Led by Francisco C. Villafuerte (UPCH), Dionicia Gamboa (UPCH) and Pawel Swietach (Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, Oxofrd), the project will uncover the mechanisms underpinning this systemic condition and turn these insights into better, evidence-based care for a major public health problem that affects some of the most disadvantaged communities across the world.
CMS is common in the Andes and other highland regions, and include excessive production of red blood cells, persistent headaches, sleep disorders, breathlessness, and increased cardiovascular risk. The team will investigate a new explanation for the disease and test it using new tools developed in Oxford. This way, Peru will be the first low/middle income country to benefit from innovations developed in DPAG.
'This award lets us solve a fundamental scientific puzzle and deliver practical benefits to patients who have waited too long for tailored therapies. I am excited to be working with scientists and the affected communities across the Andes and see how our fundamental research can translate to benefits,' said DPAG’s Pawel Swietach.
The collaboration will also train Peruvian scientists in advanced analytics and create data resources to accelerate future research on oxygen-transport disorders.
You can also read this story on the Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics website.