Brown University to help Ghana build HIV, TB research capacity
With $1.45 million over five years from the Fogarty International Center of the National Institutes of Health, a pair of Brown University professors will work with colleagues in Ghana to build the research capacity needed to address the deadly co-epidemics of HIV and tuberculosis.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — Tuberculosis is the
leading cause of death among HIV-positive Ghanaians, with one
study blaming TB for 57 percent of HIV-related deaths in the
mid-sized West-African nation. To tackle the problem, a
partnership between Brown University and the University of Ghana
will use a new five-year grant from the Fogarty International
Center of the U.S. National Institutes of Health to increase
research capacity.
“The gaps in TB and HIV
research in Ghana cut across several disciplines including
epidemiology, basic, clinical, social, behavioral, and
implementation sciences as well as public health and health
services,” said principal investigator Dr. Awewura Kwara,
professor of medicine in the Alpert Medical School of Brown
University. “This NIH Fogarty grant funding will support
the training of Ghana scientists and researchers who will
acquire complimentary expertise to ultimately develop
independent high-quality research to address yet unanswered and
emerging questions that could transform TB prevention and
treatment programs for people living with HIV.”
Ultimately
the new $1.45-million program, which builds on years of previous
medical education collaboration, will enhance the training of
scores of Ghanaian researchers, Kwara said.
“By
the end of the fifth year, we intend to have trained two Ph.D.
degree candidates, six master’s degree candidates, and
four postdoctoral trainees,” he said. “In addition,
two short-term research training workshops are expected to train
50 to 80 Ghanaian researchers in new research methods, grant and
manuscript writing, ethics and protection of human subjects in
research, and updates in the clinical care of TB and HIV
patients.”
Every summer, meanwhile, three to
five Brown University students will go to the University of
Ghana to do research. The Ghanaian researchers trained through
the program will provide greater mentorship for those
students.
In addition to Kwara, other key faculty
members on the grant are Omar Galarraga, of the Brown University
School of Public Health and professors Margaret Lartey and
Richard Adanu of the University of Ghana.
Source:
Brown University
