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Dear Bay Area TB Science Community -
This spring is a busy stretch for CTB and UC TRAC, with major effort going into the UC TRAC renewal, a dozen other grant submissions, and follow‑through on World TB Day activities. Our investigators are helping bring TB squarely into wider infectious disease conversations at the 15th Annual CEND Symposium, From Discovery to Delivery: Infectious Disease Research at the Crossroads, including a focused session on “Tuberculosis: Ancient Enemy, Modern Battle.”
Our community is also contributing to global treatment innovation through initiatives such as the UNITE4TB consortium, while programs like TB DASH continue to support implementation science and capacity strengthening in high-burden settings. Thank you for your ongoing engagement across research, training, and practice as we move through this particularly active stretch of the year.
In community,
The CTB-UC TRAC Team
If you have news or photos you'd like us to include, please send them to us at ctb@ucsf.edu.
| | Center for Emerging & Neglected Diseases Symposium | | |
On World TB Day, the session “From Ideation to Implementation: Developing Research with Community Partners,” co-moderated by UCSF’s TB DASH team, explored best practices for meaningful community engagement in tuberculosis research and programmatic implementation. Supported by Johnson & Johnson, TB DASH aims to create a global framework that supports health workers on the frontlines to address barriers to TB care.
UC TRAC Community Advisory Board member, Tariro Kutadza (bottom right), and TB DASH Community Technical Advisor, Nyiko Kubai (top right), highlighted the importance of centering lived experience in shaping programmatic intervention priorities and design and ensuring tangible support for affected communities.
TB DASH is building global consensus on the most impactful actions health workers can take to address TB underdiagnosis, and developing a web-based, interactive tool to support evidence-informed decision-making The Global Framework and accompanying tool will be formally launched at The Union World Conference on Lung Health 2026.
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Trials to Watch: Phase III TB vaccines and MDR-TB treatments
Payam Nahid, MD and Patrick Phillips, PhD
Payam and Patrick were interviewed by Clinical Trials Arena, highlighting growing momentum in late-stage TB trials. Patrick emphasized the promise of new regimens like quabodepistat to replace more toxic drugs, improve safety, and potentially shorten treatment duration for MDR-TB. Payam underscored a broader shift in the field toward balancing shorter treatment courses with better tolerability, aiming to make TB therapies more practical and effective for both patients and providers.
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Nora West, PhD, MPH
Contribution to draft WHO Target Regimen Profiles
Nora West contributed the qualitative portions of the draft WHO Target Regimen Profiles for long-acting injectable TB regimens, developed through a consultation with TAG. Her work helped shape a foundational document designed to align emerging LAI regimen development with the needs of people affected by TB, national programs, and global public health goals.
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Sophie Huddart, PhD
TB Elimination Alliance: TB Elimination Alliance provided updates on April 10th regarding the epidemic and to equip participants with advocacy strategies to support increased TB funding and engagement with state legislators. Sophie Huddart was one of the speakers, representing Together Against TB. Link to recording.
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Suzanne Dufault, PhD
UNITE4TB: UCSF CTB was represented at the 2026 UNITE4TB Annual Meeting in Munich last week. Dr. Suzanne Dufault joined a panel with Dr. Cliff Barry and others discussing how disease heterogeneity can guide treatment duration, and highlighting the importance of integrating clinical insight, robust data, and patient experience to shape the future of TB care.
| | National Tuberculosis Conference | June 8-12 | |
The 2026 National TB Conference will be held June 8-12, 2026 in Palm Springs, CA.
The NTC will feature a special session for early-stage investigators from all six TRACs. ESIs from UCSF and UC Berkeley are highly encouraged to attend and submit an abstract for this session.
Abstract Deadline for UCSF and UC Berkeley early-stage investigators: May 15, 2026.
See submission details (UCSF/UCB ESI have an extended deadline).
NTC is organized in partnership with the National TB Coalition of America (NTCA) and California TB Controllers Association (CTCA).
| UC TRAC Global Fellowship | |
The UC TRAC Global Fellowship is now accepting applications for its third cohort through May 30. The UC TRAC Global Fellowship is a mentoring and training opportunity for early-stage investigators from and working in high-burden LMICs engaged in TB research. Applicants must be working in TB research affiliated with UCSF or UC Berkeley and have a UCSF- or UC Berkeley–based mentor.
Selected Fellows will participate in TB RAMP for one year and receive professional development funding, including support for travel to an international TB conference. See UC TRAC Global Fellow webpage for more details.
Deadline for applications is May 30, 2026.
| AIDS Walk SF Team for CTB | |
Join our AIDS Walk SF Team: UCSF CTB Together Against TB – 0380, and start fundraising by setting up your account here. Last year, our team raised over $4,000 in support of Together Against TB, with a matching contribution from AIDS Walk SF of an additional $10,000—help us build on that momentum!
TB remains the leading cause of death among people living with HIV/AIDS, and in San Francisco, individuals facing both diseases need our support more than ever. Together Against TB provides direct aid—food, housing support, and essential supplies—to people undergoing TB treatment in our community. When you donate to our team, you're ensuring that no one faces TB treatment alone.
For questions, please contact the AIDS Walk San Francisco office at 415.615.WALK. Special thanks to Sophie Huddart and TAT for organizing our team!
| | TB Prevention Guidebook Webinar: May 8th | | |
TB Free California is hosting its annual Guidebook webinar training for medical providers at FQHCs, CHCs, and university health centers who serve patients at higher risk of TB. Attendees will learn how to measure the LTBI care cascade and develop QI initiatives around TB prevention. Click here to register. If you have any questions, please reach out to Katya.Salcedo@cdph.ca.gov.
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TB RAMP Applications due April 30
The UCSF TB Research and Mentorship Program (TB RAMP) invites early-stage investigators at UCSF and UC Berkeley to apply for the next cohort by April 30. TB RAMP supports emerging TB researchers through structured mentorship, targeted career development, and access to a dynamic, multidisciplinary research community.
Biostats Core Services
The UCSF Center for Tuberculosis Biostatistics Core provides expert biostatistical support for TB research—from study design and sample size calculations to data analysis and statistical reporting. To request an initial consultation, submit a request through the CTSI portal (please mention tuberculosis), or feel free to reach out to TB.Biostats@ucsf.edu.
Clinical Consultation Service
The UC TRAC Clinical Core Consultation service is offered to UCSF and UC Berkeley TB researchers, as well as those new to TB, via the UCSF Clinical & Translational Science Institute (CTSI) across a broad range of research methods. Submit a request for consultation.
| | Celebrating International Nurses Day: May 12th | | |
Join in to honor the remarkable contributions of nurses worldwide on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, from 4-6pm. Take this opportunity to hear inspiring speakers, expand your professional network, celebrate the achievements of UCSF Center for Global Nursing members, and participate in an exciting raffle with the chance to win prizes. Mission Hall, Room 1400. Register to attend.
| | TAG is proud to release their latest factsheet on near point-of-care (NPOC) tuberculosis (TB) tests - a practical guide for communities and advocates to secure funding and policy uptake of NPOC tests through Global Fund GC8 funding requests. | |
Need a mental break? Need to blow off some steam? Then we have the game for you! Jason M. developed TB Eradicator, where you blow up TB, one bacterium at a time. He also graciously added a donate button for folks to donate to Stop TB USA. Atari-style gaming for an amazing cause? What’s not to love!?! Play now at: https://tberadicator.com/
| | Papers of Potential Interest | | RESIST-TB and the TB Modelling and Analysis Consortium shares a monthly list of publications related to TB. You can see the list at this link. | | | | |
