published medical research papers

An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

• Publications
• Account settings

Trending Articles

• Ontogeny of Skin Stem Cells and Molecular Underpinnings. Dermitzakis I, et al. Curr Issues Mol Biol. 2024. PMID: 39194698 Free PMC article. Review.
• Phage-triggered reverse transcription assembles a toxic repetitive gene from a noncoding RNA. Wilkinson ME, et al. Science. 2024. PMID: 39208082
• Dysregulation of muscle cholesterol transport in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Sapaly D, et al. Brain. 2024. PMID: 39197036
• PD-1 signaling limits expression of phospholipid phosphatase 1 and promotes intratumoral CD8 + T cell ferroptosis. Ping Y, et al. Immunity. 2024. PMID: 39208806
• Characterizing Long COVID in Children and Adolescents. Gross RS, et al. JAMA. 2024. PMID: 39196964

Latest Literature

• Cancer Res (3)
• Circ Res (1)
• J Am Coll Cardiol (3)
• J Neurosci (4)
• Nat Commun (46)
• Nature (12)
• Nucleic Acids Res (5)
• Pediatrics (3)
• Sci Rep (111)

NCBI Literature Resources

MeSH PMC Bookshelf Disclaimer

The PubMed wordmark and PubMed logo are registered trademarks of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Unauthorized use of these marks is strictly prohibited.

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( Lock A locked padlock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

MEDLINE is the National Library of Medicine's (NLM) premier bibliographic database that contains references to journal articles in life sciences, with a concentration on biomedicine. See the MEDLINE Overview page for more information about MEDLINE.

MEDLINE content is searchable via PubMed and constitutes the primary component of PubMed, a literature database developed and maintained by the NLM National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI).

Last Reviewed: February 5, 2024

An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

• Publications
• Account settings

Preview improvements coming to the PMC website in October 2024. Learn More or Try it out now .

• Advanced Search
• Journal List
• Springer Nature - PMC COVID-19 Collection
• PMC10160711

The Emergence of Mpox: Epidemiology and Current Therapeutic Options

Samriddhi ranjan.

1 College of Public Health, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive Fairfax, Fairfax, VA 22030 USA

Kanupriya Vashishth

2 Advance Cardiac Centre Department of Cardiology, PGIMER, Chandigarh, 160012 India

3 NGO Praeventio, Tartu, Estonia

Hardeep Singh Tuli

4 Department of Biotechnology, Maharishi Markandeshwar Engineering College, Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to Be University), Mullana-Ambala, Haryana, 133207 India

Associated Data

This document includes citations for all the data that were analysed throughout the literature review.

The world recently witnessed the emergence of new epidemic outbreaks like COVID-19 and mpox. The 2022 outbreak of mpox amid COVID-19 presents an intricate situation and requires strategies to combat the status quo. Some of the challenges to controlling an epidemic include present knowledge of the disease, available treatment options, appropriate health infrastructures facilities, current scientific methods, operations concepts, availability of technical staff, financial funds, and lastly international policies to control an epidemic state. These insufficiencies often hinder the control of disease spread and jeopardize the health of countless people. Also, disease outbreaks often put a huge burden on the developing economies. These countries are the worst affected and are immensely dependent on assistance provided from the larger economies to control such outbreaks. The first case of mpox was reported in the 1970s and several outbreaks were detected thereafter in the endemic areas eventually leading to the recent outbreak. Approximately, more than 80,000 individuals were infected, and 110 countries were affected by this outbreak. Yet, no definite vaccines and drugs are available to date. The lack of human clinical trials affected thousands of individuals in availing definite disease management. This paper focuses on the epidemiology of mpox, scientific concepts, and treatment options including future treatment modalities for mpox.

Introduction

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, another public health concern emerged as a potential threat to afflict people globally, i.e. an abrupt increase in the incidence of mpox (monkeypox) cases. Indeed, starting from mid-May 2022, cases of human mpox have significantly risen in several non-endemic countries worldwide, leading to the declaration of the ongoing outbreak of mpox as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) by the World Health Organization (WHO) in July 2022 [ 1 , 2 ]. Mpox disease is caused by the mpox virus (MPXV), a double-stranded DNA virus from the Orthopoxvirus genus, belonging to the Poxviridae family [ 2 , 3 ]. The same genus includes the variola virus, a known causative agent of smallpox [ 2 ]. Genetically, MPXV is identified with two types of clads. Clad I, also known as Congo Basin clad, is mostly clustered in the Central-South Cameroon region till DRC. Infections from this clad are more severe with case fatality rates (CRF) > 10%. Clad II also referred to as West African clad, commonly distributed in western Cameroon to the Sierra Leon area, is further divided into sub-clad groups as IIa and IIb (also now referred to as clad III) having a CRF < 1% [ 4 , 5 ]. Overall reported human case fatality rates (CFRs) range between 3.6 and 10.6% in the endemic regions [ 2 ]. In the current 2022 outbreak, clad IIb was predominant [ 6 , 7 ]. To date, the exact animal reservoir for the mpox virus (MPXV) has remained unknown. However, few native African rodents (Gambian giant rats) and squirrels are suspected to be natural reservoirs of the virus. Common species which were frequently infected with MPXV are squirrels, Gambian giant rats, strip mice, dormice, and primates [ 8 ].

Emergence of Mpox

The first outbreak of mpox was reported in 1958 in a group of 10 captive monkeys at the Statens Seruminstitut, Copehengan, Denmark, and Centre d’Enseignement et de Recherches de Medecine aeronautique, Paris. No human infection was reported in individuals who were in close contact with infected monkeys. Subsequently, the mpox outbreak occurred for the first time in humans between 1970 to 1971 [ 9 ]. The first case was reported in a 9-month-old boy residing in a remote village of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), admitted to a local hospital suspected of smallpox infection. Samples from infected individuals were sent to the WHO Smallpox Reference Center, Moscow, revealing mpox infections in virus isolates [ 10 ]. When inspected from family, monkeys were part of the diet, and their skins were also processed in this area. However, no other cases including secondary infections were reported in the community. Nonetheless, seven more cases were reported during this time period [ 9 ]. The World Health Organization in 1967 took the initiative to collaborate with laboratories to conduct cooperative studies. This was to conduct serological surveys, identify mpox outbreaks, and determine the natural foci of the virus. However, these surveys failed to state any major findings and concluded mpox is not a widespread disease and can exist only in the local environment [ 9 ]. Ever since, there has been a subsequent upsurge of mpox cases, mostly recorded in the DRC province. Approximately, 80% of the cases were reported in this region from the years 1970–1997 [ 11 ]. For the past five decades, DRC is the most affected country with mpox; no other country had reported an mpox outbreak to such an extent [ 12 ].

The initial mpox outbreak that was reported in DRC mostly affected children below 10 years of age. A slight male predominance was observed in the systemic review conducted by Beer and Rao [ 11 ]. Most of the initial outbreaks occurred among individuals living in small rural areas or residing close to humid evergreen tropical forests or individuals commonly involved with bushmeat hunting [ 11 ]. Geographically, the spread of infection from 1970 to 2003 concentrated in the Central and Western parts of Africa (Table 1). Countries which frequently reported infections were Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Gabon, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Nigeria, and Cote d’Ivoire, yet greater outbreaks were mostly detected in DRC [ 13 ]. An active surveillance programme was carried out by WHO between the years 1981 to 1986 reporting total confirmed cases of 338 and 33 deaths, an almost 20 times rise in the reported case after the surveillance [ 10 , 11 ]. A slight drop in the incidence of disease was observed between the period of 1993–1995. But soon after, DRC witnessed a major outbreak from 1996–1997 [ 13 ]. A total of 511 cases were recorded with a surge in secondary transmission rates of up to 78% and a fatality rate between 1 and 5% [ 10 , 13 ].

In 2003, the mpox outbreak occurred for the first time in the USA, outside the African continent. The index case was a 3-year-old girl, bitten by an infected prairie dog, imported from Ghana along with other African rodents to the USA [ 14 ]. A total of 71 cases were reported, including both suspected and laboratory-confirmed cases, as per the CDC report [ 15 ]. During the period of 2005, mpox was registered for the first time in the dry savannah region of Sudan. Overall, 40 cases both suspected and confirmed were recorded. In this outbreak, a change in the genomic structure of MPXV was observed as compared to the MPXV traditionally reported in DRC suggesting the adaptability of MPVX in dry regions from humid evergreen tropical forests [ 10 ]. In the year 2018, mpox travelled for the first time to the UK and was reported in the European continent. Only two cases were registered, in individuals, which had a travel history to Nigeria [ 16 ]. Nevertheless, with the advent of 2022, the world saw a major outbreak of mpox (Table ​ (Table1 1 ).

Decade-wise spread of mpox across different countries between 1970 and 2020 9,10

Mpox Outbreak 2022

Mpox is endemic in Central and West Africa, where hundreds of cases were detected annually for many years, acquired mostly from wild animals and most rarely from infected humans [ 1 , 3 ], which results in a sporadic spillover of cases in humans as observed in the MPVX endemic regions [ 5 ]. However, in the 2022 outbreak of mpox, most of the cases were reported in non-endemic countries like N. America, S. America, and Europe (Fig.  1 ) [ 17 ]. Although the origin of the 2022 outbreak is still unknown, it is highly likely that the initial infection has been imported from an endemic country, allowing the circulation of the virus through close physical contacts among humans [ 1 , 18 ]. For the first time, mpox was documented with transmission chains in countries which had no immediate contact with Central or Western Africa [ 19 , 20 ]. This suggests a probability of undetected MPXV circulating in the local population in the outbreak-hit regions causing disease transmission in humans [ 17 ]. Being a DNA virus, mpox is more stable in nature and may have possibly evolved as a potent virus causing infections in humans in the due course of time [ 17 ]. Daniel et al. reported 6–12 times higher mutation rates in mpox as previously estimated [ 6 ]. Human to human transmissibility of mpox has also evolved in these decades [ 21 , 22 ]. Vertical infection of mpox has been also reported. Pregnant mothers infected with mpox had miscarriages during the first trimester of pregnancy [ 6 ]. Perinatally acquired mpox infection was registered in a 9-day year old neonate as well [ 23 ]. Transmissibility of infection within the family especially from parents to children have also been stated to increase [ 20 , 22 ]. The degree of transmissibility of the diseases, popularly known as R 0 , reported in the 1980 for mpox was 0.83. However, in the 2022 outbreak, the R 0 reported was 1.1–2.4 [ 21 , 24 ]. Pan et al. suggested the increase in the R 0 is due to decreased immunity of individuals due to the absence of smallpox immunization and high contact rates of infection in the MSM community [ 6 ].

Countries reporting mpox historically vs countries reporting an mpox outbreak as recorded in an early March 2023 report by CDC 19

As per the WHO, till 17 March 2023, the total confirmed cases for mpox were 86,601, with 1265 probable cases reported with 112 deaths. Globally, 110 countries were affected by mpox so far (Fig.  2 ) [ 20 ]. Approximately 34.7% of cases were reported in America, the worst affected country [ 20 ]. Majority of the infection occurred through household contacts (43%) and by sexual encounters (43%) [ 20 , 22 ]. Commonly affected individuals were young males who were not vaccinated against smallpox and have had sex with men. There was a slight male predisposition, with the median age reported as 34 years (IQR: 29–41). Around, 98% of individuals who were infected were either gay or bisexual, among which 41% of the people were HIV infected [ 4 ].

Mpox number of cases and deaths recorded in early March 2023 across the continent as per the report by CDC 19

On 23 July 2022, mpox was declared a public health emergency by the Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), depicting a risk of international spread, along with significant international coordination to control the disease [ 25 ].

Clinical presentation of this disease includes three distinct phases, i.e. incubation, prodrome, and rash [ 2 ]. The incubation period can last for 3 to 20 days with the median being 7 days followed by the prodrome phase that is characterized by lethargy, myalgia, headache, fever, and lymphadenopathy which may last up to 5 days (Fig.  3 ) [ 2 , 4 , 18 ]. Lymphadenopathy is one of the critical features of the progression of the disease and often reported before the development of skin lesions [ 18 ]. Fever is usually followed by multiple papular, ulcerative, and vesiculopustular skin lesions [ 4 ], which progress from macules to papules, vesicles, pustules, crusts, and lastly scab, presenting for up to 4 weeks [ 2 , 18 ]. In 95% of the cases, skin lesions appears [ 4 ]. Common anatomical sites for skin lesions were anogenital with approximately 73% of cases followed by trunk, arms or legs, face, and eventually palms and soles, only accounting for 10% of the cases. Lesions developed contain infectious virus particles, through which the infection can be transmitted directly with human contacts [ 2 ]. Secondary complications include pneumonia, encephalitis, keratitis, gastroenteritis, sepsis, and secondary bacterial infections, affecting mostly patients with a previous diagnosis of HIV infection [ 2 , 4 , 5 ].

Common features reported in mpox infection 4

Current Treatment Modalities and Prevention

The strategy for the prevention and treatment of mpox is very similar to the treatment of Orthomyxovirus infection [ 26 ]. The 2022 outbreak revealed the urgency to control the spread of mpox as it has caused a potential threat in many countries [ 27 ]. Presently, there is no definitive cure for mpox infection, mild symptoms are manageable, and further complications can be avoided in patients with mpox with the help of supportive care [ 28 , 29 ]. Studies have depicted that patients with mild symptoms recover without any treatment [ 30 – 32 ]. Treatment options available for smallpox are also effective in the treatment of mpox, as the clinical presentation of mpox and smallpox is very similar. These include the vaccinia vaccine, vaccinia immune globulin (IVG), and antiviral agents such as cidofovir, tecovirimat, and brincidofovir [ 32 ]. Furthermore, CDC recommends the use of the potential treatment options should be done depending upon the severity of the cases and for serious emergency cases, as the current drugs pose severe adverse effects, and their therapeutic efficacy is still uncertain [ 33 ]. Antiviral drugs are a choice of treatment in immunocompromised patients, in patients with complicated lesions, in pregnant women infected with mpox, in breast-feeding women, and in the paediatric population [ 34 ]. Tecovirimat is the first line of action antiviral recommended for the treatment of smallpox; it works by inhibiting the viral envelope protein, thereby blocking the final steps of virus maturation and release from infected cells, inhibiting the spread. As per the CDC guidelines, emergency access use of tecovirimat is allowed for compassionate use, for the treatment of Orthopoxvirus infections, such as mpox [ 35 , 36 ]. Cidofovir and its oral analogue brincidofovir are commonly approved drugs for the treatment of smallpox; both act by inhibiting viral DNA polymerase. Different studies have evaluated the effect of brincidofovir against Orthopoxvirus infections [ 37 ]. Studies done by Lanier et al. and others on the effect of cidofovir and brincidofovir have been evaluated for mpox with some success [ 34 , 37 ]. As per the recommended guidelines by CDC, preexposure smallpox vaccination has been advised for veterinarians, monkeypox contacts, healthcare workers caring for mpox patients, researchers, and field investigators [ 38 ]. Prior immunization with the smallpox vaccine has demonstrated some proven protective effects against mpox due to the cross-protective immunity provided by the smallpox vaccine. Furthermore, the severity of clinical manifestations is also reduced [ 39 ]. Currently, three available smallpox vaccines with the US national stockpile, i.e. JYNNEOSTM, ACAM2000, have been licenced (2007) for smallpox, the most recent being Aventis Pasteur Smallpox Vaccine (APSV) which could be potentially used for mpox on a case-to-case basis, under an investigational new drug (IND) protocol. JYNNEOSTM, a third-generation and live viral vaccine, is produced from the modified vaccinia Ankara-Bavarian Nordic [ 40 – 42 ]. Licenced in 2019, JYNNEOSTM is an attenuated non-replicating orthopoxvirus. It is now indicated for both smallpox and mpox prevention for adults. Further, ACAM2000, a second-generation vaccine constituted of live vaccinia virus, under the emergency access ACAM2000 is allowed for mpox during the outbreak. Researchers have demonstrated that these vaccines can be used as pre- and post-treatment options, i.e. either in preventing the infection and the disease or in ameliorating the infection and disease [ 34 , 43 , 44 ]. Studies have demonstrated that pregnant women, children less than 8 years of age, and immunocompromised patients should be given antiviral treatment than vaccination. These vaccines, although approved, have shown some local and systematic side effects such as fever, muscle pain, vaccinia, abdominal and back pain, fatigue, headache, lymphadenopathy, etc. [ 42 – 44 ]. Researchers have also highlighted the need for maintaining appropriate social barriers such as avoiding close contact with affected individuals, avoiding contact with skin lesions of individuals infected with MPXV, etc. [ 44 – 46 ]. Vaccinia immune globulin intravenous (VIGIV) is a choice of treatment in case of severe infection with mpox, though there is a paucity of data about its effectiveness in treating mpox. VIGIV is also under SNS and can be administered under investigational new drugs held by CDC [ 29 , 30 , 47 – 49 ]. Therefore, the treatment options and the repurposing of vaccines need to be considered on a case-to-case basis depending on the severity of cases and the immune state of patients [ 50 ] (Fig. ​ (Fig.4 4 ).

A Symptoms and B mechanism of action of mpox antiviral therapy: cidofovir, brincidofovir, vaccinia immune globulin, and tecovirimat [ 50 ] 

Key Fundamental Findings of the Narrative Review

Some major key findings related to mpox are as follows: mpox was solely endemic to the region of DRC [ 11 ]. There has been a slow and steady increase in mpox cases which has adapted itself to develop into the current outbreak. Secondly, the 1996–1997 DRC outbreak highlighted the increase in secondary transmission rates of mpox, potentially getting adapted to spread in the human population [ 13 ]. Thirdly, the MPXV had adapted to thrive itself from the humid evergreen regions to the dry savannah region of Sudan, as observed in the 2005 outbreak, thus further demonstrating its environmental adaptability to flourish [ 10 ]. Lastly, international travel and commerce have given a wider chance for the disease to spread as reported in the 2003 and 2018 outbreaks of mpox in the USA and the UK [ 14 , 16 ]. All these above factors have led to the 2022 outbreak of mpox, affecting every continent across the globe (Fig.  5 ).

Global spread of mpox in 2023 outbreak 19

Most of the consistent outbreak guidelines available from WHO or CDC only account for people with a high risk of exposure; these guidelines are based on the best available evidence which is based upon risk–benefit analysis and other factors [ 51 ]. Available drugs for the treatment of choice are also limited and lack evidence-based studies in humans [ 29 , 30 , 48 ]. This depicts an extensive need to increase the sustainable funding option to enhance our understanding of the development of new drugs and vaccines to curtail the spread of mpox.

Implication in Future Research

The environmental, behavioural, and social reasons behind the 2022 mpox outbreak remain unknown to date [ 1 ]. A deeper understanding of mpox genetics and biochemistry is essential to control its outbreak. It is currently unclear how mpox is closely related and linked to the viral strain that is primarily found in western Africa, as well as the potential routes of rapid transmission. To further understand the immune defence mechanisms against MPXV, more research is needed on the human systemic and mucosal immune responses. As DNA viruses are more adept to correct mutations; therefore, it is unlikely that the mpox virus will suddenly change during human transmission [ 24 , 52 ]. It is yet unknown, whether vaccinations and earlier infections have given the population immunity. Additionally, exploratory studies are required to pinpoint the precise mpox virus reservoir, understand how the virus spreads naturally, and determine the causes of the present increase in cases across several nations. Currently, no potent drugs are available and limited evidence-based studies are being conducted for the treatment of mpox [ 29 ]. Most of the available choices of treatment are discussed in this paper (Fig.  6 ). Therefore, it becomes essential to investigate the domain of natural products with antiviral properties. This provides alternative treatment options, to prevent human to human spread of infection and restrict virus amplification in the host organisms. There is a recent increased interest among the scientific community to look into the numerous bioactivities of structurally unrelated natural compounds [ 53 , 54 ]. Plant-derived polyphenol resveratrol has beeb shown to significantly suppress replication of MPXV affecting probably the viral DNA synthesis and inducing a comparable effect to the well-characterized Orthopoxvirus inhibitor, i.e. cytosine-1-β- d -arabinofuranoside (AraC) [ 55 ]. Due to the pleiotropic action of natural compounds and lack of systemic toxicity, plant-derived agents may represent target compounds to be explored in future clinical trials to enrich the drug arsenal against Orthopoxvirus infections. Parallel to this, early detection of infected patients who are potentially capable of transmitting the infection is also crucial, pointing to the need for improved diagnosis (particularly in atypical clinical presentations and asymptomatic cases), and better availability of molecular tests. Besides, such continual efforts of preclinical scientists and pharmaceutical companies, availability of health infrastructures, and medical staff are of critical importance—a situation still aggravated by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. A high-risk patient population is possibly in danger of mpox nosocomial transmission and deserves more attention. Therefore, it is crucial to administer the proper supportive care [ 24 ]. Consequently, it is necessary to improve genomic sequencing capabilities to identify the mpox viral clade(s). The primary necessities are to combat the spread of mpox while dealing with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and to include suitable and timely information campaigns for people at risk. It is challenging to create an evidence-based classification of drug safety and effectiveness having a brief history of mpox. Further studies on various animal models, which may affect medication exposure, are also encouraged. The focus of larger research should be on identifying the patients who are most at risk for consequences from mpox infection as well as the best timing for initiating and completing antiviral therapy.

Different treatment modalities in mpox

The emergence of new diseases is one of the incessant threats which mankind can face. Persistent interference between the environment and humans creates an opportunity for new infections to evolve. Over 75% of the pathogens, which are newly emerging, are zoonotic in nature [ 56 ]. Several diseases like HIV/AIDS, Nipah, SARS, and Ebola including mpox have recently appeared. International travel and commerce and human behaviour often help disease to spread [ 56 ]. With the first emergence of mpox in 1958, little is still known about its reservoir host and vector of the disease. Despite repeated outbreaks of mpox over the past years, it has failed to gather scientific attention. There is a lack of understanding of mpox transmission dynamics and disease evolution. In the areas endemic to mpox, regular disease surveillance is lacking. This also includes the need to promote funding for capacity building required for surveillance of the disease, research activities, and testing facilities [ 17 , 57 ]. The role of central bodies like the World Health Organization plays a major role in controlling such outbreaks. However, non-compliance to guidelines and regulations by health agencies like WHO severely impacts the control measures [ 25 ]. Boosting vaccine development and effective drug development is essential to prevent future outbreaks. In addition, new plant-derived products could be further developed and can be promoted as they potentially have lesser side effects for mpox treatment.

Abbreviations

Author Contribution

SR, KV, and KS: conceptualization and writing; HST: editing and proofreading. All authors reviewed the manuscript.

Data Availability

Compliance with ethical standards.

Not applicable.

All authors have their consent to publish.

The authors declare no competing interests.

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Contributor Information

Samriddhi Ranjan, Email: ude.umg.evilnosam@najnars .

Kanupriya Vashishth, Email: [email protected] .

Katrin Sak, Email: [email protected] .

Hardeep Singh Tuli, Email: [email protected] .

Open Access Theses and Dissertations

Thursday, April 18, 8:20am (EDT): Searching is temporarily offline. We apologize for the inconvenience and are working to bring searching back up as quickly as possible.

Advanced research and scholarship. Theses and dissertations, free to find, free to use.

Advanced search options

Browse by author name (“Author name starts with…”).

Find ETDs with:

Written in any language English Portuguese French German Spanish Swedish Lithuanian Dutch Italian Chinese Finnish Greek Published in any country US or Canada Argentina Australia Austria Belgium Bolivia Brazil Canada Chile China Colombia Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Ireland Italy Japan Latvia Lithuania Malaysia Mexico Netherlands New Zealand Norway Peru Portugal Russia Singapore South Africa South Korea Spain Sweden Switzerland Taiwan Thailand UK US Earliest date Latest date

Sorted by Relevance Author University Date

Only ETDs with Creative Commons licenses

Results per page: 30 60 100

October 3, 2022. OATD is dealing with a number of misbehaved crawlers and robots, and is currently taking some steps to minimize their impact on the system. This may require you to click through some security screen. Our apologies for any inconvenience.

Recent Additions

See all of this week’s new additions.

About OATD.org

OATD.org aims to be the best possible resource for finding open access graduate theses and dissertations published around the world. Metadata (information about the theses) comes from over 1100 colleges, universities, and research institutions . OATD currently indexes 7,221,548 theses and dissertations.

About OATD (our FAQ) .

Visual OATD.org

We’re happy to present several data visualizations to give an overall sense of the OATD.org collection by county of publication, language, and field of study.

You may also want to consult these sites to search for other theses:

• Google Scholar
• NDLTD , the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations. NDLTD provides information and a search engine for electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs), whether they are open access or not.
• Proquest Theses and Dissertations (PQDT), a database of dissertations and theses, whether they were published electronically or in print, and mostly available for purchase. Access to PQDT may be limited; consult your local library for access information.

Indian Journal of Medical Research

• Subscribe to journal Subscribe
• Get new issue alerts Get alerts
• Submit a Manuscript

Secondary Logo

Journal logo, current issue.

February 2024 - Volume 159 - Issue 2

• Editor-in-Chief: Dr Samiran Panda
• ISSN: 0971-5916 (Print)
• Frequency: Monthly
• Impact Factor: 4.2

Colleague's E-mail is Invalid

Your message has been successfully sent to your colleague.

Save my selection

Current Issue Highlights

Navigating cancer care in india: reflections & imperatives.

Indian Journal of Medical Research. 159(2):117-119, February 2024.

• Permissions

Review Article

Genetic diversity of Mycobacterium leprae : Need to move towards genome-wide approaches

Indian Journal of Medical Research. 159(2):121-129, February 2024.

• Abstract Abstract
• Mycobacterium leprae</em>: Need to move towards genome-wide approaches', '04042024', 'Purna Dwivedi, Mukul Sharma, Afzal Ansari, et al', '159', '2', 'Copyright: \u00A9 2024 Indian Journal of Medical Research', '02223309-202402000-00002', '', true, '')" href="javascript:"> Permissions

Go to Full Text of this Article

Original Article

Evaluation of prescriptions from tertiary care hospitals across India for deviations from treatment guidelines & their potential consequences

Indian Journal of Medical Research. 159(2):130-141, February 2024.

Pharmacoeconomics of medicines used for geriatric individuals in a tertiary care hospital in Delhi

Indian Journal of Medical Research. 159(2):143-152, February 2024.

Emerging role of exosomes as a liquid biopsy tool for diagnosis, prognosis & monitoring treatment response of communicable & non-communicable diseases

Indian Journal of Medical Research. 159(2):163-180, February 2024.

Molecular detection of Orientia tsutsugamushi in ectoparasites & their small mammal hosts captured from scrub typhus endemic areas in Madurai district, India

Indian Journal of Medical Research. 159(2):180-192, February 2024.

• Orientia tsutsugamushi</em> in ectoparasites &amp; their small mammal hosts captured from scrub typhus endemic areas in Madurai district, India', '04042024', 'R. Govindarajan, S. Gowri Sankar, M. Senthil Kumar, et al', '159', '2', 'Copyright: \u00A9 2024 Indian Journal of Medical Research', '02223309-202402000-00007', '', true, '')" href="javascript:"> Permissions

Short Paper

Does Lake Louise questionnaire interpret high-altitude headache as acute mountain sickness? Experience in the western Himalayas

Indian Journal of Medical Research. 159(2):241-245, February 2024.

Evaluation of molecular diagnostic test for detection of adult pulmonary tuberculosis: A generic protocol

Indian Journal of Medical Research. 159(2):246-253, February 2024.

Correspondence

Low abundance of healthy bacteria in the gastric microbiota can be a potential biomarker for gastrointestinal diseases: A pilot study

Indian Journal of Medical Research. 159(2):254-258, February 2024.

• Policy: Review Article
• Policy: Original Article
• Programme: Original Article
• Practice: Review Article
• Practice: Original Article
• Practice: Short Paper
• Practice: Method
• Practice: Correspondence

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

• View all journals
• Explore content
• About the journal
• Publish with us
• Sign up for alerts
• CAREER FEATURE
• 02 September 2024

How can I publish open access when I can’t afford the fees?

• Nikki Forrester 0

Nikki Forrester is a science journalist based in Davis, West Virginia.

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Illustration: David Parkins

The problem

Dear Nature ,

I’m a paediatrician based in South Africa. Last year, my colleagues and I were invited to submit an editorial to a medical journal. We felt that the article, about medicine in resource-limited settings, should be published open access (OA) because it contains information that health-care workers and researchers in sub-Saharan Africa need access to. The problem is that the OA fee for that journal is US$1,000, which is more than most doctors earn per month in, say, Uganda. Now, we’re not sure whether we can move forward with the editorial. Are there any resources or funds available to authors in low-income countries to cover OA fees? — A paediatrician on a budget

Nature reached out to three researchers for tips on article processing charges (APCs). These fees can range from several hundred to thousands of dollars, and are requested by journals in return for making their articles OA — free for everyone to read.

According to a study published in 2023, the average fee for publishing an OA article is close to US$1,400 1 . OA fees can create significant barriers to publishing and sharing one’s work, especially for researchers based in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). For instance, among the top 40 journals in ecology, the average OA fee was $3,150, according to a 2021 study 2 . The authors described it as a hardship for African scholars, who typically do not receive grant funding and whose monthly salaries at the time of the study ranged from $365 to $2,300.

I’m worried I’ve been contacted by a predatory publisher — how do I find out?

Most scientific journals are transparent about their publishing fees, which are typically included in the author guidelines or stated on their website. “If a journal suddenly asks for payment” having not mentioned such a requirement initially, says Kit Magellan, an independent behavioural ecologist based in Siem Reap, Cambodia, “it is likely a predatory journal — run away!” Predatory journals present themselves as legitimate publications, but use the OA publishing model to dupe authors into paying them fees.

If the APCs for a legitimate journal are too steep for you to afford, there are multiple ways to tackle the cost. “The first thing to do is check in with your co-authors to see if they have any funds available,” says Magellan, because scientists might be eligible to have APCs covered by their grants or by funding organizations. If not, she recommends asking your institution if it provides researchers with financial support to publish OA.

Institutional support for APCs is highly variable, ranging from offering no funding to covering the full cost. “Processing fees can get prohibitively expensive,” says Thulani Makhalanyane, a microbial ecologist at Stellenbosch University in South Africa. “My institution will reimburse half the cost, but I still have to think about where the other half of that expense will come from.”

Both Magellan and Makhalanyane note that scientific societies often offer their members grants or financial support — separate from funding for day-to-day laboratory work — to pay for APCs. For example, in December 2023, the American Physical Society announced a partnership with the non-profit organization Research4Life to cover APCs for paper submissions from scientists in 100 LMICs. Since 2002, Research4Life has helped researchers at more than 11,500 institutions in 125 LMICs access peer-reviewed papers from over 200,000 journals and books. Other governmental partnerships and programmes, such as the European Commission’s Open Research Europe and the library partnership SCOAP , pay OA fees directly to publishers, to avoid publishers passing those costs on to authors.

Another option is to contact the journal you want to publish with, to see whether it can offer assistance or flexibility with APCs. When approaching a journal editor, Makhalanyane recommends being upfront and open about your budget. “Tell the editor you’d like to submit your paper to their journal because you think it’s a good fit, but that you can’t afford the fee,” he says. As a journal editor himself, Makhalanyane receives several OA fee waivers from the publisher each year that he can offer to researchers. “Most of these vouchers are never taken,” he adds.

Springer Nature was asked whether it provides assistance with APCs for researchers in LMICs. (Springer Nature publishes Nature , but the magazine’s careers team is editorially independent of its publisher.) “Enabling open-access equity remains a key part of our focus,” said a spokesperson, who made reference to the publisher’s waiver policy for fully OA journals, Transformative Agreements and partnerships with organizations such as Research4Life .

The spokesperson also noted that the company has an initiative for Nature and the Nature research journals that means that accepted papers by authors from more than 70 LMICs are published at no cost to them . Finally, a tiered-pricing pilot adjusts the APC on the basis of the lead author’s country of residence, the spokesperson said.

Other researchers who want to pursue the OA route wait until their paper is close to publication before approaching an editor about the cost. “I don’t consider budget issues when I submit papers,” says Noam Shomron, a genomicist and computational biologist at Tel Aviv University in Israel. The peer-review and publication process can span months to a year or longer, and researchers’ budgets can fluctuate drastically over that period, he explains. “If I’m running out of funding at the time, I just tell the publication I don’t have the money. Very often they give me a 10% or 20% discount, which is nice.” Even if a discount isn’t possible, Shomron says that journals might defer payment for a year or two.

Magellan, who also has experience as a journal editor, emphasizes that vouchers and fee waivers are meant for exceptional circumstances, in which the author lacks access to funding to cover APCs. For those who are paying the standard charges, she is keen to see more-flexible payment plans from publishers. “It would be good for journals to allow authors to pay in instalments so the APC vouchers can remain available for the people who really need it,” she says.

Collection: Careers toolkit

“The recent proliferation of online fee-paying journals seems to sometimes result in the perception that you have to pay to publish,” says Magellan. But researchers who can’t afford OA fees can still publish their work for free in many scientific journals, with the caveat that their articles might be hidden behind a paywall. “You can still share your article with colleagues in the field, use it in presentations and cite it; it just can’t be freely accessed,” she says. However, researchers at eligible institutions in LMICs can access paywalled papers through resources such as Hinari, a branch of Research4Life that provides access to thousands of medical and health journals.

“Submissions that come from the parts of the world where researchers can’t afford to publish are usually such a minor fraction of the papers that end up being published,” says Makhalanyane. “I would encourage people who want to publish and genuinely cannot afford the APCs to ask for vouchers. The fees shouldn’t stop you from showcasing your science in the best journals you can.”

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-02849-w

This is part of a series in Nature in which we share advice on career issues faced by readers. Have a problem? E-mail us at [email protected]

Borrego, Á. Learn. Publ. 36 , 359–378 (2023).

Article   Google Scholar  

Mekonnen, A. et al. Ecol. Lett. 25 , 711–715 (2022).

Article   PubMed   Google Scholar  

Download references

Related Articles

Intellectual property and data privacy: the hidden risks of AI

Career Guide 04 SEP 24

Exclusive: the papers that most heavily cite retracted studies

News 28 AUG 24

Chain retraction: how to stop bad science propagating through the literature

Comment 28 AUG 24

Tales of a migratory marine biologist

Career Feature 28 AUG 24

Nail your tech-industry interviews with these six techniques

Career Column 28 AUG 24

Binning out-of-date chemicals? Somebody think about the carbon!

Correspondence 27 AUG 24

Faculty Positions

The Yale Stem Cell Center invites applications for faculty positions at the rank of Assistant, Associate, or full Professor. Rank and tenure will b...

New Haven, Connecticut

Yale Stem Cell Center

Postdoc/PhD opportunity – Pharmacology of Opioids

Join us at MedUni Vienna to explore the pharmacology of circular and stapled peptide therapeutics targetting the κ-opioid receptor in the periphery.

Vienna (AT)

Medical University of Vienna

Assistant Professor Neuroscience

The Michigan Neuroscience Institute at the University of Michigan invites applications for tenure-track faculty position at the Assistant Professor.

Ann Arbor, Michigan

University of Michigan; Michigan Neuroscience Institute

Assistant Professor Neurodegeneration

Division director - experimental hematology and cancer biology.

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital seeks the next Director for the Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology.

Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati Children's Hospital & Medical Center

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Quick links

• Explore articles by subject
• Guide to authors
• Editorial policies

share this!

September 4, 2024

This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

fact-checked

peer-reviewed publication

trusted source

A tiny relative of the Triceratops: International team discovers a new horned dinosaur

by Steven Reid, Carleton University

Carleton University's Michael Ryan is part of an international research team that has discovered a well-preserved fossil of a new horned dinosaur in Japan's Tambasasayama City, Hyogo Prefecture. Details have been published in the journal Papers in Palaeontology .

This new dinosaur possesses unique characteristics distinct from any known ceratopsian. Ceratopsians are a group of herbivorous dinosaurs known for their large horns and frills on their heads, the most famous being Triceratops.

As a primitive ceratopsian , it lacked the large horns and frills seen in later species like the Triceratops and its diminutive body length and mass are only approximately 80 cm and 10 kg, respectively. Additionally, its internal bone structure and growth rings indicate that it was still a young, growing individual when it died.

This new dinosaur has been named Sasayamagnomus saegusai, with the genus name meaning "a small humanoid spirit guarding hidden treasures under the ground of Sasayama," and the species name honoring the late Haruo Saegusa.

The fossil includes 17 bones, most of which belong to a single individual. Thin sections of the tibia were examined, revealing that Sasayamagnomus was likely a young, not fully matured individual.

Sasayamagnomus is closely related to primitive ceratopsians from North America, suggesting that ceratopsians, which originated in Asia, may have immigrated to North America around 110 million years ago during the mid-Cretaceous period.

During this period, the eastern part of the Eurasian continent and North America were connected by the Bering Land Bridge, allowing animals to migrate between the two. Additionally, extreme global warming resulted in vast forests in the Arctic region. The convergence of these two events likely facilitated the expansion of ceratopsians from Asia to North America.

Journal information: Papers in Palaeontology

Provided by Carleton University

Explore further

Feedback to editors

Birds are shifting more in time than space as they adjust to global warming, shows study

3 minutes ago

Novel software tool enables quality control independent of omics molecular types and can be used on multiple platforms

26 minutes ago

Scientists discover stable intermediate of serotonin receptor

27 minutes ago

Experiment shows dogs are able to remember toy names for up to two years

Scientists use AI to unlock protein structures of hundreds of viruses for the first time

46 minutes ago

Scientists uncover diverse marine microbes with potential for new antibiotics and plastic breakdown

Uncollected waste and open burning major sources of plastic pollution, global study finds

Major leap for nuclear clock paves way for ultraprecise timekeeping

Experimental evolution study shows how microbial cooperation can emerge

Staph's Achilles' heel may hinge on its choice of food

Relevant physicsforums posts, the predictive brain (stimulus-specific error prediction neurons).

Sep 1, 2024

Any suggestions to dampen the sounds of a colostomy bag?

Aug 31, 2024

Will cryosleep ever be a reality?

Aug 30, 2024

Any stereo audio learning resources for other languages?

Aug 25, 2024

Cannot find a comfortable side-sleeping position

Therapeutic interfering particle.

Aug 24, 2024

More from Biology and Medical

Related Stories

Remains of house-cat-sized dinosaur with spikes, powerful bite discovered in Argentina

Aug 17, 2022

The ornate horns of ancient marvel Lokiceratops point to evolutionary insights

Jun 20, 2024

Dinosaur frills and horns did not evolve for species recognition

Mar 20, 2018

New dinosaur species may be closest known relative of Tyrannosaurus rex

Jan 11, 2024

Small horned dinosaur from China, a Triceratops relative, walked on two feet

Jul 12, 2019

Ostrich-like dinosaurs found in Mississippi are among the world's largest ornithomimosaurs at more than 800 kg

Oct 19, 2022

Recommended for you

Chemists explain why dinosaur collagen may have survived for millions of years

Qunkasaura: New sauropod dinosaur from the Cretaceous discovered in the Iberian Peninsula

2 hours ago

Kākāpō, not kiwi, are the true ancient species of Aotearoa, say paleontologists

Sep 3, 2024

Tropical plants discovered in Tasmania's ancient Polar Forest

Fungus gnat entombed in a 40-million-year-old piece of amber is a rare gem

Ancient sea cow that was attacked by both a primeval crocodile and shark sheds new light on prehistoric food chains

Aug 29, 2024

Let us know if there is a problem with our content

Use this form if you have come across a typo, inaccuracy or would like to send an edit request for the content on this page. For general inquiries, please use our contact form . For general feedback, use the public comments section below (please adhere to guidelines ).

Please select the most appropriate category to facilitate processing of your request

Thank you for taking time to provide your feedback to the editors.

Your feedback is important to us. However, we do not guarantee individual replies due to the high volume of messages.

E-mail the story

Your email address is used only to let the recipient know who sent the email. Neither your address nor the recipient's address will be used for any other purpose. The information you enter will appear in your e-mail message and is not retained by Phys.org in any form.

Newsletter sign up

Get weekly and/or daily updates delivered to your inbox. You can unsubscribe at any time and we'll never share your details to third parties.

More information Privacy policy

Donate and enjoy an ad-free experience

We keep our content available to everyone. Consider supporting Science X's mission by getting a premium account.

E-mail newsletter

The University of Chicago The Law School

Global human rights clinic—significant achievements for 2023-24.

The Global Human Rights Clinic (GHRC) students continue to advance justice and address the inequalities and structural disparities that lead to human rights violations worldwide using diverse tactics and interdisciplinary tools. Over the past year, students and clinic director Anjli Parrin—who joined the faculty permanently in October 2023—worked in teams to promote human rights around the world. In particular, the GHRC supported justice efforts in the context of conflict and related to mass atrocities; the investigation and prevention of unlawful killings globally; the rights of missing migrants; the right to health; climate justice; and the right to equality and non-discrimination. Select work from each of these strands is described below.

Justice in Conflict: Supporting Atrocity Investigations in The Gambia and Central African Republic

The GHRC partners with civil society organizations and multidisciplinary scientific experts to investigate war crimes and mass atrocities, and advance justice in the context of conflict. Over this past year, the GHRC supported effective investigations in the Central African Republic and the Gambia. In addition, the Clinic worked with grassroots civil society and victims’ associations in both countries to advance critical human rights.

Central African Republic

In the Central African Republic (CAR), protracted violence and conflict has had devastating impacts on the civilian population. Civilians have borne the brunt of grave human rights violations, and the country remains one of the poorest in the world. The GHRC supported judicial authorities to carry out complex investigations of alleged mass atrocities committed during armed conflict in the country. Students worked alongside lawyers and scientific experts to conduct detailed factfinding, prepare legal memos on evidence collection and preservation, and support the creation of investigation files of human rights abuses.

Further, the GHRC alongside the Columbia Law School Smith Family Human Rights Clinic, partnered with CAR civil society, which is significantly under-funded and under-resourced, and therefore frequently shut out of international human rights forums and subject to attacks and threats domestically. We worked with two organizations—the Collectif des Organisations Musulmanes de Centrafrique (COMUC), an umbrella network of Muslim civil society, and the Association des Femmes Juriste de Centrafrique (AFJC), a women’s lawyers’ organization, and one of the largest providers of legal aid in the country—to document and advocate for the rights of religious minorities and women at the United Nations Human Rights Council. Students supported these organizations to:

• Launch a major human rights report on the right to freedom of religion and belief, and non-discrimination of religious minorities in CAR. This report documents violations of the right to life, arbitrary detention, freedom of movement, legal recognition, health, and education, and was launched in Geneva in December 2023.
• Carry out advocacy before the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, as part of CAR’s Universal Periodic Review, a unique process of the Council whereby States’ human rights records are reviewed every five years. Students supported advocates from COMUC and AFJC to prepare reports on the human rights situation, present at a pre-session for the review in Geneva, and to meet diplomatic missions to inform them about the human rights situation in the country. The clinic’s support to national civil society ensured that they had access to this important international advocacy forum. The civil society reports can be accessed at the UN Office of the High Commission for Human Rights website (for a summary, see, A/HRC/WG.6/45/CAF/3 ).

In the Gambia, a military regime run by autocrat Yahya Jammeh committed scores of human rights abuses between 1994 and 2016, including arbitrary detentions, extrajudicial killings, and enforced disappearances. Following the overturning of the Jammeh regime, a truth commission was created to understand what happened during the dictatorship, and a special prosecution office is being set up. Families of those killed and disappeared are searching for answers as to the fate of their loved ones.

In partnership with the African Network Against Extrajudicial Killings and Enforced Disappearances (ANEKED) Gambia chapter, the Gambian Ministry of Justice, and the Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team, GHRC students supported efforts to advance justice and the search for missing persons in the Gambia. In particular, building on an assessment of the forensic and international criminal system conducted last year, the GHRC worked with civil society to carry out factfinding related to a key mass atrocity case. Additionally, in the Fall, the GHRC will work with ANEKED to expand its transitional justice and memory curriculum, so that young persons in the Gambia and globally learn about the process for truth and justice in the country.

Extrajudicial Executions: Preventing and Investigating Unlawful Deaths Globally

The GHRC provided strategic support to Morris Tidball-Binz, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary, or Arbitrary Executions, and a leading independent human rights expert appointed by the United Nations to advise on the issue of unlawful killings from a thematic perspective. The Special Rapporteur procedures are a key pillar through which human rights is advanced at the UN. As part of their mandate, Special Rapporteurs undertake country visits, conduct annual thematic studies, and act on individual cases of reported violations by sending communications to States and international authorities. As of June 2024, Tidball-Binz joined the University of Chicago Pozen Family Center for Human Rights as a visiting senior research associate, where he will engage with and conduct joint research alongside Pozen Center and GHRC students.

In particular, the GHRC supported the Special Rapporteur with:

• Preparation for his country visit to Ukraine in May 2024. GHRC students conducted detailed research, factfinding, and analysis of concerns relating to unlawful killings in Ukraine, producing background research about the human rights situation prior to as well as during the ongoing escalation in hostilities. The research covered legislative and policy structures, key crosscutting concerns, emblematic cases, and positive developments. During the Special Rapporteur’s actual time in-country, GHRC students provided remote, ongoing support as required.
• Support in the research and drafting of his thematic report on the protection of the dead from a human rights perspective. GHRC students conducted factfinding, expert interviews, and legal analysis to inform the Special Rapporteur’s thematic report on protection of the dead, which was presented to the UN Human Rights Council on June 26, 2024 ( A/HRC/56/56 ). The UN Special Rapporteur acknowledged the contributions of the GHRC (video, remarks referencing the GHRC at 31:30).

Missing Migrants: A Forensic Response for African Missing Migrants in Southwest Europe

Thousands of Africans go missing each year attempting to cross international borders in search of safety and better opportunities. Despite the broad recognition among states of the importance and need to address the situation of missing migrants, there is a lack of formal coordination and procedures among all relevant stakeholders relating to missing migrants, and in many instances, even within a country’s government, there is a lack of information sharing. For families searching for the fate and whereabouts of their loved ones, the uncertainty is devastating, often leaving them in limbo.

In partnership with the Immigrants’ Rights Clinic (IRC) and the Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team, the GHRC is supporting efforts to identify missing migrants traveling from Africa to South-West Europe. Over this course of this academic year, GHRC/IRC students:

• Researched migration patterns in key departure and transit countries in Africa, focusing on migrants leaving from the Gambia, Senegal, Morocco, and Tunisia. Additionally, students researched migration arrival patterns in Spain.
• Commenced an analysis of the existing legal frameworks governing the rights of missing migrants, and laws that pertain to transnational exchange of information of missing migrants. This analysis will be further developed and published next academic year.
• Prepared to carry out travel to the Gambia, Senegal, Tunisia, and Morocco, including identifying key stakeholders in each country from civil society, state institutions, and intergovernmental institutions.

Advancing the Right to Health Globally

GHRC students work to address violations of the right to health globally. We do so in two key areas—by working with Indigenous groups globally to reinterpret the international human right to health in accordance with Indigenous knowledge systems; and to support the realization of the right to health in the context of armed conflict.

Indigenous rights to health

In partnership with Human Rights Watch and Indigenous groups in South Africa, the Navajo Nation, and Guåhan (Guam), GHRC students are working to tackle systemic harms within global health and understand the impact of colonial determinants on health outcomes. This academic year, students worked to finalize a human rights report on the impact of US military buildup in Guåhan on Indigenous CHamoru medicinal and healing practices (the military currently controls approximately one-third of land on Guåhan). This report will be released in the Fall of 2024. Further, GHRC students supported Indigenous groups in South Africa and the Navajo Nation to document violations of the right to health in their lands.

Drawing upon his research through the GHRC, undergraduate student Elijah Jenkins was selected to receive the prestigious Stamps Scholarship , which will support him to undertake additional research in Guåhan. As a CHamoru student, Jenkins will deepen his understanding of and research into the impact of colonialism on the peoples of Guåhan and will continue to be supported by the GHRC.

Attacks on healthcare in conflict

The GHRC partnered with the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Medicine to document, research, and support legal claims of violations of the right to health in the context of the ongoing conflict in Israel and Palestine. This project is taking place with the support and partnership of the Heath and Vascular Hospital at the Public Aid Society in Gaza. GHRC law students and Pritzker School medical students teamed up to conduct interviews with doctors who have recently traveled to Gaza, conduct open-source research into violations of the right to health, and analyze the applicable international humanitarian law governing protection of medical establishments and personnel. The team is currently preparing joint submissions to legal and quasi-judicial bodies.

Bridging the Chasm Between Law, Science, Technology and Narrative to Advance Climate Justice

While climate change is having a devastating impact across the planet, the harms are not experienced equally. Those on the frontlines of the climate crisis are frequently those who have contributed least to climate harms—including Indigenous groups, individuals living in small island nations, young people, and communities across the Global South. Coalitions of young people, including the Pacific Island Students Fighting Climate Change (PISFCC) and the World’s Youth for Climate Justice (WY4CJ), are leading the right to ensure a livable present and future.

In March 2023, the PISFCC succeeded in getting a historic resolution adopted, asking the International Court of Justice—the World’s Court—to rule on what the obligations of States are to protect the climate, and what the consequences are for the world’s biggest violators. Ahead of the ICJ oral hearings, GHRC is partnering with PISFCC, WY4CJ, visual investigations experts SITU Research , and artist Suneil Sanzgiri, to create a fifteen-minute film that weaves together the stories of young people and the impacts of climate harm through testimony, historical and contemporary documentation, and climate science. The film will debut at the Pinakothek der Moderne museum as part of the upcoming exhibition, Visual Investigations: between Advocacy, Journalism, and Law , opening October 10, 2024 in Munich, Germany.

Advancing Equality: Resisting Discriminatory Laws in Uganda and Globally

Discriminatory laws impact the ability of sexual and gender minorities, as well as other vulnerable groups, to access basic rights. Recently, several countries have passed discriminatory laws, including ones criminalizing homosexuality with extraordinarily punitive sentences. GHRC students work alongside civil society organizations in Uganda and around the world to challenge unfair laws and policies. This academic year, students:

• Partnered with Chapter Four Uganda and the Makerere University Human Rights and Peace Centre to develop a strategy to challenge discriminatory provisions in the survivor’s benefit clause of the National Social Security Fund Act. In March 2024, GHRC students traveled to Uganda to host the first of its kind moot court competition around this provision. Students partnered with Ugandan colleagues to prepare their arguments, and following the event met with the Minister of Justice to advocate for changes in the law. Currently, students are preparing a joint white paper on the issue, which will be published over the summer of 2024.
• In partnership with Stanford Law School International Human Rights and Conflict Resolution Clinic, GHRC students supported major NGOs in countries where new restrictions on sexual orientation and gender identity had been passed to analyze the restrictions and publish public-facing advocacy documents explaining their implications.
• Supported the UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions with research and legal analysis of LGBTQI+ killings, ahead of a thematic report which he will present to the UN General Assembly in October 2024.

Student Post-Graduate Fellowships

Additionally, GHRC graduating students obtained prestigious fellowships to pursue public interest work post-graduation. In 2023, Nico Thompson Lleras and Marin Murdock both received fellowships to work at Reprieve’s Unlawful Detention program and International Coalition of Sites of Conscience’s Global Initiative for Justice, Truth, and Reconciliation. In 2024, graduating student Bryant King will join the Clooney Foundation for Justice as a legal fellow, and Elisa Epstein received the Equal Justice Works Fellowship to support a two-year fellowship at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).