Trainings, he now focuses on HIV gene sequencing and genotyping.

He played a major role in overseeing the smooth roll out of Early Infant Diagnosis for HIV/AIDS at hospitals supported by ACTION Project as well as led in personnel capacity building and in the identification of the first case of avian influenza in human in Nigeria.

Dr. Peters attended the University of Maiduguri, Nigeria and the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom for his undergraduate and doctoral trainings, respectively. He was a Senior Academic at Cambridge University's School of Clinical Medicine, and at the same time a Visiting Scientist at the Medical Research Council's UK Human Genome Mapping Project, Resource Center, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus in Hinxton, Cambridge, UK. He loves traveling, reading and sports in general.

Head, Diagnostic Virology

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Richard Enzama is the Head, Diagnostic Virology at the Institute of Human Virology, Nigeria. He is responsible for the management, organization and development of all PCR-related activities at the central, regional and site PCR laboratories.

Before taking up full-time employment with the IHVN as Viral Load QAAA Specialist focusing on capacity building in PCR lab infrastructure and human resource management, Richard was visiting consultant trainer to IHVN on HIV DNA and Viral Load Assay. He has facilitated the setting up of several PCR labs and the training of many lab scientists in sites funded by PEPFAR.

He was educated at Makerere University in Uganda, where he earned a Bachelors degree in Medical Laboratory Technology, Bachelors degree in Social Sciences and a Masters of Arts degree in Sociology. He also attended the Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Japan and Department of Health Services, Viral and Riketsial Disease Laboratory in Richmond, California USA for professional training. Richard, a Ugandan lives in Nigeria with his family.

Head, Genetic Sequencing

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As Head, Genetic Sequencing Unit of IHVN, Dr. Nicaise Ndembi brings to IHVN, a wealth of knowledge in molecular virology, HIV therapy, HIV drug resistance and bioinformatics. Dr. Ndembi is presently working to set up the Asokoro Laboratory Training Centre for genotyping.

Dr. Ndembi , who was educated at University of Yaoundé-I, Cameroon and Kanazawa University, Japan, has a Ph.D in Molecular Virology and an MPhil and M.Sc in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Prior to his resumption in IHVN, he was the Head, Molecular Virology Laboratory, MRC/UVRI Research Unit on AIDS, Medical Research Council (UK), and Uganda Virus Research Institute. He has also worked in academic and managerial capacities in Japan and Cameroon.

Dr. Ndembi has several national and international fellowships to his credit and has contributed in about 30 publications and in other peer-review journals. He has also participated in several trainings, international conferences and workshops. Dr. Ndembi is a member of Japanese Society of Virology, Advisory Board LAASER/Pharm Access Scientific Committee amongst others. He is married with a child and loves reading and traveling.

Senior Program Officer, Network/Mobile Operations

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Silas Gurumdi is in charge of Network/Mobile Operations at the Institute of Human Virology, Nigeria's Department of Community Medicine. Silas links communities, facilities and other organizations to several services of ACTION Project for seamless access vis-à-vis prevention, treatment, care and support for HIV intervention.

A registered nurse, Silas holds two bachelors degrees in Mass Communication and Social Works obtained from the University of Jos. He was also educated at TRADA National Institute of Social Sciences, Kerela in India, where he earned a postgraduate diploma in Counseling and Psychotherapy.

Before he joined IHVN, he had spent nine years on the staff of Our Lady of Victory Drug Rehabilitation Center in Sabon Gidar Kanar in Plateau State of Nigeria as Senior Counselor/Psychotherapist. He was well known part-time TV producer/presenter with the Plateau State Radio Television Corporation (PRTV) in Jos. Silas enjoys reading, watching football and photography.

Head, Immunodiagnostics and Hematology

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Chinwe Ezeaku who was coordinating field operations of the laboratory division of the AIDS Care and Treatment in Nigeria (ACTION) Project as Senior Program Officer, is the Unit Head of Immunodiagnostics and Hematology.

She works under the supervision of the Head of the Department of Clinical Laboratory to supervise and monitor immunology and hematology activities at ACTION sites as well as review and implement all immuno-hematology standard operating procedures (SOPs). Before joining IHVN, she was Principal Medical Laboratory Scientist with the Health and Human Services Department of the Federal Capital Territory Administration in Abuja, Nigeria.

Chinwe holds a Bachelors of science Degree in Medical Laboratory Sciences and a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. She had attended several workshops on STD, HIV/AIDS and TB. She enjoys reading, listening to radio and meeting people.

Senior Program Officer, Pharmacy

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Avong Yohanna Kambai is the Senior Program Officer (Pharmacy) and Head of the newly constituted pharmacy division of the Institute of Human Virology, Nigeria. As the head of the drug logistics of the Institute, he supervises the selection, forecasting, procurement, storage and distribution of drugs to treatment sites supported by ACTION Project.

Avong is a Registered Pharmacist (R Ph) and trained at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in Nigeria, where he obtained a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree with a distinction in Pharmacology in the 1988 B. Pharm. IV final examination. He is currently working on his Masters of Public Health (MPH) thesis degree with the University of Western Cape, South Africa.

Before he came to IHVN, he worked in the private pharmaceutical sector for about 17 years and rose to become a senior manager with a leading national pharmaceutical firm that specializes in the stocking and distribution of rare ethical drugs. He is a Pastor and loves reading as a hobby.

Senior Program Officer/Regional Manager, North Central, Nigeria

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Dr. Helen Omuh is the Senior Program Officer in the Clinical Services Department of IHVN in charge of the North Central Nigeria as Regional Manager. She is responsible for the coordination and supervision of five hub, 18 satellite and six health facilities, which provide HIV care. She also facilitates training for health care workers and participates in clinical/educational activities in treatment sites located within the North Central Region.

As Manager, she coordinates all regional activities in line with IHVN goals as well as the supervision of 17 regional staff. Helen also carries out advocacy to government and health facility management.

Before she joined IHVN in 2006, Helen was a Senior Registrar in Hematology at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt in Nigeria. She read medicine at the University of Jos and worked as medical officer at the Plateau State Specialist Hospital. She loves reading good novels, watching interesting movies and traveling.

Senior Program Officer/Regional Manager, Lagos (South-West) Region, Nigeria

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The Senior Program Officer in the Clinical Services Department of IHVN in charge of the Lagos (South West) Region is Dr. Timothy Akinmurele. He coordinates and supervises seven hub sites, 14 satellite sites, seven PMTCT sites and other health facilities, which provide HIV treatment, care and support services. He also facilitates training for health care workers and participates in clinical/educational activities in treatment sites located within the Lagos Region.

As Manager, he coordinates all regional activities in line with IHVN goals as well as the supervision of 16 highly motivated, very productive and dynamic staff. Timothy also carries out advocacy to government and health facility management.

Dr. Timothy Akinmurele worked for many years in the private sector as a medical practitioner before joining IHVN in 2005. He is a 1988 graduate of medicine from the University of Ilorin, Ilorin in Nigeria. He also holds a Masters of Public Health degree obtained from the University of Lagos. He loves reading, traveling and sports in general.

Senior Program Officer/Regional Manager, South-South/South-East, Nigeria

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Dr. Sunday Fagbenro is the Senior Program Officer in the Clinical Services Department of IHVN in charge of the South-South/South-East, Nigeria as Regional Manager. He coordinates hub, satellite and HCT health facilities supported by ACTION, which provide HIV medication and care.

He leads the Regional Office team in developing work plans, and deploying available resources to reach set targets and deliverables in mitigating HIV/AIDS in the region. Dr. Fagbenro is directly involved in establishing and managing government and non-governmental relationships in the region on behalf of the Institute.

Dr. Fagbenro, who is a member of the West African College of Physicians, read medicine at the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Sagamu in Ogun State, Nigeria and earned a Masters degree in Health Economics and Pharmacoeconomics from the University of Pompeu Fabara, Idec in Spain. He also holds a Masters of Public Health degree and a Masters in Business Administration from Olabisi Onabanjo University. His hobbies include singing, playing the trumpet, reading and public speaking.

Senior Program Officer/ Regional Manager FCT region

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Dr. Benedict Baamshal Mairiga is the Senior Program Officer in the Clinical Services Department of Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN), in charge of FCT region. He supervises eight ART and 28 PMTCT sites that provide care and treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS, TB and other infectious diseases.

He coordinates all activities in FCT region in line with IHVN goals and set targets. Dr. Mairiga also manages government and non-governmental relationships in the region.

With experience in the medical field spanning over 20 years, Dr. Mairiga has worked in several capacities including being Chief Medical Director, Plateau StateHospital Management Board, and Medical Director, Plateau State Specialist Hospital. He was also the Director of Medical Services, Plateau State Ministry of Health. He is a Consultant, General/ Family Medicine Physician and a Fellow of the National Postgraduate Medical College in General/Family Practice (FMCGP). He loves watching football, volleyball and table tennis. He is married with four children.

Acting Director of Medical Services

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Dr. Christopher Akolo is the new Acting Head of the Medical Services Department of Institute of Human Virology, Nigeria (IHVN). He is also the Technical Advisor Clinical Mentoring and Medical Education in the Institute.

Dr. Akolo heads the efforts of IHVN in establishing efficient and high quality services at partner facilities. He encourages specific capacity building efforts in medical care, service delivery and health care management.He also coordinates the development, implementation and monitoring of appropriate standards of care, quality improvement indicators and patient care protocols. Dr. Akolo provides technical expertise for program initiatives to improve continuing medical education.

He has gained over 17 years' experience in internal medicine and HIV/AIDS management in Nigeria, Gambia, USA, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Dr. Akolo, who holds an M.Sc in Global Health Science from University of Oxford, earned his MBBS from the University of Ilorin, Nigeria. He is a Fellow of the West African College of Physicians and has several awards, publications and abstract presentations to his credit. He enjoys reading, music and football and is married with two children.

Technical Advisor, Pediatric ART Program

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Dr. Nadia A. Sam-Agudu is the Institute of Human Virology, Nigeria (IHVN) Technical Advisor, Pediatric ART program. She is responsible for administrative management and provision of technical advice for the pediatric ART program which provides care and treatment to over 6,000 children in Nigeria. She also mentors pediatric providers to ensure adherence to guidelines on patient management issues, clinical policies and operations issues.

Dr. Nadia, who is a member of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH), the Pediatric Infectious Disease Society and the Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA), obtained her medical degree from Mayo Medical School, Minnesota USA. She completed Residency in Pediatrics and Fellowship in Pediatric Infectious Diseases, at the University of Minnesota, USA.

She also earned a Certificate in Tropical Medicine from the University of Minnesota, and has also participated in one of the Gorgas tropical medicine courses at the Alexander von Humbolt Tropical Medicine Institute, Lima, Peru. She has a Bachelors degree in Interdisciplinary/African Studies from the University of Virginia, USA. Dr. Nadia has several research presentations, grants and honors and publications to her credit.

She is married with two children and enjoys culinary arts, sports, and sampling different kinds of music.

IHVN Technical Advisor, HIV/TB/DR-TB

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Dr. Saswata Dutt is the new IHVN Technical Advisor, HIV/TB/DR-TB. Dr. Dutt is responsible for integrating HIV/TB at all levels, particularly at IHVN supported facility level. He is also working to ensure that Isoniazid Prophylaxis Therapy (IPT) is used for HIV/TB co-infected patients.

Dr. Dutt has over 25 years of experience in the medical field including more than ten years in public health programmes, clinical research, medical consultancy and medical advisory of HIV/AIDS and TB (DS & DR-TB).

He has worked with Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF) as HIV-TB Adviser in Swaziland and South Africa and also with World Health Organization (WHO) as a Medical Consultant in HIV/TB coordination and Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) in India. He implemented the HIV-TB coordination in the entire state of Bihar in India (a population of more than 90 million people), with request from Bihar State AIDS Control Agency.

Dr. Dutt has an MBBS from Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Ranchi, Jharkhand, India and did his Residency training in Post Graduate Medical University, Budapest, Hungary in 1990. He also has a Fellowship in HIV Medicine at the School of Tropical Medicine and Medical College, Kolkota, India.

He enjoys music, playing tennis, driving and reading.