Document text
Principal Investigator: Serap AKSOY
Organization: BIOTECHNOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE-KALRO
Fiscal Year: 2024
Award: $248,357
Funding agency: John E. Fogarty International Center for Advanced Study in the Health Sciences
Vector-borne and neglected tropical diseases (VBDs and NTDs, respectively) are endemic and
emerging threats in sub-Saharan Africa (sSA). In this renewal application, scientists from Kenya Agricultural
and Livestock Research Organization, Biotechnology Research Institute (BioRI-KALRO), and Yale School of
Public Health (YSPH) will partner with Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Gulu University (GU) and
Vector and Vector-Borne Diseases Institute (VVBDI) and their peers in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania with
support of the East African Science and Technology Commission (EASTECO) to strengthen Vector Biology
(VB) education and research capacity in order to advance vector control applications and reduce disease
burden in East Africa. Our specific objectives are to:
Aim 1) Empower early-career researchers in East Africa.
Our training will target early-career scientists, including post-doctoral scholars and junior level faculty.
We will transfer knowledge necessary to advance the state-of-the-art laboratory and field research skills,
mathematical modeling and data management
within
broad fields of vector physiology, ecology, population
genetics/genomics and epidemiology. We will establish regional network(s) of early-career researchers in
LMIC institutions to support the next-generation of researchers and field practitioners and policy makers. Our
program will prepare trainees with necessary skills to establish independent research programs, and to advise
on sustainable and evidence-based strategies for in-country VC and disease elimination programs, and
promote public discussions and consultations to advance downstream delivery capacity of innovative and
integrated human, animal and environmental health VC technologies.
Aim 2) Develop leadership and institutional capacity to disseminate knowledge on innovative VC applications.
We will offer in-person and/or virtual training and mentorship opportunities in bioethics, proficient
clinical and laboratory practices, vector management and biosafety to early-career scientists from LMIC
institutions. We will also train faculties in manuscript preparation, grantsmanship, and editorial capabilities
and administrators in best-practices for the management of research and development (R&D) activities.
Working with our network institutions and public health agencies in the LMICs, we will identify and address
barriers to downstream application and adoption of research outputs relavant for VBZD control.
During the course of this award, we will support advanced training of 8-10 early career scientists for a
two-year period in LMIC institutions, and present up to five workshops/webinars annually to broad program
participants in different LMIC institutions. We will provide a leadership training opportunity to two advanced
researchers at YSPH for 3-months annually to advance research content and mentorship/administration skills.
Terms: <Address><Administrator><Adoption><Africa><Africa South of the Sahara><African><Agriculture><Animals><Award><Bioethics><Biology><Biomedical Ethics><Bionomics><Biotech><Biotechnology><Clinical><Consultations><Country><Development and Research><Disease><Disorder><Ecology><Education><Educational aspects><Educational workshop><Environmental Health><Environmental Health Science><Epidemiology><Faculty><Faculty Education><Faculty Training><Farm Animal><Genomics><Human><Institution><Investigators><Kenya><Knowledge><LMIC><Laboratories><Leadership><Livestock><Manuscripts><Math Models><Medical Research><Mentorship><Modern Man><Output><Participant><Persons><Physiology><Policy Maker><Population Genetics><Postdoc><Postdoctoral Fellow><Practice Management><Preparation><Public Health><Public Health Schools><R & D><R&D><Research><Research Associate><Research Institute><Research Personnel><Researchers><Science><Scientist><Sub-Saharan Africa><Subsaharan Africa><Tanzania><Teacher Education><Teacher Educator><Teacher Preparation><Teacher Professional Development><Teacher Training><Technology><Training><Uganda><Universities><Vector-borne disease><Vector-borne infectious disease><Vector-transmitted disease><Vector-transmitted infectious disease><Workshop><burden of disease><burden of illness><career><consultation><data management><disease burden><editorial><empowerment><epidemiologic><epidemiological><evidence base><faculty development><faculty professional development><innovate><innovation><innovative><institutional capacity><instructor training><low and middle-income countries><mathematic model><mathematical model><mathematical modeling><neglected tropical diseases><next generation><peer><post-doc><post-doctoral><post-doctoral trainee><preparations><programs><research and development><research associates><skills><teacher development><training opportunity><vector><vector control><vector management><vector management strategies><vector-borne><vector-borne illness><vectorborne><vectorborne disease><vectorborne illness><vectorborne infectious disease><virtual><webinar>