Current portfolio

Academic Clinical Fellowship in Neurology: 2024 candidate

Project title: National Institute of Health and Research (NIHR) and Encephalitis International Academic Clinical Fellowship

Project Lead: Dr Abdusshakur Muhammad Auwal

Department and institution: University of Liverpool and Walton Neuroscience NHS Foundation TrustNational Institute of Health and Research (NIHR) and Encephalitis International Academic Clinical Fellow; University of Liverpool and Walton Neuroscience NHS Foundation Trust

Awarded in 2024

I am an NIHR & Encephalitis International Academic Clinical Fellow working to understand better, the pathophysiology of NeuroCovid using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). It also aims to identify diagnostic biomarkers that can be used to develop therapeutic interventions. This research will be under the supervision of Professor Benedict Michael, Professor Ed Bullmore, and Professor Simon Keller.

I am also rigorously involved in patient and public involvement and engagement in healthcare research by collaborating with others to enhance the experience of people with neurological problems as well as creating factsheets on encephalitis for people to enhance their understanding.

I have worked as a collaborator in the COVID-19 RECOVERY Trials (2020-2021) that led to the approval of Dexamethasone and Tocilizumab for use in eligible Covid 19 patients. I was also the first author of a published abstract (2023) that looked at the characteristics of people with Multiple Sclerosis involving only the spinal cord. My MSc dissertation demonstrated the disruption of resting state functional connectivity in cognitively healthy young adult carriers of Alzheimer’s genes impairing amyloid beta clearance when compared to controls.

Dr Abdusshakur Muhammad Auwal’s background

I graduated from Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto in Nigeria (2018) at the top of my class where I was awarded the best graduating student in 2 out of 3 faculties (Basic Medical Sciences and Basic Clinical Sciences) with several distinctions including Anatomy, Biochemistry, Physiology, Pathology and Paediatrics. My final year project that I led, which was a KAP study on Pharmacovigilance was awarded as one of the best. I also held national leadership positions within medical students’ associations.

I completed my internship at Muhammadu Abdullahi Wase Teaching Hospital with a distinction in Obstetrics and Gynaecology. I joined the NHS in 2020 and have since undertaken several audits and quality improvement projects (QIP). My latest QIP on improving nutrition in acute stroke patients got accepted for a poster presentation at the World Stroke Congress and publication in the International Journal of Stroke.

Due to my passion for teaching, I have actively been involved in teaching medical students from the Universities of Cambridge (2021-2022) and Plymouth (2022-2024) as well as junior colleagues.

Seed Funding 2024 Asia - India

Project title: Enhanced Surveillance for arboviral encephalitides – A One Health Pilot Study

Project lead: Dr Chandhu Balachandran

Department and Institution: Encephalitis Group, Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Virology [ICMR-NIV], Department of Health Research [DHR], Ministry of Health and Family Welfare [MoHFW], Government of India [GoI], Pune, India.

Awarded in 2024

“Encephalitis”, meaning inflammation of the brain, is a serious and life threatening condition, most commonly caused due to viruses. Although many different types of viruses can cause encephalitis, the most common causative viruses are the ones transmitted by arthropod vectors, particularly mosquitoes. These viruses termed arboviruses, include Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), West Nile virus (WNV), Dengue virus (DENV), Zika Virus (ZIKV) and Chikungunya virus (CHIKV). Historically, JEV and WNV were responsible for most of the cases acute encephalitis syndrome, an increase in the incidence of neurological complications due to Dengue, Chikungunya and Zika virus has been observed recently. This coupled with the introduction of Japanese encephalitis virus in previously unreported areas, including Pune region of Maharashtra, India, necessitates heightened surveillance.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends adoption of a one health based surveillance model that integrates human, animal and environmental health to improve public health outcomes, especially for zoonotic and vector borne diseases.

Hence we propose this study, to pilot a one health based surveillance system for arboviral encephalitides. Cases of acute encephalitis syndrome, presenting to tertiary care centres in Pune, will be investigated for arboviral encephalitides using a combination of serological and molecular methods. Real time RT-PCR based assays and IgM detection kits will be used to identify the aetiology of encephalitis. This will be accompanied by an year round surveillance for these agents in vector mosquitoes using real time PCR. The PCR positive samples will then be processed for virus isolation in mosquito and Vero cell lines and be sequenced, to add to the genomic epidemiological data. Further, the presence of JEV will be studied in pig farms across the city, since pigs act as amplifying hosts for the virus. Similarly stables and veterinary hospitals will be approached for detection of West Nile virus. The identification of these viruses in Pune, hold great significance since this region has historically not reported many infections due to JEV, WNV or ZIKV. This study will pilot an enhanced, one health based surveillance model for arboviral encephalitis, and if successful, can be adopted at a national scale for faster identification of outbreaks.

 

Dr Chandhu Balachandran’s bio:

Dr Chandhu Balachandran is a passionate and dedicated junior scientist at the ICMR-National Institute of Virology. After completing his undergraduate medical education from the Government Medical College, Kottayam, Kerala, Dr. Balachandran joined the prestigious institute, drawn by a deep interest in the fields of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Infectious Diseases. Through his research, Dr. Balachandran intends to work on virus-host interactions, delving into the intricate mechanisms by which viruses infect and affect their hosts, with particular focus on neurotropic viral infections. Explorations into the mechanisms by which viruses cross the blood brain barrier and induce encephalitis is the core focus of his research. Dr. Balachandran is also interested in large scale surveillance studies, especially genomic surveillance to track virus evolution and using metagenomics to identify novel viruses.