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Dr Laura Benjamin

 Laura Benjamin 001

Laura's Clinical PhD Programme Experience:

"The Wellcome Trust clinical PhD fellowship has given me an excellent platform to ask an important research question “What is the association of HIV infection and stroke in Malawi”. Undoubtedly, this PhD was full of challenges; for example, working in a resource poor setting where the facilities and infrastructure were not always optimal, understanding the language and cultural barriers with patients and staff, balancing the provision of a clinical neurology service with research (at times, I was the only one providing this service in the country of Malawi) and working through the uncertainty of a country that was undergoing political unrest. I did not anticipate all of this being part of the "PhD package" but now that I'm near completion (still smiling), it has definitely been a remarkable and humbling experience.

I have published papers in reputable journals, including Emerging Infectious Diseases, and the Journal of Infectious Diseases as well as a review article on my PhD topic in the Lancet Neurology. I was recently commended for an “early stage career researcher” by the University of Liverpool. These successes would not have been achievable without funding from the Wellcome Trust, supervision and sponsorship from both the University of Liverpool and Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. With 3 months remaining, I’m hoping the “write-up” will be the easy part and I look forward to conveying some answers about stroke risk in people living with HIV infection

Publications for Laura Benjamin

Publication The potential role of Wolbachia in controlling the transmission of emerging human arboviral infections.
2017
Kamtchum-Tatuene J, Makepeace B, Benjamin L, Baylis M, Solomon T.


Publication Mental, Neurological and Substance use disorders (MNS) in People Living with HIV in low and middle income countries: research gaps and priorities.
2014
Chibanda D, Benjamin L, Weiss HA, Abas M.


Publication HIV and Non-Communicable Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Diseases in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: What We Know Now and Best Directions for Research.
2014
Gerald Bloomfield, Prateeti Khazanie, Alison Morris, David Murdoch, Cristina Rabadán Dieh, Laura A Benjamin, Eric Velazquez, Charles Hicks


Publication HIV Associated Neurocognitive Disorders (HAND) in Malawian Adults and Effect on Adherence to Combination Anti-Retroviral Therapy: A Cross Sectional Study.
2014
Kelly CM, van Oosterhout JJ, Ngwalo C, Stewart RC, Benjamin L, Robertson KR, Khoo S, Allain TJ, Solomon T.


Publication Physiotherapy in Malawi – a step in the right direction
2013
Fielder S, Mpezeni S, Benjamin L, Cary I


Publication Test them all; an easily diagnosed and readily treatable cause of dementia with life-threatening consequences if missed
2013
Nightingale S, Michael B D, Defres S, Benjamin L, Solomon T


Publication Surveillance Programme of IN-patients and Epidemiology (SPINE): Implementation of an Electronic Data Collection Tool within a Large Hospital in Malawi
2013
Miguel A. SanJoaquin, Theresa J. Allain, Malcolm E. Molyneux, Laura Benjamin, Dean B. Everett, Oliver Gadabu, Camilla Rothe, Patrick Nguipdop, Moses Chilombe, Lawrence Kazembe, Servace Sakala, Andrew Gonani, Robert S. Heyderman


Publication Detection of herpes viruses in the cerebrospinal fluid of adults with suspected viral meningitis in Malawi.
2013
L. A. Benjamin, M. Kelly, D. Cohen, F. Neuhann, S. Galbraith, M. Mallewa, M. Hopkins, I. J. Hart, M. Guiver, D. G. Lalloo, R. S. Heyderman, T. Solomon


Publication HIV infection and stroke: current perspectives and future directions
2012
Benjamin LA, Bryer A, Emsley HC, Khoo S, Solomon T, Connor MD.


Publication Epstein-barr virus coinfection in cerebrospinal fluid is associated with increased mortality in Malawian adults with bacterial meningitis.
2012
Matthew J. Kelly, Laura A. Benjamin, Katharine Cartwright, Katherine M. B. Ajdukiewicz, Danielle B. Cohen, Mavis Menyere, Sareen Galbraith, Malcolm Guiver, Florian Neuhann, Tom Solomon, David G. Lalloo, Robert S. Heyderman


Publication Human parvovirus 4 (PARV4) a potential cause of encephalitis in children in Southern India
2011
Benjamin LA, Lewthwaite P, Vasanthapuram R, Zhao G, Sharp C, Simmonds P, Wang D, Solomon T.


Prizes:

N.E. Johnson prize Oct 2013, Institute of Infection & Global Health
Best Online Poster Prize - University of Liverpool, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences 2012
Commended Early Stage Career Researcher, 2012 University of Liverpool Celebrating Success Awards