Research addressing the causes, diagnosis, and treatment of epilepsy and childhood neurological disorders, as well as the implementation of diagnostic and treatment services, needs urgent attention in Africa. The burden of epilepsy and childhood neurological disorders is very high across the continent. Researchers have described neurological syndromes unique to sub-Saharan Africa, and many more likely await discovery. Currently, most children with treatable neurological disorders, such as epilepsy, in sub-Saharan Africa remain undiagnosed and untreated.
Most of our knowledge about childhood neurological disorders stems from research conducted in North America, Europe, and the Pacific Rim, where population genomics and environmental factors differ significantly from Africa. To bridge this knowledge gap, we require large-scale epidemiological studies, clinical trials, the development of diagnostic technologies, and implementation science research in Africa. Additionally, no well-developed collaborations of child neurology and epilepsy researchers cover a large, relatively homogeneous population of children in Africa.
The project Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH)-Bayero University Kano (BUK)-Vanderbilt: Developing Future Leaders in Child Neurology and Epilepsy Research (ABV) builds on a strong foundation of successful NIH-funded collaborations between Vanderbilt, BUK, and AKTH in the fields of child neurology and epilepsy. This initiative aims to cultivate a group of physician-scientists in northern Nigeria, a region home to over 100 million people, half of whom are children. Based in Kano, the hub of northern Nigeria, ABV will provide research training and mentoring over the next five years for three groups of future research leaders:
- ABV Faculty Fellows will develop and teach new courses at BUK, addressing the needs of aspiring research leaders in child neurology and epilepsy under the mentorship of Vanderbilt faculty.
- ABV Scholars will pursue an MScPH degree at BUK, launching their research projects while being co-mentored by faculty from both Vanderbilt and AKTH/BUK. They will also attend the Vanderbilt Institute for Research Development and Ethics to learn about writing, submitting, and administering grants.
- ABV Executive Scholars, who are mid-career physician-investigators, will dedicate half-time for up to two years to enhance their skills in child neurology or epilepsy research while working under a mentor and taking selected courses at BUK.
We will recruit ABV Scholars and Executive Scholars from Kano and other major cities in northern Nigeria. The alumni from ABV will form a collaborative network across northern Nigeria to address the critical research needs in child neurology and epilepsy.