TB is closely linked to HIV; HIV has been a key contributor to the TB epidemic. People with living with M. tuberculosis and HIV are significantly more likely to develop TB than people who are HIV-negative. To control TB in high HIV-prevalence settings, it is imperative to coordinate efforts for TB and HIV control. Vanderbilt collaborates with international organizations and population-based cohorts to reduce the burden of TB among people living with HIV and reduce the burden of HIV among persons with TB.
International Epidemiologic Databases to Evaluate AIDS (Global)
The International Epidemiologic Databases to Evaluate AIDS (IeDEA) network is an international research consortium established in 2006 by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to perform observational cohort studies and outcomes research of HIV/AIDS and co-morbidity, including TB. IeDEA includes HIV/AIDS cohorts from seven international regions, including four in Africa, and one each in the Asia-Pacific region, the Central/South America/Caribbean region, and North America. This type of data and resource pooling allows researchers to address unique and evolving research questions that individual cohorts are unable to answer. The TB Working Group within IeDEA consists of representatives from each IeDEA region, as well as program staff from NIH, who promote a scientific agenda related to the detection, assessment, understanding and prevention of HIV-related TB in adults and children.
The North American AIDS Cohort Collaboration on Research and Design (North America)
The North American AIDS Cohort Collaboration on Research and Design (NA-ACCORD) is part of the International epidemiologic Databases to Evaluate AIDS (IeDEA). NA-ACCORD is designed to be widely representative of HIV care in the United States and Canada, includes investigators who have a high level of scientific expertise and clinical experience, and has an efficient structure for harmonization of data and the conduct of analyses.The Vanderbilt Comprehensive Care Clinic (CCC) participates in NA-ACCORD.
The Caribbean, Central and South America network for HIV epidemiology (The Caribbean, Central, and South America)
As part of the IeDEA network, The Caribbean, Central and South America network for HIV epidemiology (CCASAnet) brings together the expertise and resources of Vanderbilt University and clinical and research sites in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico and Peru. The goal of the CCASAnet project is to create a shared repository of HIV data from Central and South America and the Caribbean, and use the combined data to answer questions about the characteristics of the regional HIV epidemic. CCASAnet researchers develop and test new biostatistical methods for HIV epidemiology and conduct a program of education to assist participating sites in improving the quality and consistency of their clinical research activities.
The Antiretroviral Therapy Cohort Collaboration (North America and Europe)
The Antiretroviral Therapy Cohort Collaboration (ART-CC) is a long-standing international collaboration, including 19 cohorts in Europe and North America. ART-CC was initiated with the aim of studying the prognosis for clinical events in acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and the mortality of adult patients treated for HIV-1 infection. The ART-CC data base now includes data on more than 100,000 patients.
The KwaZulu-Natal Research Institute for Tuberculosis and HIV (South Africa)
The KwaZulu-Natal Research Institute for Tuberculosis and HIV (K-RITH) is a truly novel initiative in global health. Its mission is to conduct outstanding basic science research on tuberculosis (TB) and HIV and translate the scientific findings into new tools to control TB and HIV. In addition to its research mission, K-RITH is committed to motivating young scientists to address the crises of TB and HIV by expanding the science education opportunities in the region as well as strengthening the TB and HIV research capabilities of scientists throughout Africa