Dear Light Institute Community,

As we wrap up 2024, we are reflective and humbled by remarkable achievements, profound connections, and inspiring growth. We have connected, collaborated, and created a lasting impact with you all, and we are very grateful you came along on our journey of bringing light to public health – locally and globally. Thanks to you, our dedicated community of supporters, partners, and friends, this year has been nothing short of transformative.

We began this year with bold aspirations, and together, we have turned dreams into reality. Through your unwavering support, the Light Institute has continued to illuminate pathways for innovation, education, and community engagement. Your belief in our mission has allowed us to create programs that empower individuals, foster collaboration, and make a meaningful difference in countless lives.

In 2024, we:

Launched impactful new initiatives, including the first US-Nigerian Cancer Control Center for Research on Implementation Science and Equity (C3-RISE), that is using participatory implementation science strategies to expand uptake of HPV and HBV vaccines for cancer prevention and serve as a hub for equity and capacity building in implementation science to sustain evidence-based interventions to prevent cancer. C3RISE, also known as 4Communities by Communities, has completed two cycles of crowdsourcing activities, is currently training its first cohort of the Change Scholars, a group of early career cancer researchers, and has secured a policy supplement to ensure translation of research evidence in national cancer control policy.

Deepened our commitment to community engagement through 13 open calls, one LIGHT summer festival, and hosting a distinguished visiting scholar week, where we engaged over 2000 individuals in and outside of WashU to share our transformative journey and learn from our different projects.

Celebrated our 1 year of becoming a Global Health Center with a growing team, welcoming new partnerships through 3 grants – Midwest DCFAR, INSPIRE, and Suubi PrEP, a NIH Predoctoral Fellows (F31) award by our PhD student, Onyeka Anikamadu, and the promotion of Dr. Juliet Iwelunmor to a Tenured Professor of Medicine at WashU School of Medicine.

These accomplishments serve as a testament to what we can achieve together. Each contribution, whether it was time, resources, or simply sharing our vision with others, has been a light that guides us forward.

As we look ahead to 2025, we are filled with hope and determination. The coming year promises even greater opportunities to advance our mission and deepen our impact. Together, we will continue to shine brightly, inspiring change and fostering growth within our community and beyond.

From all of us at the Light Institute, thank you for being an integral part of this extraordinary journey. Your kindness, generosity, and dedication have made this year unforgettable, and we are profoundly grateful.

Wishing you and your loved ones a joyful holiday season and a bright, prosperous new year! 

The LIGHT Team

4 Communities By Communities

US-Nigeria Cancer Control Center for Research on Implementation Science and Equity (C3-RISE) Grant | U54 NIH/NCI #U54CA284110

The work of 4 Communities By Communities is focused on raising both awareness and vaccine uptake of two cancer-preventing vaccinations: the Human Papillomavirus vaccine to prevent cervical cancer and the Hepatitis B vaccine to prevent liver cancer.

4 Girls & Women

Actions for Collaborative Community Engaged Strategies for HPV (ACCESS-HPV) Grant | R01 NIH/NCI #R01CA271033

4 Girls & Women is driven by the shared belief that empowering the female population in Nigeria to learn about primary and secondary HPV prevention tactics will bring new voices and ideas to get us closer to a reality of widespread HPV vaccination for girls 9 - 14 years old and HPV screening for screen-eligible women to end cervical cancer. 

4 Youth By Youth

The work of 4 Youth By Youth is founded on the belief that young people have innovative and creative ideas for making their communities a healthier and safer place as they develop into adulthood. The two current 4YBY programs are focused on youth-friendly HIV self-testing and high blood pressure/stroke prevention.

Sustaining Innovative Tools to Expand Youth Friendly HIV Self-Testing (S-ITEST) Grant | UG1 NIH/NICHD #UG1HD113156

S-ITEST is a follow-up to the initial I-TEST program that started in 2018 to work with adolescents and young adults to define, evaluate, and implement intervention strategies to address HIV through preventative behavior modifications and youth self-testing. Now almost six years later, the team has added goals to continue developing youth-inspired strategies to sustain the interventions developed and implemented to date and ensure the at-risk youth will remain uninfected with HIV, despite living in a LMIC with resource constraints.

Music4Health | Innovative Tools to Expand Music-Inspired Strategies for Blood Pressure and Stroke Prevention (I-TEST BP/STROKE) Grant | R01 NIH/NHLBI #1R01HL168766-01

Music4Health is addressing the substantial burden of hypertension and stroke in a way Nigerians know and love – through music. By inviting members of the community to share their lyrics, voices, and spirits, we provide them a platform to share their talents while raising awareness and educating the Nigerian public on heart health.

STAR

Stimulating Training and Access to Research Experiences for Minority and Underrepresented Populations (NIAID STAR) Grant | R25 NIH/NIAID #5R25AI170379-04

STAR was developed in partnership with leaders at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Georgia State University, and Northeastern University to address the significant research to practice gap for HIV/AIDS by creating a path for the next generation of global majority implementation researchers.

IREACH

Innovative Rapid Enabling, Affordable, point of care HPV self-testing strategy Grant | U01 NIH/NCI #U01CA279863

The IREACH program is currently developing a single-use self-testing kit for HPV screening to increase screening eligible women in Nigeria for HPV infections. Stay tuned for exciting updates!

INSPIRE

Innovative Network on the Science and Practice of Implementation, Research, and Engagement Center Grant | UM2 NIH/NICHD #UM2HD116395-01

The INSPIRE Center aims to advance D&I science for HIV interventions targeting adolescents and young adults (AYA) in low- and middle-income countries. Through a collaborative network (PATC3H-IN), INSPIRE works to optimize research on adapting, scaling, and sustaining evidence-based HIV prevention and treatment strategies across six African countries, focusing on community engagement, capacity building, and advanced methods. The Center's work will bridge gaps in HIV care for AYA by leveraging implementation science to improve health outcomes, reduce inequities, and inform global efforts to end the HIV epidemic.

LIGHT

Leaders Igniting Generational Healing & Transformation

After recognizing a crucial piece of conversations about public health – the public themselves – was missing, LIGHT was designed to bring the public together to join the conversation, or in other words: Leaders Igniting Generational Healing & Transformation. Through invitations to participate in poetry and writing workshops, submit creative work to ongoing contests, join mindfulness practices, and attend the annual LIGHT Festival, the public is put at the center of public health to ignite change in public health. 

To stay up to date with the Light team, please subscribe to our monthly newsletter using the button below and keep an eye out for our website and social media updates! To learn more about Light or if you have ideas for partnership, please write to us at lightinstitute@wustl.edu.

We can't wait to hear from you! 

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