GLACIER | GLACIER One Health Project

GLACIER PhD scholar featured in Terra X (ZDF): tapir conservation work in Costa Rica

by GLACIER | Jan 6, 2026 | Communication, News

In a recent episode of Terra X: Faszination Erde (ZDF), GLACIER PhD scholar Jorge Rojas (Costa Rica) appears as part of Hannah Emde’s efforts to communicate the realities behind forest recovery and wildlife conservation. In the segment, Jorge and the field team carry out the safe capture and anesthesia of a Baird’s tapir to perform a health examination, as part of an ongoing Central American tapir conservation program.

The tapir is a highly threatened species, and this hands-on work supports its conservation through direct veterinary assessment and monitoring. Jorge’s participation highlights the importance of field-based, science-driven conservation and the role early-career researchers play in protecting biodiversity.

We are proud to support Jorge’s work through GLACIER and to see our scholars contributing to conservation efforts that connect animal health and long-term ecosystem resilience.

Tapir Jicaro Treatment - Michiel van Noppen -13

Prof. Dr. Felix Drexler speaks to Deutsche Welle on dengue and chikungunya in Cuba

by GLACIER | Dec 17, 2025 | Communication, News

In a recent article published by Deutsche Welle, Dr. Felix Drexler (Charité, Berlin; GLACIER Steering Committee member) is interviewed as part of the coverage of Cuba’s current dengue and chikungunya situation. Drexler notes that he and Cuban colleagues anticipated this scenario “8 or 9 months” ago, pointing to the widespread presence of Aedes mosquitoes and low population immunity to chikungunya. The article also reports that a chikungunya vaccine project was submitted to Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, but had not received funding at the time of publication.

The article describes Cuba’s simultaneous, still uncontrolled outbreak of dengue and chikungunya, including reports of severe and prolonged symptoms that can last for weeks or even months. It also highlights gaps in vaccine access: two chikungunya vaccines have been recently approved and are available in the EU and the U.S., but not in the region, and PAHO confirms that no dengue immunization is available in Cuba. Finally, the article recalls that Cuba developed its own COVID-19 vaccines, which Drexler cites as evidence that local vaccine production remains possible despite current constraints.

Photo credit: CNN

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GLACIER welcomes a new Associated Partner in Colombia

by GLACIER | Nov 24, 2025 | Communication, News

We are pleased to announce that Colombia is joining GLACIER 2 (2026–2030) as a new country of collaboration through an Associated Partner Dr. Bladimiro Rincón (Universidad Industrial de Santander).

Dr. Rincón will contribute expertise in epidemiological surveillance and regional outreach, strengthening GLACIER’s capacity to support evidence-informed collaboration and engagement across the region.

We warmly welcome Dr. Rincón and the Universidad Industrial de Santander to the GLACIER network and look forward to building new opportunities for joint work in Colombia and beyond.

GLACIER will enter its second funding phase from 2026 to 2030

by GLACIER | Nov 24, 2025 | Communication, News

We are glad to share a brief update on GLACIER’s progress and to announce the start of GLACIER 2 (2026–2030). During the first funding phase (2020–2025), the consortium exceeded its planned milestones, delivering workshops/summer schools/events, supporting 42 student exchanges and 38 guest scientist exchanges, and contributing to 46 manuscripts reporting original One Health data across the region. We also supported a strong COVID-19 response (including local vaccine-development efforts), established real labs in Mexico and Cuba, and strengthened a working regional network, including a pandemic-preparedness virtual toolbox on regional medicinal plants. Feedback from an external review was incorporated to streamline and strengthen the GLACIER 2 proposal.

Building on these achievements, GLACIER 2 will centre training, doctoral research, and practical activities around three interconnected thematic axes: 1) Human and Animal Mobility, 2) Local Vaccine and Treatment Innovation, and 3) Sustainability. These axes are designed to work together. For instance, insights from pathogen detection and genomics under Axis 1 can directly inform vaccine and treatment work under Axis 2, while Axis 3 ensures that skills and best practices are sustained through shared training formats, curricula, and SOPs.

Led by Charité and IPB, GLACIER 2 will deepen collaboration with key regional anchors—the University of Havana (Cuba) and UNAM (Mexico)—while continuing engagement with German partners and associated institutions across Central America. GLACIER 2 also expands its associated partnership base, adding institutions such as CINVESTAV (Mexico) and new collaboration in Colombia. Participation will remain broad through centrally administered calls for internships, summer schools, workshops, and meetings, supporting an inclusive regional network with improved manageability. Across all activities, GLACIER 2 will continue to link social and natural sciences and strengthen sustainability through a Train-the-Trainer approach and alumni involvement, helping ensure that knowledge and skills persist well beyond individual exchanges and the funding period.

GLACIER team meeting in Costa Rica to close the first funding phase

by GLACIER | Nov 10, 2025 | Events, News, Partner Events

GLACIER’s team met in Costa Rica to close the first funding phase (2020–2025) and launch the roadmap for GLACIER 2 (2026–2030). We held a two-part gathering in Monteverde and San José, with the shared purpose of reviewing what we achieved, aligning priorities across partners, and setting the guiding lines for the next phase.

In Monteverde, GLACIER members held an internal scientific retreat to synthesize lessons learned and consolidate a shared roadmap. We then moved to San José, where the meeting broadened to include Costa Rican stakeholders from academia and government, the German Embassy in Costa Rica, and GLACIER members from across the network, including participants from Germany, Mexico, Colombia, and Cuba. A key highlight was the student session: Costa Rica-based exchange students supported by GLACIER presented their work, sparking discussion on outcomes, future opportunities, and next steps.

In parallel, colleagues from the sister project ZOE (Zoonosis Emergence across Degraded and Restored Forest Ecosystems) contributed to the broader San José program, including the International Seminar “Science & Society in One health – Innovation in Biodiversity & Environmental Health” at Centro Nacional de Alta Tecnología, with presentations by Prof. Dr. Felix Drexler and Prof. Dr. Nadja Kabisch, as well as a visit to ZOE case-study field sites led by the Costa Rican team (https://www.zoe-project.eu/2025/11/12/zoe-in-costa-rica/).

In brief, GLACIER’s first funding phase exceeded planned milestones, with training events and exchanges (42 student and 38 guest scientist mobilities) and 46 manuscripts reporting original One Health data, alongside COVID 19-related contributions (including support for local vaccine development), the establishment of real labs in Mexico and Cuba, and a strengthened regional network.