Adi Utarini facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Adi Utarini
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Utarini in August 2020
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| Born | 4 June 1965 Yogyakarta, Indonesia
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| Alma mater | Umeå University UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health Gadjah Mada University |
| Known for | randomized controlled trial of the Wolbachia technique for dengue control |
| Awards | Nature's 10 (2020) |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | Gadjah Mada University |
| Thesis | Evaluation of the user-provider interface in malaria control programme: the case of Jepara district, Central Java province, Indonesia (2002) |
Adi Utarini is an Indonesian scientist who helps control diseases like dengue fever. She is a professor at Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta. In 2020, she was chosen as one of Nature's 10. This was for her important work using special mosquitoes to fight dengue. In 2021, she was also named one of TIME's 100 Most Influential People.
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Early Life and Education
Adi Utarini was born in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, on June 4, 1965. She studied medicine at Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta. After finishing her first degree in 1989, she earned two master's degrees. One was from the UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health in the United Kingdom (1994). The other was from Umeå University in Sweden (1997). She continued her studies at Umeå University for her doctorate. Her PhD research focused on how to control malaria in Central Java. She completed her doctorate degree in 2002.
Fighting Dengue Fever
Utarini works on controlling diseases and improving healthcare quality. She is a professor at Gadjah Mada University. She led the World Mosquito Program in Yogyakarta. Yogyakarta is a busy city where dengue fever spreads easily. In 2018, she gave a TEDx talk about her efforts to stop dengue outbreaks there.
The Wolbachia Mosquito Project
Starting in 2016, Utarini helped lead a big study in Yogyakarta. This study used mosquitoes that carry a special bacteria called Wolbachia. This bacteria stops mosquitoes from passing on viruses like dengue to humans. In August 2020, she announced amazing results. The method reduced dengue fever cases by 77% during the study.
The Wolbachia method was first developed in Australia in the 1990s. But Utarini's study was the first large-scale test of its kind. It provided the strongest proof that the method works. For the study, Yogyakarta was split into 24 areas. In 12 of these areas, mosquitoes with Wolbachia were released. The other 12 areas were used for comparison. The results showed a 77% drop in dengue in areas where the special mosquitoes were released.
Experts called these results "staggering" and "epochal." This means they were very important and groundbreaking. Dengue causes about 400 million infections and 25,000 deaths every year. This new method is a huge step in fighting dengue and possibly other mosquito-carried diseases.
Community Involvement
Utarini joined the Wolbachia project in 2013. She became the lead scientist for Indonesia. Besides organizing the study, she helped get approval from the government. She also worked hard to get support from local communities. She used wall paintings, short films, and meetings to explain the project. The community's willingness to help was a big reason for the study's success.
In 2020, Utarini was recognized for her work. She was chosen as one of Nature's 10. This list highlights ten people who made important scientific discoveries that year. On October 13, 2021, she was appointed to the BRIN Steering Committee by Joko Widodo.
Personal Life
Adi Utarini is sometimes called "Prof Uut" by her friends and colleagues. They describe her as a quiet but very convincing person. She enjoys cycling and playing the piano in her free time. Utarini was married to Iwan Driprahasto, a professor of pharmacology. He passed away in March 2020.
Awards
- Civil Service Long Service Medal, 2nd class (2014)
See Also
In Spanish: Adi Utarini para niños
