People in the news April 2012

Global health advocate mourned

Global health advocate and U.S. Congressman Donald Payne has died of colon cancer at age 77. Payne, the highest ranked Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health and Human Rights, was honored by the Foundation for NIH in 2008 for his support in combating HIV, AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

Congressman Donald Payne

Dr. Salim Abdool Karim

Karim named interim leader of South African Medical Research Council

Longtime Fogarty grantee Dr. Salim Abdool Karim has been tapped to take the helm of the South African Medical Research Council. Karim is Vice-Chancellor of Research at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and director of the Center for the AIDS Program of Research (CAPRISA). He will begin his new role as interim president in April.

India awards Mohan for diabetes research

The Indian government has awarded Fogarty grantee Dr. Viswanathan Mohan its prestigious Padma Shri Award for his contributions in diabetes research. Mohan is chairman of the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation.

• India Information, Grants and Resources from Fogarty

Dr. Viswanathan Mohan

Dr. Rajae El Aouad

US honors Moroccan scientist

The U.S. State Department has named Fogarty grantee Dr. Rajae El Aouad, director of Morocco’s National Institute and Hygiene, to its 2012 Women in Science Hall of Fame. The program was initiated by the Middle East and North Africa Environment, Science, Technology and Health Office to honor outstanding female scientists throughout the region and provide role models to inspire girls to study science.

Virginia names Guerrant "outstanding scientist"

Fogarty grantee Dr. Dick Guerrant was one of three to be selected as Virginia’s Outstanding Scientists of 2012 by Governor Bob McDonnell. Guerrant is director of the Center of Global Health at the University of Virginia.

Dr. Dick Guerrant

Dr. Thien Vu

Fogarty trainee dies in Vietnam

Former Fogarty trainee Dr. Thien Vu, 37, has died of stomach cancer in Vietnam. Vu received his Ph.D. from the University of Texas School of Public Health with support from Fogarty’s AIDS training and research program. During the last six months of his life, he counseled other cancer patients as a volunteer at a Hanoi hospital.

Anand promoted to Fogarty policy director

Fogarty has promoted Nalini Anand to direct its Division of International Science Policy, Planning and Evaluation. Anand earned a master’s in public health from Johns Hopkins and a law degree from Stanford. She has been with Fogarty since 2002 and has been the division’s acting director since 2010.

Nalini Anand