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In this guest post, Jaclyn Schiff—American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) Director of Communications—highlights news in global health research presented during the recent ASTMH Annual Meeting. Just two week ago, more than 3,700 attendees gathered in Washington, DC, to announce, share, and discuss the latest research findings on a broad range of global health issues, including neglected tropical diseases, surgery in the developing world, and malaria. Just two week ago, more than 3,700 attendees gathered in Washington, DC, to announce, share, and discuss the latest research findings on a broad range of global health issues at the ASTMH Annual Meeting. Credit: ASTMH. Though the meeting attracted one of the largest crowds ever, the absence—due to federal travel budget cuts—of key researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health, the Army, and Navy was noticeable. This also significantly affected the Annual Meeting last year, and the cuts persist with no sign of letting up. One unfortunate consequence is that scientific collaboration suffers at the Annual Meeting and at countless other research-focused gatherings. When science is stifled, we all lose out. But our colleagues who were able to make it, got on with it, and the media reported extensively on their findings. News coming out of the Annual Meeting covered a lot of ground—from gender bias in global health science to plague surveillance involving traditional healers in Uganda. So just in case you weren’t able to take it all in, here are three critical pieces of research from this year’s meeting: Potential danger from the Plasmodium vivax parasite: The malaria vector may be rapidly evolving to overcome the natural resistance conferred by a blood type found in millions of Africans. Science Now reported on the findings: To enter human blood cells, the parasite usually uses the so-called Duffy blood group protein, a protein on the surface of red blood cells. But because up to 95 percent of the population across sub-Saharan Africa lacks the protein—a genetic trait called “Duffy negative”—they have long been thought to be protected from infection. Yet reports have emerged in recent years of Duffy-negative people who are nevertheless infected with vivax malaria. “If vivax can establish itself in Africa, it can really undo a lot of the malaria progress we’ve made,” study co-author Peter Zimmerman, PhD, of Case Western Reserve University told the New York Times . Moving towards improved hookworm treatments: Researchers presented findings showing that they had completely cured lab animals of parasitic hookworm. To achieve the results, scientists used a modified version of a common human dietary supplement. The findings represent an “important development in our effort to find a safe, affordable and effective way to confront a major global health problem,” the study’s lead researcher said. In its report on the research, Xinhua  notedthat “the only drugs available to treat hookworms in humans were originally developed to combat parasites that infect farm animals.” The study researchers say that current treatments are not effective enough and that drug- resistance is rising. Strange dengue patterns in the United States: As dengue fever continues to spread from Key West north into the Florida mainland, it remains a mystery as to why this dangerous mosquito-borne illness is not yet common around Tucson, Arizona—even though outbreaks routinely occur in nearby Mexico and mosquitoes that can carry dengue are now common in the state. As The Verge reports, researchers think human or biological factors somehow explain why dengue hasn’t spread in Tucson. "It may be that the temperatures in Tucson are so hot," Mary Hayden, a scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, told the BBC . She added “the relative humidity is so low that the mosquitoes may not be able to survive in that climate long enough for the virus to cycle within them.” Additional highlights, original news stories, and interviews are available on the #TropMed2013 Tumblr.

In this regular feature on Breakthroughs, we highlight some of the most interesting reads in global health research from the past week. The European Parliament has approved Horizon 2020—the European Union's funding program for research and innovation from 2014 through 2020. The first calls for proposals are scheduled for Dec. 11, pending formal agreement from EU member states. US lawmakers are taking steps to free US Food and Drug Administration user fees from sequestration cuts. A recent congressional briefing examined progress in developing new HIV treatment and prevention tools. A new Devex article highlights efforts to ensure that health is included in the post-2015 development framework. The European Commission has invested €8.5 million in a program to reinforce the knowledge infrastructure across neglected diseases and speed the development of new global health tools like vaccines, drugs, and microbicides.

In this regular feature on Breakthroughs, we highlight some of the most interesting reads in global health research from the past week. National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins warns that sequestration and budget cuts may be putting gains in science, technology and medicine at risk. In related news, sequestration cuts have reduced federal grants and delayed research projects, restricting the nation’s ability to innovate, according to a survey of organizations representing 300 research universities. On the fifth annual World Pneumonia Day, a call to action in The Lancet Global Health asks for new innovations to transform pneumonia diagnosis and treatment. From December 3 to 5, the World Health Organization and Member States will evaluate and assess new innovative mechanisms to coordinate and fund global health research and development. GHTC member the Global Health Innovative Technology Fund has granted $5.7 million to six global partnerships working on innovative drugs and vaccines against malaria, tuberculosis, and Chagas disease.

In this guest post, Emily Donaldson—program coordinator atAVAC: Global Advocacy for HIV Prevention—writes about an upcoming congressional briefing on November 18 that will highlight the latest in HIV and AIDS research and development. The world has made enormous strides in beginning to end the AIDS epidemic. Yet, there were still 2.3 million people newly infected with HIV in 2012. In order to continue to bring down new infections, it is essential to achieve high coverage rates of treatment and prevention methods, including voluntary medical male circumcision, male and female condoms, and harm reduction. In the long-term, new prevention tools, especially an effective preventive HIV vaccine, are critical for achieving maximum impact and ending the AIDS pandemic. Research to develop new prevention tools is critical for achieving maximum impact and ending the AIDS pandemic. Credit: PATH/Evelyn Hockstein. Since the Military HIV Research Program’s (MHRP) landmark RV144 trial first showed that an HIV vaccine was possible, MHRP, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and partners have worked to build on those results. Additionally, US government-supported research in a range of new vaccine candidate strategies are moving forward in trials and in basic research for future clinical testing. At the same time, NIH and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) are developing new antiretroviral-based prevention options, such as treatment-as-prevention, pre-exposure prophylaxis, and microbicides. Through research programs like those at the MHRP, NIH, and USAID, the US can dramatically advance science and play a critical role in stopping the spread of the epidemic. Join us at a congressional briefing, Monday, November 18, as we call on Congress to invest in HIV prevention research. amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research AVAC: Global Advocacy for HIV Prevention Center for Global Health Policy International AIDS Vaccine Initiative In cooperation with Congresswoman Barbara Lee invite you to a Congressional Briefing The Role of HIV Research in Ending AIDS: New Developments in HIV Vaccine and Prevention Science Monday, November 18, 2013 12:00-1:30 p.m. Capitol Visitor Center, South Congressional Meeting Room Lunch will be provided Speakers include: Carl Dieffenbach, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases’ Division of AIDS Margaret McGlynn, president and chief executive officer, International AIDS Vaccine Initiative Fredrick Sawe, associate director International Clinical Research, MHRP Christina Polyak, research physician, MHRP, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research Christine Lubinski, vice president for Global Health, Infectious Disease Society of America Kevin Fisher, policy director, AVAC: Global Advocacy for HIV Prevention, moderator For more information or to RSVP, please contact Emily Donaldson at AVAC at edonaldson@avac.org or 646-369-1476.