Discovery rooted in the tropics, shared with the world. Our faculty lead translational and clinical research programs anchored in the unique health profile of the Indian Ocean.
USAIM's research portfolio takes seriously the fact that we are a medical school in the Indian Ocean. Our island home, our population, and our position at the crossroads of Africa, Asia and Europe give us access to scientific questions — and biological resources — that simply cannot be studied elsewhere.
Our four research pillars work in concert: tropical and infectious-disease research drawing on Seychelles' clinical caseload, marine pharmacology drawing on our reef ecosystems, genomic and population-health research drawing on our unique Creole and South Asian cohorts, and a clinical research program on non-communicable disease in island populations.
"USAIM does not aspire to be a research university first. We aspire to be a teaching school whose research is rigorous, rooted, and useful — to the patients in our hospitals and to medicine globally."
The USAIM Tropical & Translational Research Center — opened in 2024 and led by Dr. Anand Krishnan — anchors our laboratory science and serves as the home base for visiting investigators from partner institutions worldwide.
Our research is organized around four interconnected centers, each led by a senior faculty member.
CenterSurveillance and translational research on dengue, malaria, leptospirosis and emerging vector-borne disease in Seychelles and the wider Indian Ocean.
CenterCohort genetics of Creole and South Asian populations — investigating genetic variants underlying common cardiovascular and metabolic conditions.
CenterDiscovery of bioactive compounds from Seychelles' reef and seabed ecosystems — with applications in oncology, antimicrobial therapy and dermatology.
CenterHypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular outcomes research in small-island states — including health-systems implementation studies.
Cardiology2024–2027
A multi-year collaboration with Henry Ford Health investigating climate- and infection-driven cardiac stress in equatorial populations.
Read morePharmacology2023–2026
Identification of novel antimicrobial compounds from Seychelles' coral-reef bacterial communities, in partnership with Oxford and Mauritius.
Read morePublic Health2024–2028
WHO-supported implementation trial of community-based hypertension screening across Seychelles, Mauritius and Comoros.
Read moreGenomics2025–2030
Multi-generational cohort study of cardiovascular risk genetics in Creole and South Asian Seychellois.
Read moreA selection of peer-reviewed publications from USAIM faculty in the past 12 months.
USAIM faculty are co-investigators on three active NIH Fogarty International Center grants on tropical and global health.
Partner site on a Wellcome-funded marine pharmacology consortium led by the University of Oxford.
Programmatic funding for hypertension implementation research and surveillance in member states.
USAIM Faculty Research Development Fund supports five new pilot studies per year for early-career investigators.
Every USAIM student is given the opportunity — and encouraged — to engage in research from their first year. Our Research Society pairs students with faculty mentors, supports abstract development, and runs an annual Research Day with poster awards.
