[In Depth] African HIV/tuberculosis institutes merge
Two prominent biomedical research institutes in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province announced that they plan to merge and form the Africa Health Research Institute. One of the partners, the Africa Centre for Population Health, has long focused on epidemiological and demographic studies. Its funder is the Wellcome Trust. The Howard Hughes Medical Institute founded the second partner, the KwaZulu-Natal Research Institute for Tuberculosis and HIV. The Africa Health Research Institute is a new lease on life for both struggling institutes, which plan to combine their clinical and basic research skills to address major research questions in both HIV and tuberculosis. The Wellcome Trust is eventually expected to take over, but, for now, both philanthropies are backing the endeavor. Author: Jon Cohen