Years after envisioning a smarter, more accessible approach to HIV drug resistance (HIVDR) testing, Nuttada Panpradist’s research continues to transform lives while coming full circle to the country that first sparked her mission.
Panpradist, an assistant professor in The Department of Biomedical Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin, is collaborating with University of Washington professor Barry Lutz, Harvard University clinician Dr. Holly Rawizza, and researchers at Jos University Teaching Hospital in Nigeria to develop rapid HIVDR tests.
Why the research matters
Every day in Nigeria, far too many children are born into a struggle they never asked for—some 22,000 infants acquire HIV each year and thousands more are living with the virus from birth or childhood.
Today, an estimated 160,000 Nigerian children under the age of 15 are living with HIV, yet only a fraction—around 32% to 35%—are receiving the life-saving treatment they desperately need. This results in approximately 15,000 children dying annually from AIDS-related illnesses, sometimes as many as 300 each week. (Source: https://www.unicef.org)
The goal
The project aims to protect the effectiveness of life-saving HIV treatment for children. Panpradist and her team will measure how often drug resistance develops in children who are being treated with one of the more novel HIV medications known as Dolutegravir and identify the specific resistance markers. Panpradist will work closely with Nigerian researchers and community partners to co-create rapid, low-cost diagnostic tests that can detect these resistance markers at the point of care.
How it could help human health
By detecting drug resistance early, children can be switched to medicines that still work before their health worsens. Faster, more accessible testing means less time on ineffective treatment, fewer complications, and lower risk of transmitting resistant virus to others. Co-creating these tools with local experts and communities ensures that the technology is relevant, sustainable, and strengthens Nigeria’s own capacity to respond to HIV.
Together, these efforts will help preserve the power of current HIV medicines and improve long-term health outcomes for children and ultimately have a significant impact on the 44-year-old AIDS epidemic that infects 1.3 million people a year and is estimated by the World Health Organization to have killed more than 42 million people.
What comes next
Once validated, the point-of-care test can be integrated into routine pediatric HIV care as part of a standard protocol. Clinicians will be able to quickly detect drug resistance and tailor treatment regimens to each child’s needs. Over time, this treatment methodology could be adopted into national guidelines, shift pediatric HIV care toward precision medicine and ensure equitable access to effective, individualized treatment in Nigeria and other high-risk areas.
WRITTEN BY JOSHUA KLEINSTREUER
