The GABRIEL network includes 21 research units working in 16 countries worldwide.
The GABRIEL network is coordinated by the Medical and Scientific Department at the Mérieux Foundation and brings together Rodolphe Mérieux Laboratories and institutions from academic research, hospitals, and universities in resource-limited countries.
Dr. Marilda Siqueira, Researcher at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), Head of the Respiratory Virus Laboratory, National Influenza Center, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
The power of a research network
With more than 70 scientists working across the globe, the GABRIEL network aims to promote the exchange of information, experience and skills to help establish surveillance programmes, clinical research and epidemiological studies that improve the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of infectious diseases.
The various research projects developed and coordinated within the network mostly concern acute respiratory infections (pneumonia, flu, COVID-19), tuberculosis and a “One Health” approach to antimicrobial resistance.
More than 950 scientific articles have been published in peer-reviewed journals by researchers in the GABRIEL network since 2008.
A triple objective
The GABRIEL network has three objectives:
- To publish and share the expertise, tools, and knowledge required for advanced applied research in emerging countries, particularly in the field of pathogenic agent identification and caracterization.
- To conduct international, collaborative epidemiological studies in conjunction with people working in local healthcare and biomedical research.
- To help improve public health policies by introducing surveillance studies and generating reliable and accurate epidemiological data.
Support for laboratories
The GABRIEL network has enabled several training modules to be organized for laboratory personnel, academic research teams and healthcare professionals.
More than 50 sessions have been organized to train 700 scientists. These training sessions cover topics such as molecular biology and next generation sequencing and bioinformatics.
Several e-learning training modules are also available on the GABRIEL network’s website. They cover molecular biology, epidemiology, clinical research, biobanks and the diagnosis of arboviruses.
The GABRIEL network also supports member laboratories in fulfilling the international requirements for attaining ISO15189 certification. This is part of a quality initiative launched by the Mérieux Foundation in 2014.
Governance
The GABRIEL network is led by the Medical and Scientific Department at the Mérieux Foundation in Lyon, which plays a supporting and coordinating role in research activities.
A Steering Committee, chaired by Professor Jean-William Pape, Director of the GHESKIO Centres in Haiti, supervises the implementation of activities.
GABRIEL: 21 members in 16 countries
- Bangladesh: Bangladesh Institute of Tropical and Infectious Diseases (BITID)
- Bangladesh: Institute for developing Science and Health initiatives (ideSHi)
- Bangladesh: International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b)
- Brazil: Institute of Tropical Medicine of the University of Sao Paulo (IMT-SP)
- Brazil: Instituto Oswaldo Cruz
- Brazil: Laboratório Nacional de Computação Científica
- Burkina Faso: Laboratoire des Pathogènes Emergents et Ré-émergents, Sanou Souro University Hospital, Bobo-Dioulasso
- Cambodia: Faculty of Health Sciences in Phnom Penh (Rodolphe Mérieux Laboratory)
- Cameroon: Centre Pasteur du Cameroun
- China: Institute of Biology at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (Christophe Mérieux Laboratory)
- Democratic Republic of the Congo: Rodolphe Mérieux Laboratory, INRB, Goma
- Georgia: National Centre for Tuberculosis and Lung Disease
- Haiti: GHESKIO centres (Rodolphe Mérieux Laboratory)
- India: King George’s Medical University
- Laos: Ministry of Health (Rodolphe Mérieux Laboratory)
- Lebanon: Saint Joseph University (Rodolphe Mérieux Laboratory)
- Lebanon: Lebanese University of Tripoli
- Madagascar: University of Antananarivo (Rodolphe Mérieux Laboratory)
- Mali: Charles Mérieux Centre for Infectious Diseases (Rodolphe Mérieux Laboratory)
- Paraguay: National University of Asunción
- Republic of the Congo: Congolese Foundation for Medical Research, Brazzaville