Wellcome Trust

Have you heard of leishmaniasis? Transmitted to humans by the bites of infected female sandflies, it has three main forms: 🟠 Visceral leishmaniasis: the most severe form, it affects internal organs and can cause death if left untreated. 🟠 Cutaneous leishmaniasis: the most common form, it causes skin ulcers that can scar and lead to stigma. 🟠 Mucocutaneous leishmaniasis: a rarer form that affects the mucous membranes of the nose, mouth or throat. It can cause severe tissue damage and disfigurement. While leishmaniasis is curable, treating it is challenging, particularly in low-income communities. Existing treatments have several limitations and have largely remained the same since the 1940s. More funding, research and global collaboration are needed to better understand, monitor and respond to the disease. Read our explainer to learn more about how leishmaniasis spreads, why it’s expanding and what progress is being made to combat it ⤵️ https://lnkd.in/g4QqcYBC

Genomics – the study of the structure and function of genomes, an organism’s complete DNA set – has made incredible advances in modern medicine. Its positive impacts on health include: 🟢 treating diseases at a genetic level 🟢 improving cancer treatments The possibilities for genomic science are endless. With continued investment and support, we can unlock the full potential of genomics to improve health for all. Find out more about how our health is benefitting from genomics ⤵️ https://lnkd.in/ehnVJ-Xf

This week in Brussels, I witnessed the powerful potential of research and innovation to shape our future — not just in Europe, but globally.    With support from Wellcome Trust and Imperial College London, CEPS (Centre for European Policy Studies) yesterday released a report, ‘Towards an Ambitious FP10,’ which provides valuable recommendations for making the successor to Horizon Europe bold, equitable, and truly collaborative.    At today’s launch event, it was inspiring to explore FP10’s critical role in fostering excellent science alongside the report’s lead author, Andrea Renda, Director of Research at CEPS, Imperial College President Hugh Brady, and distinguished speakers from the European Commission, European Parliament, and academic community.    The health challenges we face are global, and unified efforts are needed to tackle them. Research thrives when we work together across borders and sectors. FP10 represents a tremendous opportunity to drive progress through collaborative research and innovation, so let’s seize it. Europe and the world need a bold and ambitious FP10, both in scale and scope, and international collaboration and partnerships will be key.   For those who are interested in reading the report’s recommendations on the shape of FP10, you can find them here: https://lnkd.in/dpyUQ4Um  

Our Biology of Fungal Adaptation funding call is now closed to applications. 🍄 Thank you to everyone who applied. We’ve called on researchers to advance understanding of how fungi adapt to their environment. Fungi are incredibly resilient organisms. Understanding this could help us harness fungi’s potential to improve human life and wellbeing. Find out more about the call ⤵️ https://lnkd.in/eBEHKRh8

📢 Our Climate Impacts Awards will open again in early February. We will support projects that make climate change's health impacts visible to drive climate policy action. 💡 Duration: up to 3 years 💰 Level: up to £2.5 million Need some inspiration for potential research ideas? Explore the 22 projects we’ve funded through this award since 2023 ⤵️ https://lnkd.in/e4myWW9r

”In 2019, 7.7 million deaths were associated with 33 different bacterial infections, with almost 5 million of these deaths associated with AMR.” - Charlie Weller, Head of Prevention, Infectious Disease at Wellcome. Tackling the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance requires all the tools we have at our disposal — including vaccines.

“Dengue is a major problem, and the solutions we have, such as vaccinations and insecticides, aren’t working well enough,” says Scott O’Neill. That’s where his not-for-profit, the World Mosquito Program (WMP), comes in. The initiative has helped protect more than 11 million people in 14 countries from dengue and other mosquito-borne diseases. How? By growing millions of mosquitoes containing ‘Wolbachia’ and releasing them into the wild. Wolbachia is a natural bacteria found in insects, and it reduces mosquitoes’ ability to grow and transmit infectious diseases. Learn more in ‘Behind the Research’ ⤵️ https://lnkd.in/gJfgabbK

In Khayelitsha, a township about 30 kilometres outside Cape Town in South Africa, many residents experience the consequences of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) without fully understanding it. Thandokazi Njamela, a community activist, is one of them. She herself first saw the impact of AMR in her own home – when her aunt became repeatedly sick with HIV until eventually passing away. Now, she works with Wellcome-funded research teams to better understand the impacts of AMR on her community. Eh!woza and Esmita Charani, Associate Professor at the University of Cape Town, are engaging local communities in Khayelitsha through creative and educational workshops. They aim to empower residents to learn more about AMR and contextualise their experiences. This work is still in its early days, but we’re already learning a lot from the people of Khayelitsha. These learnings include: 1️⃣ AMR is connected to complex social issues such as employment, access to clean water, gender and race. 2️⃣ Awareness of AMR among communities affected is necessary, but so is agency to act on it. 3️⃣ We must encourage empathy between different groups within affected communities, such as ordinary residents and healthcare providers. Community-based knowledge is essential to understand exactly how AMR impacts people in specific contexts. This can better equip researchers to develop interventions that work for the people who need them. This collaboration has already inspired Njamela and others in her community to think of more effective ways to communicate with government leaders and demand action on AMR. She says: “You can never do something for us without us.”

Interested in driving positive climate and health outcomes in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)? We're funding research on how climate mitigation interventions affect health in LMICs. These countries are making decisions in key sectors today that could lock-in high emissions and overlook potential health benefits in the future. But there's a significant gap in understanding how mitigation strategies affect health in LMICs. This lack of evidence makes it challenging to take action to protect health. Transdisciplinary teams are essential to bridging this gap. Learn more about the funding and apply by 18 February 2025 ⤵️ https://lnkd.in/eF2dtSXK

Longitudinal data has the potential to transform early intervention in mental health. This is the focus of our new Mental Health Award. We're funding researchers to use longitudinal datasets to find early identifiers of anxiety, depression or psychosis. This could unlock innovative ways to diagnose these conditions sooner, so people can benefit from better-targeted interventions. The call is open to researchers at any career stage and based anywhere in the world. Awarded projects will receive up to £5 million for up to five years. Applications will open, and full details will be made available, on 23 April 2025. Find out more ⤵️ https://lnkd.in/exC2_9qP