Sign in

Katharine Collins

@kat-a-collins.bsky.social
300 followers 166 following 14 posts

Senior Program Officer - Global Health R&D @coeff_giving (previously openphil) | views my own. Malaria researcher | vaccine developer | R21 inventor

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Katharine Collins
LSHTM Malaria Centre @lshtm-malaria.bsky.social · 9h
🦟 Could genetically modified mosquitoes help control malaria? A new study led by @lshtm.bsky.social 's Prof @jackiecook.bsky.social will evaluate their potential to reduce malaria transmission in Djibouti. Read more 👇 www.lshtm.ac.uk/research/cen... #Malaria
065
Reposted by Katharine Collins
MalVax Alliance @malvaxalliance.bsky.social · 1h
Hello Bluesky! The MalVax Alliance unites researchers, developers, funders, policymakers & implementers to advance malaria vaccines for the communities who need them most. Our new website is live: malvax.org Stay in the loop 👉 mailchi.mp/malvax/stay-... #EndMalaria #MalVaxAlliance
021
Katharine Collins @kat-a-collins.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
📣Exciting announcement 📣 The First Global Strep A Vaccine Conference Call for abstracts will open soon! 🌏Venue update: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, first week of February 2027 📝Abstract submissions open 30 July 2026. #GSAVConference2027 Read the full announcement here ⬇️ lnkd.in/eiu95fXm
0125
Reposted by Katharine Collins
bridges2develop.bsky.social @bridges2develop.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
Update on the First Global Strep A Vaccine Conference and Call for Abstracts New venue: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, first week of February 2027. Abstract submissions open 30 July 2026. #GSAVConference2027 Read the full announcement here ⬇️ mailchi.mp/bb746a4a55c6...
mailchi.mp
Update on the First Global Strep A Vaccine Conference and Call for Abstracts
011
Katharine Collins @kat-a-collins.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
Grateful to our partners behind CG’s work on Strep A, and to @globalhealthnow.bsky.social for the space to write about this: globalhealthnow.org/2026-06/vacc...
globalhealthnow.org
A Vaccine for Strep A May Finally Be in Reach
Strep A—the bacterium behind strep throat and impetigo—kills hundreds of thousands of people a year, mostly young people in LMICs—yet Strep A vaccine R&D is chronically underfunded.
110
Katharine Collins @kat-a-collins.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
I've spent my career working on vaccines, and until I joined Coefficient Giving, I'd never heard Strep A mentioned as a global health priority. The more I looked, the harder it was to understand why a disease killing 630,000+ people a year was so neglected.
globalhealthnow.org
A Vaccine for Strep A May Finally Be in Reach
Strep A—the bacterium behind strep throat and impetigo—kills hundreds of thousands of people a year, mostly young people in LMICs—yet Strep A vaccine R&D is chronically underfunded.
141
Reposted by Katharine Collins
Global Health NOW @globalhealthnow.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
Strep A—the bacterium behind strep throat and impetigo—kills hundreds of thousands of people a year, mostly young people in LMICs—yet Strep A vaccine R&D is chronically underfunded, writes @kat-a-collins.bsky.social.
globalhealthnow.org
A Vaccine for Strep A May Finally Be in Reach
Strep A—the bacterium behind strep throat and impetigo—kills hundreds of thousands of people a year, mostly young people in LMICs—yet Strep A vaccine R&D is chronically underfunded.
021
Reposted by Katharine Collins
Saloni @scientificdiscovery.dev · 27/05/2026
Guys, how do you invent a vaccine? Or even wilder, how do you invent a vaccine during your PhD?! In a new episode of Hard Drugs, we talked to someone who did just that: @kat-a-collins.bsky.social! Plus: • Why did the first malaria vaccine take so long? • Could we make better vaccines today?
open.spotify.com
Inventing the second malaria vaccine with Katharine Collins
210126
Reposted by Katharine Collins
Alexander Berger @albrgr.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
I'm really excited about the >$140 million Strep A Vaccine Fund we're launching today. I think the basic case here is a great recipe for impact ↓ bsky.app/profile/kat...
bsky.app
Katharine Collins (@kat-a-collins.bsky.social)
Today, Coefficient Giving is launching the Strep A Vaccine Fund, a multi-donor initiative to accelerate vaccine development against one of the world's most neglected infectious diseases relative to its scale. Strep A kills ~639,000 people a year. There is no vaccine. I think that can change 🧵
2233
Katharine Collins @kat-a-collins.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
Success isn't guaranteed, and it won't happen in isolation. We're proud to be working alongside Leducq Foundation, researchers, clinicians and advocates who have carried this field for years. Read more: coefficientgiving.org/research/ann...
coefficientgiving.org
Announcing the Strep A Vaccine Fund
Strep A causes over 600,000 deaths per year — a toll comparable to HIV/AIDS and malaria — but attracts a tiny fraction of the research funding. Today, we're launching the Strep A Vaccine Fund: a multi...
042
Katharine Collins @kat-a-collins.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
Alongside vaccine R&D, we're also funding the most credible near-term approaches to reducing the burden of RHD, like our $11 million grant to the ADUNU project in Uganda, which uses portable ultrasound to screen for early-stage RHD and link patients to treatment.
150
Katharine Collins @kat-a-collins.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
We're investing across the full vaccine development pipeline: advancing the most promising candidates into clinical trials, seeding next-generation vaccines, preparing the regulatory and policy pathway, building scientific foundations, and strengthening coordination across the research community.
160
Katharine Collins @kat-a-collins.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
Thanks to years of work by the small dedicated Strep A research community, the scientific landscape is stronger than it's ever been; what's needed now is sustained, coordinated funding to accelerate progress. That's where the Strep A Vaccine Fund can help.
140
Katharine Collins @kat-a-collins.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
Researchers in Uganda have shown that echocardiography picks up early, asymptomatic RHD in ~2% of children. That opens up a trial endpoint that doesn't require waiting decades for clinical RHD to emerge, much like how HPV vaccines were licensed on precancerous lesions rather than cancer.
161
Katharine Collins @kat-a-collins.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
Trials for RHD are hard. Since clinical RHD develops years after the infections we want to prevent, trials could be long and expensive. But @joshosowicki.bsky.social and @mcri.bsky.social developed a human challenge model that lets us learn more quickly which vaccines might prevent Strep throat.
181
Katharine Collins @kat-a-collins.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
Efforts to develop a vaccine go back over a century, and early attempts showed signs of protection. But with little funding, progress has been slow. ~18 candidates have been developed over the last two decades. Only 4 have reached human trials, and we don't yet know if any will work.
171
Katharine Collins @kat-a-collins.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
Most deaths from Strep A are due to rheumatic heart disease, where repeated infections damage the heart valves, often proving fatal years later. 55 million people live with RHD today, mostly young, mostly in LMICs.
171
Katharine Collins @kat-a-collins.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
Today, Coefficient Giving is launching the Strep A Vaccine Fund, a multi-donor initiative to accelerate vaccine development against one of the world's most neglected infectious diseases relative to its scale. Strep A kills ~639,000 people a year. There is no vaccine. I think that can change 🧵
12213
Reposted by Katharine Collins
The Lancet Infectious Diseases @thelancetinfdis.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
Read our May issue! Featuring spatial repellents for malaria control in refugee camps, Group B Streptococcus vaccination in pregnant women, and Nirsevimab prophylaxis for RSV in Galician infants bit.ly/41PlhSs
044
Reposted by Katharine Collins
jacobtref.bsky.social @jacobtref.bsky.social · 27/02/2026
Main goal of podcast achieved ✅ Hope you enjoy the new episode! open.spotify.com/episode/792E...
open.spotify.com
Should everyone be taking statins?
062
Reposted by Katharine Collins
Alexander Berger @albrgr.bsky.social · 18/11/2025
Some news: Open Philanthropy is now Coefficient Giving! Our mission is unchanged but the new name reflects our growing work with other donors to multiply the impact of their giving. 🧵 on our work to make philanthropy a more efficient "market" and plans going forward:
1446
Reposted by Katharine Collins
Alexander Berger @albrgr.bsky.social · 18/11/2025
More on our big news today: bsky.app/profile/alb...
071
Reposted by Katharine Collins
jacobtref.bsky.social @jacobtref.bsky.social · 12/11/2025
Hiring a PO to help us give away tens of millions more in vaccine R&D over the coming years, in particular to make progress on strep A. Kills 600k/y but should be fixable with creativity... Looking for an experienced scientist, but not necessarily in strep A: jobs.ashbyhq.com/openphilanth...
jobs.ashbyhq.com
Program Officer, Science and Global Health R&D
Open Philanthropy is seeking a Program Officer to execute, expand, and refine our existing grantmaking strategies in Global Health R&D.
121
Reposted by Katharine Collins
jacobtref.bsky.social @jacobtref.bsky.social · 12/11/2025
🚨 Hiring scientists to help give away money 🚨 At Open Philanthropy, we have given away $600M in biomedical research since 2016. Now, we're expanding the team to do more. We're hiring: * Up to 3 Senior Program Associates * Program Officer in strep A Remote OK, salaries in links! (Thread below)
blog.jacobtrefethen.com
Hiring scientists to give away money
At Open Philanthropy, we have given away $600 million in biomedical research since 2016. That funding has supported the work of thousands of scientists across hundreds of universities, nonprofits, and...
1137
Reposted by Katharine Collins
jacobtref.bsky.social @jacobtref.bsky.social · 15/10/2025
Our most practical episode yet for people who want to dabble in biotech As of 2022, you can hallucinate protein structures using AI similar to Midjourney (RFDiffusion) -> create amino acid strings for them (ProteinMPNN) -> validate with AlphaFold Biology becomes engineering…
084
Reposted by Katharine Collins
Microbes.Info @microbesinfo.bsky.social · 10/08/2025
Hope for #Strep A #vaccine ... | #Streptococcus | #StrepA | #bacteria | #infection | #immunity | By @sheffielduni.bsky.social via @sciencex.bsky.social
medicalxpress.com
Hope for Strep A vaccine: Scientists identify antibodies that protect children from infection
Scientists have discovered how some children develop natural immunity to a bacterial infection, a vital breakthrough which could help develop vaccines to save up to half a million lives globally each…
011
Reposted by Katharine Collins
Michael Le Page @mjflepage.bsky.social · 16/12/2022
The nasal flu vaccine reduces the risk of strep A infections, a study in the UK suggests, contrary to the claims of antivaxxers: www.gov.uk/government/news/nasal-fl…
gov.uk
Nasal flu vaccine may help reduce cases of group A strep
Analysis by UKHSA suggests a nasal spray vaccine that off...
011
Reposted by Katharine Collins
jacobtref.bsky.social @jacobtref.bsky.social · 05/08/2025
Over the weekend I published an essay series on a question I've been thinking about for a while: What does AI progress mean for medical progress? It starts with this 500 word piece. If you want more after that, there are 10,000 words of forking paths: blog.jacobtrefethen.com/ai-progress-...
blog.jacobtrefethen.com
What does AI progress mean for medical progress?
Rapid AI progress does not automatically mean rapid medical progress. If the point of AI progress is human flourishing, we must make other complementary investments too. Even with extremely powerful A...
1264
Reposted by Katharine Collins
jacobtref.bsky.social @jacobtref.bsky.social · 11/06/2025
So excited to share what Saloni and I have been up to. Medical innovation is not inevitable. Sometimes breakthroughs take 40 years, thousands of people building on each others’ work & participating in clinical trials. Check out ep 1, and subscribe for more Hard Drugs! harddrugs.worksinprogress.co
harddrugs.worksinprogress.co
Hard Drugs
Hard Drugs is a show by Saloni Dattani and Jacob Trefethen about medical innovation: how to speed it up, how to scale it up, and how to make sure lifesaving tools reach the people who need them the mo...
1336
Reposted by Katharine Collins
Saloni @scientificdiscovery.dev · 03/09/2025
NEW EPISODE of HARD DRUGS! “5 hours is too long!” some of you said after our first episode. So our second episode is 20 minutes 🤭 @jacobtref.bsky.social and I explore the world of proteins: how proteins fold into complex shapes, why complexity matters, how crowded and dynamic a cell really is.
open.spotify.com
Proteins: Weird blobs that do important things
54715
Reposted by Katharine Collins
Saloni @scientificdiscovery.dev · 11/06/2025
LAUNCH DAY 🚀 Today I’m launching a new podcast, Hard Drugs, with Jacob Trefethen (@jacobtref.bsky.social) Our first episode is about lenacapavir — a new HIV drug that blocks infections with an efficacy rate of nearly 100%, and which could completely change the fight against HIV worldwide.
open.spotify.com
Lenacapavir: The miracle drug that could end AIDS
Hard Drugs · Episode
1525273
Reposted by Katharine Collins
André Picard @picardonhealth @picardonhealth.bsky.social · 16/06/2025
#Lenacapavir: The miracle drug that could end #AIDS. The new #HIV drug blocks infections with an efficacy rate of nearly 100%. The "Hard Drugs" podcast w/ @scientificdiscovery.dev @jacobtref.bsky.social open.spotify.com/episode/4nIj...
open.spotify.com
Lenacapavir: The miracle drug that could end AIDS
Hard Drugs · Episode
03316
Reposted by Katharine Collins
Stuart Campbell @sc345.bsky.social · 02/06/2025
Dr A Beaton outlines translational research in Uganda turning screening evidence into a national program (ANUDU) for primary health screening and registry. She shows successful screening of 30k patients, and then of those confirmed 72% successful adherence to treatment w/ registry. #LISSSD25 #IDsky
111
Reposted by Katharine Collins
Stuart Campbell @sc345.bsky.social · 02/06/2025
Dr K Brown speaks about developing and validating an AI model for interpretation of non expert handheld parasternal images for DX of MR for RHD which had good sens (0.82) & spec (0.82) for LMIC setting. Also implementation study found it highly acceptable for staff & patients. #LISSSD25 #RHD
021
Reposted by Katharine Collins
Stuart Campbell @sc345.bsky.social · 02/06/2025
Prof de Silva & Dr Keeley speak on Strep A epi & immunity in the Gambia. 🗝️ Hyperendemicity of Strep A 🗝️ Index infections not explained by household contacts 🗝️ Early life immunity develops <2 y/o 🗝️ Ab response to carriage & infection 🗝️ ?protective immunity from SLO, SpyAD, SpyCEP #LISSSD25 #IDsky
356
Reposted by Katharine Collins
Stuart Campbell @sc345.bsky.social · 03/06/2025
A/Prof Laurens Manning presents a human challenge study looking to define penicillin MIC to prevent strep throat. 💊 ~9ng/mL penicillin (lower then standard threshold 20ng/mL) prevents clinical strep throat and systemic inflammation as measured by CRP. #LISSSD25 #idsky
143
Reposted by Katharine Collins
Stuart Campbell @sc345.bsky.social · 03/06/2025
More cool penicillin data - A/Prof J Bennett presents NZ data for subcut BenPen for RHD/ARF 💉 Penicillin >20ng/mL for 56d & >10ng/mL for 70d 💉 Worked better in ⬆️ BMI 💉 No breakthrough infections 😊 Highly accepted - only 1 pt switched back to IM BenPen #LISSSD25 #idsky
143
Reposted by Katharine Collins
Stuart Campbell @sc345.bsky.social · 03/06/2025
Dr J Hart & team on validating clinical decision rules for strep throat: 🌹 Fiji rule (sore throat & neither coryza or hoarseness) is no better than chance. 🚫 No other algorithm tested is any better! Underscores urgent need for POC diagnostics in these settings. #LISSSD25 #idsky
042
Reposted by Katharine Collins
Stuart Campbell @sc345.bsky.social · 05/06/2025
I said no more #LISSSD25 posts but forgot a major highlight! Most sessions started w/ a patient lived experience video, and you can see them all @ lisssd2025.org/patient-stories Looking after patients during thier illnesses is v. stressful so it's great to hear their experiences when recovered.
lisssd2025.org
Patient Stories — LISSSD 2025
054
Reposted by Katharine Collins
Stuart Campbell @sc345.bsky.social · 03/06/2025
Prof M Good from Griffith reports some cool unpub phase I vaccine data from two vaccine candidates (J8/S2 & P*17/S2) 💉 Both protect in 🐁 💉 Induce ab response in🚶‍♂️ 💉 Wanes after 6 months, BUT 💉 Opsonic killing increases after 6m #LISSSD25 #strepA #idsky
032
Reposted by Katharine Collins
Stuart Campbell @sc345.bsky.social · 04/06/2025
PhD cand. J Iwasaki talks about mechanism behind strep throat recurrence. 👅 ~15% strep throat relapse 👅 Relapse strains can persist in ⬆️ [pen] 👅 Intracellular persistence in strep intracell. comm. [SIC] 👅 SICs are L-switch'd to lack cell wall hence recur post Pen Rx #LISSSD25 #clinmicro
012
Reposted by Katharine Collins
jacobtref.bsky.social @jacobtref.bsky.social · 30/05/2025
I wrote a new piece with Rafael Dib on prioritisation in science funding. How should a grantmaker aiming at health impact pick areas to fund, when science is so hard to predict? We argue you can get pretty far, because today's spending is weird: blog.jacobtrefethen.com/vaccines/
blog.jacobtrefethen.com
A Quantitative Approach to Vaccine Funding
It is always easiest to insult your own work, so let me tell you what's wrong with the piece Rafael Dib and I just published on vaccine R&D. Our analysis is driven by a practical question: how should...
181
Reposted by Katharine Collins
Stuart Campbell @sc345.bsky.social · 04/06/2025
Another AUROC: L Carlton presents a possible ARF biomarker id'd from a series of bead array exp using START cohort samples. Most accurate candidate TRAFIP with AUROC 0.79 solo or upto 0.845 in combo w/ other biomarkers. Coming to a revised-revised Jones criteria? #LISSSD25 #idsky
132
Reposted by Katharine Collins
jacobtref.bsky.social @jacobtref.bsky.social · 10/04/2025
Enjoying the new GiveWell podcast so far. Two episodes in: givewell.transistor.fm
givewell.transistor.fm
GiveWell Conversations
Welcome to GiveWell’s podcast sharing the latest updates on our work. Tune in for conversations with GiveWell staff members discussing current priorities of our Research team and recent developments i...
061
Reposted by Katharine Collins
jacobtref.bsky.social @jacobtref.bsky.social · 19/04/2025
New blog post going into @seqh2o.bsky.social and team’s inventions — which add the right amount of chlorine to disinfect water at places people collect it — and why we decided to support the work in 2020: www.openphilanthropy.org/research/how...
openphilanthropy.org
How a low-cost, no-electricity device is expanding access to clean water | Open Philanthropy
The TuriTap, a new low-tech water chlorination device that operates without electricity, entered a crucial phase of testing in January: a randomized controlled trial across 40 health care facilities i...
082
Reposted by Katharine Collins
Women in Malaria @womeninmalaria.bsky.social · 08/03/2025
This #IWD2025 we highlight the critical role women play in the fight against malaria #WomensDay2025 #WomenInMalaria #EndMalaria #STEMInclusion #EquitableLeadership
This #IWD2025, we highlight the critical role women play in the fight against malaria! Women and children bear the heaviest burden of this disease, yet they remain underrepresented in malaria research and policy-making. Women’s contributions are invaluable, from shaping policies to groundbreaking research in laboratories. However, to mount an equitable response, we must advocate for inclusive leadership at every level. Women are vital change agents, and empowering women and girls is essential for effective malaria control. Join us in celebrating their efforts, amplify their voices, and ensure that gender biases in #malariaresearch are addressed. Together, we can forge a path toward a future where everyone—regardless of gender—can thrive in the fight against malaria. #AccelerateAction and help us build a healthier, more equitable world! #WomenInMalaria #EndMalaria #STEMInclusion #EquitableLeadership
0115
Reposted by Katharine Collins
LSHTM Malaria Centre @lshtm-malaria.bsky.social · 08/03/2025
On this #InternationalWomensDay, we honour the brilliant women researchers at @lshtm.bsky.social and @mrcunitgambia.bsky.social We celebrate their contributions to global health, paving the way for a healthier future. Here’s to empowering women in science, today and every day! 👩‍🔬💪 #IWD2025
215422
Reposted by Katharine Collins
Women in Malaria @womeninmalaria.bsky.social · 06/03/2025
#StandUpForScience2025 👩🏾‍🔬👩🏼‍🔬👩🏾‍🔬👩🏻‍🔬
The Women In Malaria mission is to support and empower women and gender minorities working to advance malaria research and control. We believe that gender equality and diversity are crucial for advancing science efficiently and effectively. Despite the disruptive times, WiM maintains its strong support for all under represented groups, and we will continue to drive towards a more equitable, safe, inclusive, and respectful environment for women scientists.
0229
Reposted by Katharine Collins
Women in Malaria @womeninmalaria.bsky.social · 11/02/2025
On #IDWGS we celebrate women driving malaria research—from fieldwork to policy, diagnostics to drug discovery! Dr Dorothy Achu (WHO, Africa region) highlights how dynamic the fight against malaria is - Don’t miss her plenary talk at the WiM conference! Sketch by Sophia Hernandez & Thorey Jonsdottir
A conference sketch for the 2nd Women in Malaria conference where a headshot drawing of Dr Dorothy Achu (WHO, Africa region) is in the centre of the sketch surrounded by drawings depicting her important work in malaria and neglected tropical diseases in Africa.
053
Reposted by Katharine Collins
Women in Malaria @womeninmalaria.bsky.social · 12/02/2025
📢The second Plenary Speaker at the WiM Conference is Professor Dyann Wirth - a leader in 🧬 molecular parasitology and 🌍 global health research! Register now & join us virtually 19-20 March for a conference packed with exciting research! 🎨Sketch by Thorey and Sophia
A conference sketch for the 2nd Women in Malaria conference where a headshot drawing of Professor Dyann F Wirth (Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health) is in the middle of the drawing, surrounded by sketches of her research theme (gene engineering, drug resistance, malaria parasite, genetic epidemiology).
152