Current Long-Term AITRP Fellows

Cosmina Gingaras, MD is an AITRP fellow from Romania. Prior to joining the program, she obtained her degree from the University of Medicine and Pharmacy 'Carol Davila', Bucharest and served for a short period as a resident in infectious diseases at the Hospital of Infectious and Tropical Diseases "Dr. Victor Babes" in Bucharest, working with HIV/AIDS infected children. She is currently involved in an HIV laboratory research project under the mentorship of Dr Jason Kimata, M.D., PhD. She intends to apply to the University of Texas School of Public Health, with a major in Biostatistics. Upon completion of the program, Dr Gingaras plans to become involved in clinical research in the HIV/AIDS field, in close collaboration with the Center of HIV Excellence at the National Institute of Virology "St. S. Nicolau" in Bucharest.

Nsangi Betty Kintu, MBChB, MPH Dr. Nsangi is an AIDS International Training and Research Program (AITRP) fellow with Baylor College of Medicine. She is originally from Kampala, Uganda. She began her training at the University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston Texas in January 2006. She completed her Masters of Public Health degree with special emphasis in Epidemiology and Global Health. Currently, she is pursuing a PhD in Epidemiology at the same University. Prior to joining the program, she worked as a medical officer in the Pediatric Infectious Disease Clinic (PIDC), Mulago Hospital, Kampala, Uganda for two and half years where she treated and cared for HIV infected children. Upon completion of her training, she plans to get actively involved in pediatric HIV clinical research with and in the management of the Pediatric Infectious Disease Clinic as well as pediatric HIV in general in Uganda. In particular, she is interested in improving the management of TB in HIV-infected children. She looks forward to contributing greatly to the national and regional expansion of pediatric HIV services. Her long term goal is to help in improving the status of HIV infected children and HIV orphans on the African continent.

Marape Marape, MB, BCh, BAO, BA Dr. Marape is an AIDS International Training and Research Program (AITRP) fellow from Gaborone, Botswana, who joined the AITRP in August, 2007. He currently is pursuing a Masters in Public Health, with special emphasis in Epidemiology at the University of Texas School of Public Health. Before joining the AITRP fellowship program he worked as a Medical Officer at the Botswana-Baylor Children's Clinical Centre of Excellence for two and a half years. His work was focused on the management of HIV/AIDS and related conditions in children and families. He was also involved in clinical mentoring, research and education. Dr. Marape's main interest lies in tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS coinfection, especially in children and adolescents. After completion of his training he plans to retrun to Botswana to continue looking after HIV/AIDS infected children and doing research in tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS.

Moorine P. Sekadde, MBChB Dr. Sekadde is an Aids International Training Research Program (AITRP) fellow from Kampala, Uganda, who joined the AITRP in August, 2007. She currently is pursuing a Masters in Public Health degree at the University Of Texas School Of Public Health with a major in epidemiology. Before joining the AITRP fellowship program, she worked with Baylor College of Medicine Children's Foundation Uganda (formerly Pediatric Infectious Diseases Clinic). Dr. Sekadde's interest is the care and treatment of pediatric HIV/AIDS, which she plans to continue upon completion of the program.

Former Long-Term AITRP Fellows

Givans Kay Ateka, MBChB, MPhil, MPH, DrPH was an AIDS International Training and Research Program (AITRP) fellow from August, 2003 through August, 2006. During this time, Dr. Ateka completed a Masters in Public Health degree and a Doctorate of Public Health degree from the University of Texas School of Public Health. His Master's thesis is entitled "Assessing HIV/AIDS associations: response to therapy versus social support and HIV status disclosure versus breakdown of social support structures". His Doctoral dissertation is entitled "Evaluation of the City of Houston HIV/STD Prevention Program in Houston Independent School District (HISD) High Schools". Originally from Kenya, Dr. Ateka had been working in Lesotho for seven years prior to joining the Baylor College of Medicine AITRP. Upon completion of his fellowship, Dr. Ateka returned to Lesotho where he currently is working to enhance the implementation of that country's prevention of mother to child transmission program.

Andrea C. Cazacu, MD is originally from Bucharest, Romania. She obtained her medical degree from Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Bucharest. Dr. Cazacu, under the mentorship of Dr. Gail Demmler, evaluated two rapid diagnostic tests for influenza viruses with viral culture, performed in the Diagnostic Virology Laboratory at Texas Children's Hospital. She continued her research under the mentorship of Gail Demmler, MD and Mark Kline, MD studying the outcome of infants and children infected with CMV in both the U.S. and Romania, as well as viral pathogens in HIV positive children and their influence on HIV disease. Dr. Cazacu currently serves as Associate Director of Clinical Affairs and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Massachusetts Biologic Laboratories, University of Massachusetts Medical School.

Mark Mugo Kabue, BDS, MS, MPH, DrPH was an AIDS International Training and Research Program (AITRP) fellow from August, 2003 through August, 2006. During this time, Dr. Kabue completed a Masters in Public Health degree and a Doctorate of Public Health degree from the University of Texas School of Public Health. His Master's thesis is entitled: "Frequency of Contraindications to Antiretroviral Drug Combinations Among HIV Patients With Varying Medical/Drug History and Lifestyle Characteristics". Originally from Kenya, Dr. Kabue had been working in Lesotho for seven years prior to joining the Baylor College of Medicine AITRP. Upon completion of his fellowship, Dr. Kabue accepted a position in Malawi, where he currently is working as an HIV/AIDS Monitoring and Evaluation Coordinator for the BIPAI Children's Clinical Centers of Excellence Network.

Harrison Njoroge Kamiru, DDS, MS, DrPH was an AIDS International Training and Research Program (AITRP) fellow from August, 2003 through August, 2006. During this time, Dr. Kamiru completed a Masters in Public Health degree from the University of Texas School of Public Health. His Doctoral dissertation is entitled: "Evaluation of a Training Program to Increase the Capacity of Health Care Providers to Provide Antiretroviral Therapy to Pediatric Patients in Sub-Saharan Africa". Originally from Kenya, Dr. Kamiru had been working in Lesotho for seven years prior to joining the Baylor College of Medicine AITRP. Upon completion of his fellowship, Dr. Kamiru accepted a position in Swaziland, where he currently is working as an HIV/AIDS Monitoring and Evaluation Coordinator for the BIPAI Children's Clinical Centers of Excellence Network.

Poloko Kebaabetswe, R.N., M.P.H., Ph.D. joined the Baylor AITRP from Gaborone, Botswana. She began her training in August, 2001, and completed training in May, 2004. During this time, she obtained a doctoral degree from the University of Texas School of Public Health, with a major in behavioral sciences. Her dissertation is titled "Factors that influence pregnant women to accept or reject the prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV program (PMTCT) in Gaborone, Botswana".

Gerardo Martinez-Aguilar, M.D. joined the Baylor AITRP from Durango, Mexico. He began training in August, 2001, and completed training in August, 2003. During this time, Dr. Martinez-Aguilar pursued postdoctoral laboratory training in bacterial infections in children with HIV/AIDS. Dr. Martinez-Aguilar successfully applied for bridge funding in the amount of $25,000 to facilitate his research protocol titled "Molecular epidemiology of hospital and community-acquired methicillin-resistant S. Aureus in Mexico". He is an author on the following publications related to his AITRP research:

• Martinez-A G, Hammerman W, Mason E, Kaplan S. Clindamycin treatment of invasive infections caused by community-acquired, methicillin-resistant and methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus in children. Pediatr Infect Dis J, 2003; 22:593-598.
• Gonzalez B, Martinez-A G, Mason E, Kaplan S. Azithromycin compared with lactam antibiotic treatment failures in pneumococcal infections of children". Pediatr Infect Dis J, 2004; 23:399-405.

Claudia Robayo, M.D. is originally form Colombia, though is a citizen of Mexico. She attended medical school at Universidad de Guadalajara. She completed her residency and fellowship in pediatric gastroenterology at the Instituto Nacional de Pediatria in Mexico City, including one year of endoscopy in Centro Medico Siglo XXI. Dr. Robayo joined the AIDS International Training and Research Program at the Baylor College of Medicine in January, 2004. Her current research involves the investigation of congenital deficiency of disaccharidases, which are enzymes that digest sugar and starch. This deficiency of disaccharidases can also be a cause of diarrhea secondary to HIV infection.

Nicoleta Vaseliu, DDS, MA joined the Baylor AITRP from Constanta, Romania. She began her training in July, 2002, and completed training in June, 2004. During this time, Dr. Vaseliu obtained a master's degree in clinical investigation at the Baylor College of Medicine. Her thesis is entitled "Longitudinal study of the prevalence and prognostic implications of oral manifestations in Romanian children infected with human immunodeficiency virus type-1". Dr. Vaseliu is currently employed as the Executive Director of the Baylor Black Sea Foundation in Constanta, Romania.

Salvador Villalpando, M.D. joined the Baylor AITRP from Mexico City, Mexico. He begain training in July, 2001, and completed training in June, 2003. During this time, Dr. Villalpando pursued post-doctoral research focused on the nutritional problems of children with protein-energy malnutrition and HIV/AIDS. He also earned a Certificate of Added Qualification from the Clinical Scientist Training Program at the Baylor College of Medicine. He currently holds the position of Director of the Nutrition Research Laboratory at Hospital Infantil de Mexico in Mexico City.