UNZA-Vanderbilt Training Partnership for HIV-Nutrition-Metabolic Research (UVP)

UVP holds grant writing workshop in Zambia

ridingkm — Wed, 01 Mar 2023 16:21:15 +0000

UVP holds grant writing workshop in Zambia ridingkm Wed, 03/01/2023 - 10:21 RSS:

By Perfect Shankalala, Program Manager, University of Zambia

The UNZA-Vanderbilt Training Partnership for HIV-NCD Research (UVP-2) hosted a grant writing workshop for Zambian researchers and UNZA faculty members from the 13th to the 16th of February, 2023. The workshop is part of a longstanding collaboration between the University of Zambia/University Teaching Hospital (UNZA/UTH), Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), and the Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health (VIGH). This year's workshop was held under the theme "Moving Toward Research Independence, Acquiring and Managing Research Grants."

The sixty-five workshop attendees included participants from the Zambia Ministry of Health, University Teaching Hospital, University of Zambia, Levy Mwanawasa Medical University, and researchers and research administrators from within and outside the university community, plus two members from Bayero University in Kano, Nigeria. Prof. Wilbroad Mutale, Zambian PI for the UVP-2 Project, and Prof. Douglas Heimburger from Vanderbilt University Medical Center welcomed participants.

The workshop incorporated various aspects of grantsmanship, including an introduction to funding sources, fundamentals of research careers, key grants components, grants review and administration, and research regulation with specific reference to Zambian and UNZA systems. Facilitators also instructed workshop attendees in research ethics with a particular focus on research misconduct and ethics of authorship. The workshop offered an opportunity for intense question-and-answer sessions that were highly interactive, participatory, and stimulating to participants. UVP-2-supported PhD and Postdoctoral trainees shared their research proposals with the audience and received input from researchers in attendance. Workshop attendees highlighted the workshop's significance and appreciated the opportunity to learn from the knowledge and experience of the workshop faculty.

Opening ceremony attendees included Dr. Choolwe Jacobs, Head of the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the UNZA School of Public Health; Prof. Douglas Heimburger from Vanderbilt University Medical Center; Dr. Elizabeth Rose, Global Health Education Specialist, Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health; Dr. Halwiindi Hikabasa, Dean of the UNZA School of Public Health; and Dr. Kaonda Mususu, Acting Director of UNZA's Directorate of Research and Graduate Studies (DRGS). The workshop was directed and coordinated by Prof. Wilbroad Mutale, UVP-2 Principal Investigator; Dr. Violet Kayamba, UVP-2 Training Director; Mr. Perfect Shankalala, UVP-2 Training Coordinator; and Ms. Linda Kampata, Grants Manager.

This activity is supported by the Fogarty International Center of the US National Institutes of Health under Award Number D43 TW009744

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UNZA-Vanderbilt Training Partnership for HIV-Nutrition-Metabolic Research (UVP), Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), Doug Heimburger, Elizabeth Rose

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Global collaboration results in a new, structured PhD curriculum in Zambia

ridingkm — Thu, 03 Mar 2022 21:24:22 +0000

Global collaboration results in a new, structured PhD curriculum in Zambia ridingkm Thu, 03/03/2022 - 15:24 RSS:

Over the past two years, VIGH educational experts have collaborated with faculty leaders at the University of Zambia (UNZA) to design a revised, structured PhD curriculum. The University of Zambia-Vanderbilt Training Partnership for HIV-Nutrition-Metabolic Research (UVP) program supported this effort, and the Faculty Senate and UNZA leadership recently approved the new curriculum. The UVP program continues a multi-decade training collaboration between the University of Zambia School of Medicine/University Teaching Hospital (UNZA/UTH) and the Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health (VIGH).

In January 2020, faculty leaders from UNZA and VIGH held a two-day design workshop to develop a revised, structured PhD curriculum for UNZA students. The impetus for the revised curriculum was spurred in 2016 when a needs assessment conducted among UNZA faculty identified a desire to develop a PhD program model with a structured core curriculum as an alternative to the current "PhD by research" model. Annual brainstorming and planning meetings were held, culminating in this workshop that brought together faculty from five health-related schools at UNZA, including the Schools of Health Sciences, Medicine, Nursing Sciences, Public Health, and Veterinary Medicine.

Working in interdisciplinary teams, faculty spent the last two years identifying strengths and challenges of the current PhD structure and ways to leverage existing resources to create a core PhD curriculum to meet the needs of students from across the health disciplines. Through onsite and virtual meetings, faculty agreed that standard courses for this curriculum would include epidemiology, biostatistics, ethics and philosophy of science and research methodology, and leadership and governance. The curriculum will also include other skills such as academic, grant writing and mentorship. Identified challenges include dedicated on-campus space for students to study and reliable internet access for students and faculty.

In May 2021, a proposal was finalized and presented at the next Faculty Senate meeting, and it was approved by year's end. Following the approval, the Faculty Senate resolved to adopt the curriculum as a framework for all PhD programs at UNZA. The following steps include designing course templates and identifying faculty from five schools to lead the core courses in the newly structured PhD program. Each school will develop specialization courses and competencies. This PhD model with a structured curriculum will be available for incoming students in the next academic year.

Drs. Sody Munsaka and Selestine Nzala of UNZA led the workshops, and Drs. Marie Martin and Elizabeth Rose of VIGH designed the curriculum. VIGH has remained engaged in this multi-year effort through UVP, which receives funding from the Fogarty International Center of the National Institutes of Health grant D43TW009744. Dr. Selestine Nzala, Head, Department of Medical Education, University of Zambia School of Medicine and Dr. Douglas Heimburger, Associate Director for Education and Training for VIGH serve as UVP Co-Principal Investigators.

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UNZA-Vanderbilt Training Partnership for HIV-Nutrition-Metabolic Research (UVP), Zambia, Medical Education , Marie Martin, Elizabeth Rose

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NIH Training Grant Enhances PhD and Postdoctoral Training Programs at the University of Zambia

ridingkm — Fri, 02 Jul 2021 19:01:48 +0000

NIH Training Grant Enhances PhD and Postdoctoral Training Programs at the University of Zambia ridingkm Fri, 07/02/2021 - 14:01 RSS:

In continuing longstanding training collaborations between the University of Zambia School of Medicine/University Teaching Hospital (UNZA/UTH) and the Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health (VIGH), UNZA/UTH is partnering with VIGH on a renewal of a five-year research training grant from the Fogarty International Center of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to strengthen HIV- and non-communicable disease-focused research capacity. The UNZA-Vanderbilt Training Partnership for HIV-NCD Research (UVP-2) program establishes support to bolster UNZA’s institutional research capacity and academic leadership.

As access to antiretroviral therapy for HIV has expanded in sub-Saharan Africa, millions of persons with HIV survive for decades on treatment. Still, they are developing chronic non-communicable disease (NCD) complications that require new science and new directions in prevention, detection, and treatment. Recognizing that investigation and control of NCDs can be most effectively undertaken by highly trained local investigators, the University of Zambia (UNZA)-Vanderbilt Partnership for HIV Nutrition Research Training (UVP-1) supported PhD training for 11 Zambian scientists pursuing a wide range of HIV-NCD research. This training initiative helped to strengthen the UNZA PhD program and the culture of mentorship at UNZA.

The UVP-1 to UVP-2 transition includes shifting the grant’s prime institution from Vanderbilt to UNZA, and the principal investigator from Douglas C. Heimburger, MD, MS, a professor of medicine at VIGH to Wilbroad Mutale, MBChB, PhD, an associate professor in UNZA’s School of Public Health and adjunct associate professor in Vanderbilt’s Department of Medicine. In addition, the UVP Leadership Team includes Selestine Nzala, MBChB, MPH and Perfect Shankalala at UNZA and Annet Kirabo, PhD and Holly Cassell, MPH.

Dr. Mutale expanded upon the impact of the transition from Vanderbilt to UNZA as the prime institution. “I am very glad to be part of this great capacity-building grant supported by NIH. The most exciting thing about this new phase is that UNZA will be the prime institution taking over from Vanderbilt University. This is how capacity building is supposed to work and we hope others will learn from our example. I am also looking forward to strengthening postdoctoral training at UNZA, which will be a big part of UVP-2.”

Dr. Heimburger added, “It has been tremendously gratifying to see this research training program lead to real gains in strength and impact for UNZA and the health of the people of Zambia. UNZA faculty members have taught each other how to be better mentors, leaders, and managers. Research trainees have grown into research leaders, the institution has taken a leadership role within the region, and it is truly ready to lead this program.”

UVP-2 will continue training initiatives developed under UVP-1 with a focus on advancing academic leadership and mentorship within UNZA. The grant will also extend the two-institution “sandwich” model of PhD training and use a similar model to develop a postdoctoral training fellowship program to build a pipeline of independent UNZA scientists. These programs will train five UNZA Ph.D. students and four UNZA postdoctoral scientists in advanced basic, clinical/translational, epidemiologic, and implementation sciences to address the complications and comorbidities most relevant to lifelong HIV management in sub-Saharan Africa.

To support the new program at UNZA, UVP-2 will introduce new research training mechanisms and support structures, including career development resources focused on writing successful grant applications. In addition, the program will establish a Visiting Faculty Scholars three-month sabbatical at Vanderbilt for four UNZA faculty to focus on developing collaborations and submitting grant applications.

Program leaders also plan to develop a UNZA Biostatistics Support Core to provide structured biostatistics advising and collaboration by UNZA biostatisticians to UNZA investigators, students, and postdoctoral fellows. Working in partnership with the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa, UVP-2 will provide additional bioinformatics training opportunities for selected trainees. This training will build on the genome and RNA sequencing capacity in the research lab of UVP-1 alumnus Lloyd Mulenga, MBChB, PhD, Director of Infectious Diseases in the Zambia Ministry of Health, Director of Infectious Diseases at the UNZA School of Medicine, and Adjunct Assistant Professor in Vanderbilt’s Department of Medicine.

UVP-2 will foster additional collaborations with the Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa (CARTA), an Africa-based, Africa-led initiative that works to strengthen the capacity of African universities to produce well-trained and skilled researchers and scholars in Africa.

The project will focus on strengthening UNZA’s capacity to train researchers, attract research funding, and generate high-impact research outputs across a broad range of HIV-NCD investigations.

Both cycles of UVP are supported by grant 1D43TW009744 from the Fogarty International Center of the US National Institutes of Health.

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Wilbroad Mutale, Douglas Heimburger, Annet Kirabo, Selestine Nzala, Perfect Shankalala , Holly Cassell, UNZA-Vanderbilt Training Partnership for HIV-Nutrition-Metabolic Research (UVP), University of Zambia School of Medicine/University Teaching Hospital (UNZA/UTH), Zambia, HIV and NCDs

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Mentor Training Program in Zambia Continues to Strengthen Mentorship Among University Faculty

ridingkm — Tue, 25 May 2021 16:05:50 +0000

Mentor Training Program in Zambia Continues to Strengthen Mentorship Among University Faculty ridingkm Tue, 05/25/2021 - 11:05 RSS:

Elizabeth Rose

In academia, mentors can provide valuable support and guidance to students in their professional and personal development. However, often mentors do not receive training in theories and practical strategies that could improve their mentorship. Faculty leaders at the University of Zambia (UNZA) are changing this trend to offer training in mentorship theory and effective techniques for faculty in masters and doctoral programs. Led by Professors Fastone Goma, MBChB, PhD, MSc and Selestine Nzala, MBChB, MPH, the week-long workshop has been held twice at UNZA. This recent workshop represents an expansion of the program to collaborate with local universities, including Mulungushi University. Twenty faculty members were trained during this workshop.

The original mentor training program, the Clayton-Dedonder Global Health Mentorship Fellows Program, was co-developed in 2018 by faculty and staff at the University of Zambia and the Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health (VIGH) in the United States of America. The program has nine modules on mentoring techniques and strategies that are taught using active learning strategies including case studies and small group discussions. More information about the program and its benefits for faculty, students, and health and education systems has been described in the article, Why Mentorship Matters in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

The program utilizes a train-the-trainer model in which select trainees become co-leaders in the next iteration of the program. This model helps ensure sustainability of the program with a pipeline of trainers for future workshops.

Professor Fastone Goma

Program leaders plan to continue offering this workshop annually and to link the training with a leadership workshop to provide faculty a robust set of tools for leading and mentoring in academia. In addition, Dr. Nzala explained their vision for expanding these programs to students. “We are also trying to introduce a management course in the post-graduate program and used the model of the leadership program and incorporated elements of the mentor training program. We are expanding the reach of leadership and mentorship beyond faculty lecturers to train students.” Program leaders are thinking upstream to guide the next generation of leaders and mentors in health professions.

Additional faculty instructors include Drs. Angela Bwalya, Paul Kelly, Hikabasa Halwiindi, Lackson Kasonka, Margaret Maimbolwa, Nzooma Mataa, Patricia Mukwato, Sody Munsaka, Edford Sinkala, and Bellington Vwalika. Additional program material development and logistics were supported by Dr. Marie Martin and Elizabeth Rose at VIGH.

The program is part of the Strengthening Health Professional Workforce Education Programs for Improved Quality Health Care in Zambia (SHEPIZ), which is supported by the Fogarty International Center, National Institute of Health (grant number NIC FIC R25TW011219).

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SHEPIZ Mentoring Program, Fastone Goma, Selestine Nzala , Marie Martin, Elizabeth Rose, Capacity Building, UNZA-Vanderbilt Training Partnership for HIV-Nutrition-Metabolic Research (UVP), University of Zambia School of Medicine/University Teaching Hospital (UNZA/UTH)

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Clinical Trials Workshop in Zambia Lead by VUMC and University of Zambia Draws Almost 200 Participants

ridingkm — Tue, 14 Apr 2020 16:19:42 +0000

Clinical Trials Workshop in Zambia Lead by VUMC and University of Zambia Draws Almost 200 Participants ridingkm Tue, 04/14/2020 - 11:19 RSS:

The NIH-Fogarty supported UNZA-Vanderbilt Training Partnership for HIV-Nutrition-Metabolic Research (UVP) continues a multi-decade training collaboration between the University of Zambia School of Medicine/University Teaching Hospital (UNZA/UTH) and the Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health (VIGH). In February, UVP held its annual workshop for researchers and clinicians in Lusaka, Zambia. Almost 200 faculty, graduate students, clinical staff, and community members attended the three-day workshop. This year's focus was, "Clinical Trials: Study Design, Management, and Resources." The training workshop was closely aligned with efforts to expand clinical trial capacity in Zambia led by the Zambian Ministry of Health and the National Health Research Authority (NHRA).

The three-day program included presentations from 20 dynamic speakers from VUMC and a variety of local organizations including the Centre for Infectious Disease Research Zambia (CIDRZ), Ministry of Health Zambia, NHRA, Zambart, Zambian Statistics Agency, and UNZA/UTH. These presenters covered topics in clinical trial research related to study design, statistical considerations, regulatory matters, and trial safety, biorepositories, grant management, and a panel discussion on building a community of research in Zambia. Highlights of the workshop included presentations by Dr. Godfrey Biemba, the director and chief executive officer of the NHRA; daily site visits to local clinical trials research sites and laboratories including the UTH Adult Infectious Disease Centre (AIDC); and research presentations by UVP-sponsored PhD candidates.

UVP is led by Douglas C. Heimburger, M.D., M.S., Professor of Medicine, Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health, and Selestine H. Nzala, MBChB, MPH, Head, Department of Medical Education, University of Zambia School of Medicine. The workshop was coordinated by UVP and hosted by both UVP and the UNC-UNZA-Wits Partnership for Women’s Health Research (UUW). UVP and UUW are supported by the Fogarty International Center of the National Institutes of Health grants D43TW009744 (UVP) and D43TW010558 (UUW).

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UNZA-Vanderbilt Training Partnership for HIV-Nutrition-Metabolic Research (UVP), Doug Heimburger, Holly Cassell

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UVP Program Update

ridingkm — Fri, 22 Nov 2019 20:26:13 +0000

UVP Program Update ridingkm Fri, 11/22/2019 - 14:26 RSS:

The University of Zambia (UNZA)-Vanderbilt Training Partnership for HIV-Nutrition-Metabolic Research (UVP) made substantial progress on its goals of training new UNZA PhD scientists to investigate complex nutritional and metabolic factors related to long-term HIV complications and comorbidities. The paper entitled, "HIV Research Training Partnership of the University of Zambia and Vanderbilt University: Features and Early Outcomes," was recently published in Annuals of Global Health. The UVP program is a long-standing training collaboration between the University of Zambia School of Medicine (UNZA)/University Teaching Hospital and VIGH.

Download the paper —

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Capacity Building, UNZA-Vanderbilt Training Partnership for HIV-Nutrition-Metabolic Research (UVP), Zambia, Holly Cassell

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Why Mentorship Matters in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

ridingkm — Fri, 17 May 2019 17:02:17 +0000

Why Mentorship Matters in Low- and Middle-Income Countries ridingkm Fri, 05/17/2019 - 12:02 RSS:

"Mentors are teachers but not all teachers are mentors."
Lackson Kasonka, Senior Mentor

The next generation of global health researchers, scientists and practitioners are benefiting from a mentoring program at the University of Zambia (UNZA) in Lusaka with the help of colleagues from the Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health (VIGH) and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, with support from the Fogarty International Center.

The UNZA Mentoring Programme was designed to enhance mentee productivity, improve self-efficacy and strongly influence the success of research trainees making the transition to a distinct career in global health research. The program provides a structured approach to mentoring for senior and junior faculty to better support graduate students at UNZA. It was launched in 2018, and the program’s first cohort of 10 Clayton-Dedonder mentoring fellows graduated after five full-day workshops spanning five months. The program evaluation is slated for completion in June 2019.

VIGH faculty and staff in collaboration with UNZA faculty developed and implemented this mentoring program with the aim to build institutional capacity through an innovative “train the trainer” faculty development model. In this model that promotes program sustainability, UNZA junior faculty are trained by senior faculty to co-lead the program in subsequent years. Marie Martin, Ph.D., M.Ed., Assistant Director for Education and Training for VIGH developed the curriculum in collaboration with UNZA faculty and directed the initiative.

Two core principles guided this capacity building approach. First, UNZA senior faculty would direct and lead the curriculum development process to facilitate context-appropriateness, ensure sustainability, enhance their knowledge, and hone their own mentorship skills. Second, junior faculty at UNZA would develop mentoring and leadership skills to guide the next generation of graduate students and future faculty at UNZA. A quality improvement framework was used to guide curriculum development, implementation, and evaluation.

This intensive mentorship and leadership training program trains and engages senior faculty members as co-curricular developers while simultaneously sharpening their mentorship skills. The mentoring fellows (junior faculty) and senior faculty represented all four health sciences schools at the UNZA Ridgeway campus. Eleven senior faculty trainers participated in curriculum design and instructional strategies workshops to hone their skills between February and June 2018. They used these skills to develop mentoring workshops for junior faculty mentoring fellows. In all, 11 Senior Mentors and 10 Mentoring Fellows participated in the UNZA Mentorship Programme.

As part of the curriculum, Mentoring Fellows crafted their own Mentoring Philosophy statements. Patricia Katowa-Mukwato, Ph.D., Lecturer and Researcher in the School of Nursing Sciences at UNZA and Mentoring Fellow, noted that the personal guiding statement will keep her focused on her goals for mentoring. She commented that, “Excellence in performance, attitude and outlook” will help keep the mentor/mentee relationship aligned.

The positive outcomes of mentorship for both the mentor and mentee have been well-described in the literature and have prompted the attention of major research agencies like the National Institutes for Health. It has been shown to enhance success of early-career scientists and faculty, and in turn, strengthen leadership skills of senior faculty and academic leadership.

Working toward this goal in 2018, Fogarty offered funding to strengthen mentorship activities and resources for Fogarty HIV/AIDS training programs at existing training sites in low- and middle-income countries through The Clayton-Dedonder Mentorship Fellows Program. This fellowship seeks to enhance the overall culture and practice of mentoring at LMIC institutions.

While strengthening academic mentorship is important in institutions across the globe, it is often challenging for low- to middle-income countries to support formal mentoring initiatives due to limited resources and trained faculty at LMIC institutions. In response, the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene published a special supplemental issue on mentoring. It includes articles on guidelines, conceptual framework, ethics, evaluations and toolkits particularly for LMIC institutions.

These articles highlight the role of mentoring in LMICs to advance global health research and the implementation and evaluation of Fogarty-sponsored mentoring workshops in LMICs. Doug Heimburger, M.D., M.S., Associate Director of Education and Trainings for VIGH co-authored two articles included in the supplement on the importance of mentoring and mentorship training programs in LMICs.

Margaret Maimbolwa, Ph.D., Professor of Nursing Science at UNZA and Senior Mentor, embraces the concept of mentoring and acknowledges the lack of awareness to the differences between supervising and mentoring. Maimbolwa said, “The University of Zambia was anchored on the art of supervising the students and rarely used the mentoring word,” adding that mentorship training sessions were key to assuming the role of strong mentor.

Solving complex global health challenges requires experts from all branches of medicine and public health with advanced skills in analysis and ethical research. Formalized mentoring programs help to build the human capacity ready to address global health challenges. These programs require buy-in from institutions, government and individuals for long-term sustainability.

The leadership at the UNZA Ridgeways campus recognizes the inherent value of mentoring and has dedicated time and grant funding to ensure successful mentoring outcomes. They hope to further formalize the relationship between mentor and mentee. VIGH served as the expert educational advisor to UNZA senior faculty, but UNZA led curriculum development and tailored the program curriculum to fit their unique environment. In doing so, they are positioned to expand the program across other schools in the university.

The UNZA Mentoring Program is supported by the National Institutes of Health Fogarty International Center, grant number D43TW009744-04S1.

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Featured, Zambia, University of Zambia (UNZA), UNZA-Vanderbilt Training Partnership for HIV-Nutrition-Metabolic Research (UVP), Doug Heimburger, Marie Martin, Elizabeth Rose, Holly Cassell

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UNZA-Vanderbilt Training Partnership Hosts Workshop on Cardiovascular Disease

leadee1 — Fri, 22 Feb 2019 20:59:31 +0000

UNZA-Vanderbilt Training Partnership Hosts Workshop on Cardiovascular Disease

News Posts, Announcements

leadee1 Fri, 02/22/2019 - 14:59 RSS:

The UNZA-Vanderbilt Training Partnership for HIV-Nutrition-Metabolic Research (UVP) continues a longstanding training collaboration between the University of Zambia School of Medicine/University Teaching Hospital (UNZA/UTH), and the Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health (VIGH). Dr. Douglas Heimburger, Associate Director for Education and Training for VIGH and Dr. Selestine Nzala, Head, Department of Medical Education, University of Zambia School of Medicine serve as Principal Investigators. A key component of the program includes in-country training and faculty development workshops to enhance graduate programs at UNZA.

This year, UVP held their annual workshop in February on the topic of HIV and Cardiovascular Disease (CVD). The purpose of the workshop was to address the science linking HIV and CVD, to highlight research methods, and to build a vision for research opportunities in the area. More than 50 faculty, students, and clinical staff members attended the workshop. 

Presenters included CVD researchers at UNZA and VUMC based UVP mentors Dr. John Koethe (Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases) and Dr. Annet Kirabo (Assistant Professor, Clinical Pharmacology, Molecular Physiology and Biophysics). The UNZA-Vanderbilt Partnership is supported by National Institutes of Health grant D43TW009744.

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Featured, UNZA-Vanderbilt Training Partnership for HIV-Nutrition-Metabolic Research (UVP), University of Zambia School of Medicine/University Teaching Hospital (UNZA/UTH), Holly Cassell

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2018 UVP Workshop: Cancer Research in Zambia

Visitor — Wed, 18 Apr 2018 20:33:49 +0000

2018 UVP Workshop: Cancer Research in Zambia

News Posts, International Training Programs

Visitor Wed, 04/18/2018 - 15:33 RSS:

The UNZA-Vanderbilt Training Partnership for HIV-Nutrition-Metabolic Research (UVP) held a workshop entitled Cancer Research in Zambia: Programs, Progress, and Opportunities at the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka, Zambia on April 9-10, 2018. The purpose of the workshop was to address the science linking HIV and cancer to highlight research methods, and to expand the vision of research opportunities in the area. More than 80 faculty, students, and clinical staff members attended the workshop.

Presentations were given by faculty members at the University of Zambia, University Teaching Hospital and the Cancer Diseases Hospital; by VIGH faculty and staff; and by Dr. Satish Gopal from the University of North Carolina Project-Malawi. UVP is led by Douglas C. Heimburger, M.D., M.S., Professor of Medicine, Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health, and Selestine H. Nzala, MBChB, MPH, Head, Department of Medical Education, University of Zambia School of Medicine.

The UNZA-Vanderbilt Partnership is supported by National Institutes of Health grant D43TW009744.

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University of Zambia, UNZA-Vanderbilt Training Partnership for HIV-Nutrition-Metabolic Research (UVP), Holly Cassell

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Nutrition Research Methods Workshop Trains Faculty and Graduate Students in Zambia

Visitor — Fri, 14 Apr 2017 01:49:37 +0000

Nutrition Research Methods Workshop Trains Faculty and Graduate Students in Zambia

News Posts, Global Health Topics, International Training Programs

Visitor Thu, 04/13/2017 - 20:49 RSS:

Current and past fellows, and faculty of the UNZA-Vanderbilt Training Partnership for HIV-Nutrition Research (UVP). The program is supported by the Fogarty International Center.

Now in its second year, the UNZA-Vanderbilt Training Partnership for HIV-Nutrition Research (UVP) program hosted a research training workshop for clinicians and researchers at the University of Zambia School of Medicine (UNZA) in Lusaka on March 6 and 7. The collaboration between UNZA and the Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health (VIGH) continues a long-standing relationship between the two institutions. The two-day workshop, held at the University Teaching Hospital, entitled Methods for Research in HIV, Nutrition, and Metabolism included lecturers from UNZA, the Zambian Ministry of Health, the Tropical Disease Research Center in Zambia (TDRC), Tropical Gastroenterology and Nutrition Group (TROPGAN), Vanderbilt University Medical Center, the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and the National Institute for Medical Research, Tanzania. The U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), along with many international partners, made antiretroviral therapy (ART) available to millions of Africans and turned HIV into a chronic condition. This exposes persons living with HIV to multiple NCDs related to prolonged ART, lifestyle risk factors, secular changes accompanying the global epidemiologic transition, and aging. Nutritional factors are central to many of these, especially in low-income countries, and affect pathogenetic processes in the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, nervous system, and cardiovascular system. Non-communicable diseases (NCD) research training is central to the mission of UVP. To that end, the workshop highlighted research methods relevant to science linking HIV, nutrition/metabolism, and long-term NCDs, and aimed to build a vision for research opportunities using these methodologies in Zambia. Workshop highlights included tours of available laboratory resources in Zambia as well as ongoing and completed investigations by Zambia-based investigators. More than ninety people representing academia, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and government entities working in the HIV/nutrition arena attended the meeting. UVP is funded by the NIH-Fogarty International Center. Dr. Douglas Heimburger, Associate Director for Education and Training for VIGH and Dr. Selestine Nzala, Senior Lecturer in Public Health at UNZA, serve as Principal Investigators. View photos from the training event.

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Doug Heimburger, HIV/AIDS, Zambia, UNZA-Vanderbilt Training Partnership for HIV-Nutrition-Metabolic Research (UVP), Fogarty International Center (FIC), Nutrition, Holly Cassell

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