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Principal Investigator: Lameck Chinula
Organization: UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL
Fiscal Year: 2024
Award: $268,261
Funding agency: National Cancer Institute
PROJECT SUMMARY
Globally, there are more deaths from cancer than from HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria combined. In 2018, there
were more than 18 million new cancer cases and 9.5 million cancer deaths worldwide, and, by 2030, these
numbers will increase by at least 50%. Countries with low or medium Human Development Index account for
more than 60% of cancer cases and 70% of cancer deaths. Cancer deaths in sub-Saharan Africa occur
disproportionately from cancers that are preventable and/or curable including lymphoma, cervical cancer and
breast cancer. Addressing the substantial burden of cancer requires a new generation of cancer
researchers who can test hypotheses in the African context. The University of North Carolina Project-
Malawi (UNCPM) has a rich cancer research environment that includes participation in the National Cancer
Institute (NCI) U54 consortium for HIV associated malignancies, the AIDS Malignancy Consortium, the
International Epidemiologic Databases to Evaluate AIDS (IeDEA), NCI African Esophageal Cancer
Consortium, and a USAID-funded cervical cancer screening study. To date, UNCPM has had significant
success in cancer clinical trials and translational research projects, and in establishing a handful of early-
career investigators, but momentum is needed to build on this foundation. First, large improvements in cancer
control in Malawi require approaches that extend beyond clinical trials to cancer outcomes research, a broader
approach that requires unique skills. At this time, there are few cancer researchers with both the necessary
cancer research skills and the local experience to develop cancer outcomes solutions adapted to the Malawian
context. Second, there is no defined pipeline for early-career cancer research capacity. Finally, there are few
opportunities for successful Malawian investigators to obtain the additional skills and experience necessary to
be competitive for independent research funding. To address these gaps, we propose to establish the Malawi
Cancer Outcomes Research Program (M-CORP). This application is led by UNC in conjunction with the
University of Malawi College of Medicine (COM) and in collaboration with other national and international
institutions and training programs. M-CORP aims to increase the cadre of trained investigators who can pursue
independent research careers by: 1) establishing a robust curriculum and training opportunities across the
continuum of cancer outcomes research specific to the Malawian environment and research priorities; 2)
supporting advanced degrees; and 3) overcoming obstacles to research independence by providing post-
doctoral opportunities including mentored pilot grants. We will use a multi-PD leadership strategy based at both
UNC and UNCPM that will optimize our strengths across the spectrum of cancer outcomes research. An
exceptional pool of multidisciplinary mentors, a detailed plan for program evaluation, and robust, broad-based
partnerships between UNC and Malawian institutions ensure that M-CORP objectives will be met and will
establish Malawi as an internationally recognized center of excellence for cancer outcomes research.
Terms: <AIDS><AIDS Malignancy Consortium><AIDS Virus><AIDS associated cancer><AIDS related cancer><AIDS-Related Malignancy><AIDS-Related Malignant Neoplasm><AIDS-associated malignancies><Acquired Immune Deficiency><Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome><Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome Virus><Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome><Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Virus><Address><Africa South of the Sahara><African><Breast Cancer><Cancer Burden><Cancer Control><Cancer Control Science><Cancers><Cervical Cancer><Cervical Cancer Screening><Cervix Cancer><Cessation of life><Clinical Trials><Collaborations><Country><Curriculum><Data Bases><Databases><Death><Educational Curriculum><Ensure><Environment><Epidemiology><Esophageal Cancer><Esophagus Cancer><Foundations><Funding><Generations><Germinoblastic Sarcoma><Germinoblastoma><Grant><HIV><HIV-Associated Cancer><HIV-associated malignancy><HIV-related malignancy><HIV/AIDS-associated malignancy><HIV/AIDS-related cancer><Human Development><Human Immunodeficiency Viruses><Institution><International><Investigators><LAV-HTLV-III><Leadership><Lymphadenopathy-Associated Virus><Lymphoma><M tuberculosis infection><M. tb infection><M. tuberculosis infection><M.tb infection><M.tuberculosis infection><MTB infection><Malaria><Malawi><Malignant Breast Neoplasm><Malignant Cervical Neoplasm><Malignant Cervical Tumor><Malignant Esophageal Neoplasm><Malignant Esophageal Tumor><Malignant Lymphoma><Malignant Neoplasm of the Cervix><Malignant Neoplasms><Malignant Tumor><Malignant Tumor of the Cervix><Malignant Tumor of the Cervix Uteri><Malignant Tumor of the Esophagus><Malignant Uterine Cervix Neoplasm><Malignant Uterine Cervix Tumor><Malignant neoplasm of cervix uteri><Malignant neoplasm of esophagus><Medicine><Mentors><Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) infection><Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection><NCI Organization><National Cancer Burden><National Cancer Institute><North Carolina><Nyasaland><Outcome><Outcomes Research><Paludism><Plasmodium Infections><Postdoc><Postdoctoral Fellow><Program Evaluation><R-Series Research Projects><R01 Mechanism><R01 Program><Research><Research Associate><Research Grants><Research Personnel><Research Priority><Research Project Grants><Research Projects><Researchers><Reticulolymphosarcoma><Sub-Saharan Africa><Subsaharan Africa><TB infection><Testing><Time><Training Programs><Tuberculosis><USAID><Universities><Uterine Cervix Cancer><Virus-HIV><anti-cancer research><cancer clinical trial><cancer research><career><cervical cancer early detection><cervical screening><clinical translation><clinically translatable><college><collegiate><data base><disseminated TB><disseminated tuberculosis><epidemiologic><epidemiological><experience><improved><indexing><infection due to Mycobacterium tuberculosis><investigator training><lesson plans><malignancy><malignant breast tumor><multidisciplinary><neoplasm/cancer><oesophageal cancer><oncology clinical trial><post-doc><post-doctoral><post-doctoral trainee><precancer cervical detection><programs><research associates><skills><success><training opportunity><tuberculosis infection><tuberculous spondyloarthropathy>