Dr. Ernest Tafara Chivero will be presented with one of two 2016 Rex Montgomery Dissertation Awards at the 19th Annual James F. Jakobsen Memorial Conference on March 25. The award, presented by the University of Iowa Graduate College, recognizes the most meritorious dissertation by a doctoral student conducting research in disease prevention or in translational research. Dr. Deborah Bursall, doctoral graduate of the College of Nursing, will receive the other award.

Dr. Chivero’s winning dissertation, “Tropism of Human Pegivirus (Formerly Knwn as GB Virus C) and Host Immunoldulation: Insights Into Viral Persistence,” was submitted by the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, who granted his degree. The work reveals that a harmless human pegivirus infection prolongs survival in individuals infected with HIV. Dr. Chivero was a Fulbright Scholar from Zimbabwe and a member of Dr. Jack Stapleton’s VA lab while working on his doctorate. After graduating, Dr. Chivero was awarded a fellowship from the International AIDS Society to continue his work at the University of Nebraska.

Dr. Stapleton said, “It was great working with Ernest and learning more about Zimbabwe and the Fulbright organization.” Congratulations to Dr. Chivero and also to Dr. Stapleton on the success of his mentee.