Researcher Samia El Haj, from the Tropical Medicine Research Centre (TMRI) in Sudan, has joined the Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR) thanks to the "Ellas investigan" programme promoted by the Women for Africa Foundation (FMxA). During her 6-month stay, she will work in the research groups on http://es.vhir.org/portal1/grup-equip.asp?s=recerca&contentid=186953 Infectious Diseases and http://es.vhir.org/portal1/grup-equip2.asp?s=recerca&contentid=186839 Maternal and Foetal Medicine in order to develop part of her research project on malaria during pregnancy and placental malaria in a remote area of Sudan.Among the different research centres that were part of this women's empowerment program, Samia El Haj chose the Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR) "after meeting it through the web to prove that it is an excellent biomedical research centre equipped with great professionals and technology", she says.Malaria is endemic in sub-Saharan Africa and has adverse effects on pregnant women, the foetus and the newborn. The consequences are: maternal anaemia, pulmonary oedema, hypoglycaemia and cerebral malaria, which may even lead to the death of the pregnant woman. With respect to the foetus, malaria can cause miscarriages, foetal death, intrauterine growth retardation, premature birth and congenital malaria (due to foetal exposure through the placenta or at the time of delivery). To carry out its research project, Samia will investigate congenital malaria using the RT-PCR (reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction) technique. "My aim is to identify potential biomarkers of malaria associated with pregnancy, already known in pre-eclampsia, in order to identify which pregnant women have a higher risk of complications during pregnancy," explains the researcher.Samia valued very positively the opportunity to carry out her work in the best conditions, at a research centre of reference, to help her acquire good practices in a multidisciplinary laboratory to ensure the highest quality in the results obtained. And, of course, move this knowledge to her fellow researchers at the Research Centre in Tropical Medicine (TMRI), in Sudan.For his part, Dr. Joan Comella, director of VHIR, highlights "the immense satisfaction of knowing that, as a result of his stay at VHIR, Samia El Haj will contribute to improving the health of his country."The Women for Africa Foundation (FMxA) was created in 2012 by María Teresa Fernández de la Vega, former vice-president of the Spanish government, with the aim of contributing to the empowerment of women as key actors for the development of the African continent. This is the first year that VHIR has participated in this program.