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CUGH 16th Annual Conference 2025

Andre A. Muelenaer, Jr., M.D., M.S., FAAP, FCCP
Professor of Practice, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics
Professor of Pediatrics, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine

I wanted to let you know that funding from OUR has paid off in terms of student experience and professional development. Four faculty, representing four colleges, and 10 students, representing 8 majors and 5 colleges, participated at the CUGH 16th Annual Conference this past week in Atlanta, Georgia. The conference title was Innovating and Implementing in Global Health for a Sustainable Future. The absence of our colleagues from US governmental healthcare-related agencies was sobering, as were the numerous cancellations of attendance by our CUGH members due to loss of funding. As I mentioned in a note yesterday to Vice Chancellor Address Malata, Malawi University of Science and Technology, the conference celebrated resilience, innovation and determination to continue serving those in need world-wide. 

As a team, Virginia Tech was represented by two oral presentations:

  • Drone-GIS Technology for Waterborne Disease Detection. This research team was one of 6 finalists selected to present their work at the Transformative Research Challenge at the World Food Forum in October 2024. They received a $10,000 award and have been selected to participate in the Youth Food Lab Incubator to advance this entrepreneurial project. This was a collaborative effort with MicroMek, a youth empowerment NGO based in Blantyre, Malawi.
  • Expanding Global Health Innovation Infrastructure through Plastics Recycling for Local Additive Manufacturing in Malawi. This was a collaborative effort with MicroMek, a youth empowerment NGO based in Blantyre, Malawi.   

Four poster presentations:

  • TEAM Malawi: Addressing Food Insecurity in Africa with Hydroponics. This was a collaborative effort with MicroMek, a youth empowerment NGO based in Blantyre, Malawi.  
  • Raman Spectroscopy: A Novel Approach for the Detection of Schistosomiasis in Low Resource Settings. This team has raised funds to purchase a portable Raman spectrometer for field use in Malawi.
  • Mercy James Pediatric Surgery Scheduling System. This project was a collaboration between VT Industrial and Systems Engineering senior design students and Malawi University of Science and Technology Computer Science and Business Information Technology students.
  • Health of Women and Infants in Malawi Improved Through Utilization of Visual Communication in Healthcare Messaging: Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Practices Students Partner with Thyolo District Hospital. This project was mentored by Martha Sullivan, VT Chair of Industrial Design, working with students from the Bingu School of Culture and Heritage, Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST). Two of the eighteen MUST students who participated in this project secured funds to attend the CUGH conference but were unable to obtain an appointment at the US Embassy, Malawi, to apply for a travel visa.  Martha Sullivan presented their poster in their stead. This project has expanded to two additional projects that include VT students with a focus on maternal-child health.

While 10 students attended the conference, these presentations represent 25 undergraduates listed as authors who will have their abstracts published in an international journal. 

As I write this, Alexandra (Ali) Toloczko, MBE, VTCSOM MS4, and 2019 VT B.S. in Chemical Engineering & Clinical Neuroscience graduate, is at the Mzuzu Central Hospital, Mzuzu, Malawi, participating in a global surgery rotation. Our TEAM Malawi’s LIGHT (Leading Innovation in Global Health Technology) undergraduate research program has 10 projects, engaging 60 students from 19 majors for the Spring 2025 semester, all mapping to specific UN SDGs. Again, I want to thank you for supporting our global health programs, and the great value we have experienced.