August 2025

As we step into the month of September, we take a moment to recognize the crucial role of evidence-based research in shaping the future of health and well-being. Every carefully designed study—whether a small pilot or a large clinical trial—advances our collective knowledge and ensures that innovations are both safe, accurate, and effective. Behind every result and scientific finding are teams of research coordinators, research managers, and community partners who demonstrate curiosity, rigor, compassion, and impact. 
This month, we extend our gratitude to all researchers, collaborators, and participants for making our work at the Light Institute possible. Your commitment to evidence-based solutions inspires us and highlights the power of science when guided by purpose.

The 2025 Communications Masterclass hosted by the INSPIRE Learning Core was a three-day interactive workshop for 36 students from the INSPIRE Learning Core's 2025 Course Cohort, the INSPIRE Youth Advisory Board, and winning teams from the recent Designathon. The masterclass focused on helping early to mid level researchers in the field of HIV communicate technical concepts in clear, engaging ways to non-technical and youth audiences. The sessions blended expert instruction with practical resources, emphasizing concise messaging, campaign planning, and youth-centered communication strategies. April Houston, INSPIRE Communications Director, facilitated the sessions (below) alongside Mychal Voorhees and Monica Sala-Rabanal from WashU Medicine’s Becker Medical Library.

The INSPIRE Learning Core team is thrilled to be part of these striving researchers’ journey as they utilize the skills and tools being provided. We are excited to see how they will contribute to the advancement of health outcomes for adolescents and young adults in HIV research.

This summer, PhD student Onyekachukwu (Onyeka) Anikamadu traveled to Lagos, Nigeria for four weeks of on-the-ground research supported by her NIH F31 Predoctoral Fellowship. Her project, Implementation Penetration Assessment Criteria Tool for HPV Vaccination (ImPACT): Promoting Uptake among Young Girls in Nigeria, focuses on developing a tool that measures how deeply HPV vaccination is integrated into communities and health systems. The ultimate goal of her research is to help increase HPV vaccination uptake and contribute to the prevention of cervical cancer, which remains a leading cause of cancer deaths among women in sub-Saharan Africa.

During her time in Lagos, Onyeka worked closely with the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research and engaged a diverse group of stakeholders, including healthcare professionals, policymakers, community leaders, and young women. She led a Group Concept Mapping process to capture local perspectives, while also gaining valuable cultural context to inform her tool’s development. This work represents an important step toward bridging global implementation science with community-driven solutions. Her summer abroad not only advanced her dissertation but also deepened her understanding of how to design interventions that are meaningful, relevant, and sustainable in local contexts.

On August 22, 2025, we hosted a refresher training session for the 3-month follow-up for Step 2 Sites. The purpose of the 3-month follow-up is to assess the impact of Supervisors’ and Research Assistants’ (RAs) interactions with mothers and daughters from baseline, particularly in terms of knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to HPV and cervical cancer. In addition, the follow-up evaluates their experiences with the vaccines and the use of the Evalyn brushes.

Twelve RAs and Supervisors participated in the training. Dr. Zaidat Musa provided guidance by walking us through both the mothers’ and daughters’ surveys, ensuring the RAs and Supervisors are well prepared to administer them consistently and effectively. This session also provided space for questions, clarifications, and feedback on survey.

On August 2, the 4YBY program held a one-day, hybrid refresher training in Lagos, Nigeria. The training included community-based organizations, supervisors, and youth community health workers who make up our sustainability teams. It was designed to prepare partners for recruitment and enrollment in the Sustaining Innovative Tools to Expand Youth-Friendly HIV Self-Testing (S-ITEST) study. Many CBO representatives attended in person, where they built skills, connected with peers, and strengthened their capacity to guide their sustainability teams.

The Music4Health team continued its pilot activities in Lagos, Nigeria, to assess the effectiveness of the music-based intervention on a small scale ahead of the upcoming clinical trial. As part of this effort, the study team organized a two-day virtual training designed to prepare and equip 45 research personnel, including research supervisors and community health workers, with the requisite knowledge and skills to support the project. Key training topics included an introduction to the Music4Health project, the burden of hypertension and stroke, data collection processes, responsible conduct of research, and strategies for community engagement.

The team also conducted a music video production for two of the study’s original songs. These videos will play a central role in raising awareness and extending the campaign’s message to a broader audience. The music videos are in the final steps of production and we look forward to sharing them with you once they are ready. Stay tuned! 

The Light Institute team is thrilled and honored to receive sponsorship from The Office of the Provost to host Dr. Uchechukwu "Uche" Nwokwu as a Distinguished Visiting Scholar from Nigeria.

Dr. Nwokwu has an impressive record of accomplishment in medical research, public health initiatives, and policy leadership. He is the National Coordinator of the National Cancer Control Programme, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in Abuja, Nigeria, overseeing policy development, review, advocacy, approval and implementation to tackle cancer burden in the country. He has devoted his career to managing and researching oncological burden, prevention, and treatment, both as a clinical physician and a central policy figure in both academic, teaching hospital institutions and at the federal level, with the Ministry of Health. His significant work and contributions to the field of cancer prevention, treatment, and care, coupled with his deep policy expertise for more grounded pathways to reduce cancer burden has left a profound impact in the public health and policy landscape in Nigeria and abroad.

During his visit, Dr. Nwokwu will engage with faculty, students, and staff through a series of lectures, seminars, and collaborative research projects. His presence will enhance our academic programs and provide invaluable insights into current and emerging challenges in global cancer research and policy. We are particularly excited about the opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration that his visit will foster, as his expertise spans across multiple domains of medical, public health, and health policy practice.

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