USM receives RM5.8 mln grant for HIV research

GEORGE TOWN: A team of researchers, in collaboration with Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and Yale University, received a grant of RM5.8 million from the National Institute of Health (NIH), United States to conduct research on HIV treatment.

The research was headed by USM’s Centre for Drug Research Director Prof B. Vicknasingam and Prof Marek Chawarski from the School of Medicine, Yale University.

Marek said the research was aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of existing treatment modules for opiate drug users and HIV patients as well as finding ways to improve the level of medical care for the group.

The outcome of the research would be used as guidelines for better health policies and should be accepted by HIV patients and opiate drug users, he said at a press conference at USM here, yesterday.

“It aims to develop treatment protocols for HIV sufferers and opiate users. There is great potential for our findings to be transferred to other countries facing similar problems. This grant is a huge success for our team and also provides a great opportunity,” said Marek.

“Malaysia and USM were selected by the National Institute of Health because Malaysia and USM are very good models of advanced health care and research development. Malaysia is actually in the 4th place in conducting research and intervention...That is why the United States government decided that the research will be conducted in Malaysia,” he said - Bernama