ASTMH Travel Awards Assist Young Female Scientists & Physicians

Throughout March and April, all donations made to Parasites Without Borders (PWB) will be matched by the organization and donated to the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH), with a minimum pledged donation of $15,000 and a total gift of up to $30,000. A portion of these funds will help provide Travel Awards for three qualified female students, early-career investigators and trainees from low and low-middle income countries in the tropical medicine field to attend the 2023 ASTMH Annual Meeting, October 18-22 in Chicago.

“Last year was our first year exhibiting in-person at the highly regarded ASTMH Annual Meeting,” explained Dr. Daniel Griffin, MD, PhD, CTropMed, CTH, President of Parasites Without Borders. “We saw firsthand how important experiences gained at the five-day event are for those who attend. We’re honored to raise funds to help send three incredibly well-deserving young female scientists/doctors to the upcoming Annual Meeting.”

One in three attendees of the ASTMH Annual Meeting is a student or a trainee. A significant percentage of them hail from low and low-middle income countries. Awardees are selected by the Travel Awards Committee based on the scientific abstract they submit. Travel Award recipients participate in the meeting through oral or poster presentations. PWB-supported Travel Awards will be dedicated to female students or trainees from low and low-middle income countries who would not otherwise be able to attend.

“We are pleased to be partners with Parasites Without Borders again this year,” said ASTMH CEO Karen A. Goraleski. “We have a shared belief that offering opportunities to female students, trainees, and early-career researchers from low and low-middle income countries is an important investment to reduce the worldwide burden of tropical infectious diseases and improving global health. Presenting research at the Annual Meeting, the premier international forum for scientific discourse in tropical medicine, hygiene, and global health, is a skills- and career-building experience that can benefit their careers for years to come.”