About the GBOD Fellowships

Supervisors: Prof. Irawan M and Prof. Setyohandryastuti

ProjectDeveloping machine learning (artificial intelligence) for the management of children with drug-resistant epilepsy.

Dr Rafli is a neuropediatrician and staff member of the Neurology Division, Department of Child Health at Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo National Referral Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia, specialising in epilepsy and central nervous system tumours. The project aims to improve treatment for children with drug-resistant epilepsy, particularly in developing countries.

ProjectApplication of AI in pediatric neurology — early autism screening and seizure prediction in low-resource settings.

Dr Thi is a lecturer in pediatrics at Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy (CTUMP) and a pediatric neurologist at Can Tho Children’s Hospital. He specialises in pediatric epilepsy, seizure disorders, and neurodevelopmental conditions, with expertise in EEG interpretation, and has authored over 30 peer-reviewed publications. His research focuses on early autism screening, seizure prediction, and the application of AI in pediatric neurology to improve outcomes in low-resource settings.

ProjectDescriptive study of neurological complications in pediatric oncology.

ProjectThe changing trends in the etiological and clinico-radiological profiles and long-term outcomes of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome among children below 15 years of age — a prospective bicentric study.

Supervisor: Dr Archana Patel

ProjectA Community Health Worker (CHW) approach to improve care for children with epilepsy in Zambia.

The project focuses on establishing a community health worker (CHW) outreach program to help reduce the stigma surrounding children with epilepsy in Zambia, focusing particularly on rural and peri-urban communities who are often the last to access medical care. The program is based on knowledge translation to CHWs, who follow and connect with families of children with epilepsy to review epilepsy education, address common misconceptions, and emphasise medication compliance and clinic follow-up. Outcomes are assessed by pre- and post-intervention clinic questionnaires and community focus groups at the intervention site (Linda compound), compared with focus groups at a control site (Livingstone).

Supervisor: Dr Jo Wilmshurst (South Africa)

ProjectEffects of antiepileptic drugs on bone metabolism.

Dr Kija completed this study during his paediatric neurology specialist training through the African Paediatric Fellowship Program based at Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital, University of Cape Town, collaborating with the University of Wisconsin School of Pharmacy (Madison, WI, USA) for analysis of the more specialised bone metabolism screens. The completed work formed the thesis component of his master’s in paediatric neurology. The study reviewed the effects of antiseizure medications (ASMs) on the bone metabolism of children in a sub-Saharan African setting — a hospital-based cross-sectional study in a paediatric epilepsy service with a comparison group assessing vitamin D metabolism. Seventy-five children with epilepsy and 75 comparison children were recruited. Children on ASMs had lower mean vitamin D levels than the control group, and those on enzyme-inducing ASMs showed lower vitamin D, D2, D3 and serum phosphate levels alongside higher parathyroid hormone levels. The findings indicate that children on enzyme-inducing ASMs need screening for vitamin D deficiency, with the literature supporting extending this to all children on ASMs, and underscore the importance of improved vitamin D intake for children in vulnerable settings.

PublicationKija E, Gidal BE, Shapson-Coe A, Cader S, van der Watt G, Delport S, Wilmshurst JM. Vitamin D abnormalities and bone turnover analysis in children with epilepsy in the Western Cape of South Africa. Seizure. 2019 Jul;69:186–192.