The IPOPI Research Grant Programme is a new initiative aimed at promoting scientific and clinical research in the field of primary immunodeficiencies.  

This first grant call in 2024 supported by Grifols ran between April and August, inviting applicants from all over to world to seize the opportunity to fuel innovation in the field with patient-centred and knowledge generating projects.  

IPOPI is pleased to announce the winners of the IPOPI Research Grant Programme 2024, who will benefit of funding for 2 years to carry the following projects: 

• Dr Geeta Govindaraj 

• • Affiliation: School of Family Health Studies, Kerala University of Health Sciences and FPID Regional Diagnostic Centre, Government Medical College, Kozhikode, India.
    • Project Title: Integrating Tiered Screening for Severe Inborn Errors of Immunity with Routine Newborn Screening: A patient-centered, precision
      health approach.
    • This project aims to implement screening of primary immunodeficiencies in the currently available newborn screening tests for high risk families in North Kerala, assuring counselling and follow-up along with the collection of data to implement this tiered approach in India.

• Ms Cynthia Olotch 

• • Affiliation: Primary Immunodeficiencies Association, Kenya.
    • Project Title: Opportunities for Enhancing Healthcare in Africa through Public Private Partnerships with a Focus on Plasma Fractionation.
    • This research aims to explore the potential of Public-Private Partnerships to address plasma-derived medicinal products challenges in Africa, with a specific focus on strengthening the role of regional initiatives, harmonizing regulatory practices, and improving access to quality medicine.

• Dr Intan Juliana Abd Hamid 

• • Affiliation: Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases Group, Department of Clinical Medicine, Institut Perubatan & Pergigian Termaju, Universiti Sains, Malaysia.
    • Project Title: Longitudinal Analysis of Mental Health Trajectories in Children and Adolescents with Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases.
    • This project will focus on the examination of the psychosocial predictors of children’s mental health outcomes when living with PID from the perspectives of their caregivers in Malaysia, with a particular emphasis on the association between caregiver factors and child recovery.

• Dr Anastasiia Bondarenko & Dr Yuriy Stepanovskyy 

• • Affiliation: Ukrainian Association of Pediatric Immunology, Ukraine.
    • Project Title: Selective screening of hospitalized patients with serious bronchopulmonary infections for PID by measuring serum antibodies IgG,
      IgM, and IgA.
    • This project will select hospitals in Ukrainian regions with the lowest rates of PID diagnosis and conduct a selective screening to advocate for the improvement of diagnostics in the country.

We wish the best of luck and success to these projects and wish to thank everyone who applied. 

At every Global Patients’ Meeting, the IPOPI community comes together to honour outstanding contributions to the primary immunodeficiency (PID) field through the PID Champion Awards. On October 17, 2024, individuals and organisations whose efforts have made a significant impact were celebrated during a sparkling award ceremony.

The prestigious LeBien Award was presented to Prof Aziz Bousfiha (Morocco), a long-time supporter of IPOPI and a key member of our Medical Advisory Panel. A pioneer in PID care in Africa and founder of several PID societies, he has played a crucial role in improving diagnosis and treatment across the continent. Presented by the patient community, this award recognises his exceptional contributions to improving conditions for PID patients globally and honours the LeBien family’s legacy of dedication to the PID community, inspired by IPOPI’s visionary founder, Bob LeBien.

The Luciano Vassalli Award, which honours young individuals under 30 who have made a difference in the world of PIDs at the national level, was awarded to David Jimenez Gonzalez from Spain (AEDIP). As a board member of AEDIP and a PID patient, David has played a vital role in organising key events, attending political meetings, and supporting newly diagnosed individuals. He also actively engages in IPOPI meetings, sharing his personal experiences at various forums.

The B.I.G. Award, celebrating Bold, Innovative, and Game-changing projects, saw inspiring NMOs recognised for their impactful work. This award aims to acknowledge best practice projects from IPOPI members and to support benchmarking initiatives:

· 1st place: PIDPSB, Bangladesh, accepted by Iqbal Hossain (President).

· 2nd place: PID Tsubasa-no-Kai, Japan, accepted by Emi Homareda (Board Member).

· 3rd place: AAPPI, Algeria, accepted by Ali Nacer (President).

Congratulations to all the winners for their dedication and inspiring work in the PID community!

We would like to thank Kedrion for making this important event possible through their support with an unconditional grant.

Previous PID Champion Award winners