By Agnes Namaganda
The Fogarty International Center of the National Institute of Health in the US has awarded Dr Anthony Batte with a 500,000 USD grant. This career development award for emerging global leaders is called a K43 NIH award. Dr. Batte is a young prolific researcher as well as a Paediatric Nephrologist, and a Senior Lecturer, at the Child Health and Development Centre (CHDC), College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Uganda.
This grant will support Dr. Batte to conduct a 5 year research study titled ‘Delineating the kidney brain axis in children with severe malaria’. This research will be looking to understand the effects of kidney disease on the brain of children who suffer from malaria.
A large number of children in Africa die of severe malaria. Emerging data suggests that severe malaria can also cause acute kidney injury. Kidney injury in children can lead to long-term behavioral problems and poor cognition, which is a critical barrier to early childhood development.
Some children may not recover their kidney function following acute kidney injury, a condition referred to as chronic kidney disease. This can lead to poor growth and development, with effects on a child’s learning. Research shows that there is association between kidney disease and brain injury. However, there is limited understanding of pathways linking kidney disease to brain injury. Dr. Batte’s study will thus generate data to understand the mechanisms of kidney-related brain injury in children with severe malaria.
As part of this award, Dr. Batte will work with a team of mentors from Indiana University led by Dr Andrea Conroy (Assistant Professor of Paediatrics, Indiana University)
Dr. Conroy is a long-time collaborator and mentor to Dr. Batte and says, “It is an absolute pleasure to work with Dr. Batte. He is an exceptional clinician and one of the most talented scientists I have ever worked with. Dr. Batte is leading the field in our understanding of acute kidney injury in malaria. His K43 project is forward-thinking and will offer unprecedented insight into the relationship between kidney injury and brain injury in hospitalized children with relevance far beyond Uganda’s borders. I look forward to seeing the findings of this important work.”
Additional mentors from Indiana University include Dr. Andrew Schwaderer, a Professor of Paediatric nephrology, and Prof. Chandy John, who leads the Ryan White Center for Pediatric Infectious Disease and Global Health. Prof. Chandy John stated that Dr. Batte is “among the brightest young researchers I know, and it’s an honor to be a mentor for his new project on how acute kidney injury may lead to brain injury. I believe his findings will be important in understanding the pathways by which kidney injury and disease may affect the brain and neurodevelopment.”
Dr. Batte’s mentorship team from Uganda includes Dr Richard Idro (Associate Professor of Paediatrics, Makerere University), an acclaimed pediatric neurologist. Dr. Idro said he is looking particularly forward to the research and further added, “This is a great achievement by Dr. Batte. Having recently been certified a Fellow of the International Society of Nephrology, this award continues Dr. Batte’s mark of excellence. The grant will not only support his scientific growth but also, support research that will help us better understand the effects of severe malaria on kidney health in African children. Congratulations, Dr. Batte.”
The Ugandan mentorship team also includes Dr. John Ssenkusu (Lecturer, Makerere University School of Public Health); Dr. Paul Bangirana, (Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry); and Prof Robert Opoka, (Dean of Undergraduate Medical Education at Aga Khan University).
Dr. Batte holds a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery from Makerere University. He also has a Master of Medicine degree in Paediatrics and Child Health. He received Paediatric Nephrology fellowship training from McMaster University in Canada. In 2023, Dr. Batte was certified as a Fellow of the International Society of Nephrology. Additionally, he is enrolled for PhD training at the University of Barcelona in Spain.
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