Etiology of Persistent Microalbuminuria in Nigeria

The Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health (VIGH) and Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH) in Kano, Nigeria have received a federal grant to study the factors associated with microalbuminuria among participants in an ongoing clinical trial of genetically at-risk HIV-positive adult Nigerians. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) grant will provide $2.2 million over the next four years.

Improving Perioperative Anesthesia Care and Training in Africa (ImPACT Africa)

The Improving Perioperative Anesthesia Care and Training in Africa (ImPACT Africa) program addresses the critical need for safe surgery by training local anesthesia providers and building educational capacity of local institutions. Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health (VIGH) faculty members, Marie Martin and Elizabeth Rose, along with other VIGH staff and student collaborators, have partnered with ImPACT Africa leaders to provide education consulting and develop new courses.

Vanderbilt Institute for Research Development and Ethics (VIRDE)

VIRDE is an annual intensive research training program designed to facilitate trainee research productivity in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This month-long program is intended to bolster and further develop the skill sets necessary for conducting responsible human subjects’ research and developing a grant proposal for submission. Attendees participate in a series of grant writing, research ethics/scientific integrity, and career development seminars and workshops.

UNZA-Vanderbilt Partnership for HIV-NCD Research (UVP-2)

The UNZA-Vanderbilt Training Partnership for HIV-Nutrition-Metabolic Research (UVP-1) and the UNZA-Vanderbilt Partnership for HIV-NCD Research (UVP-2) continue a longstanding training collaboration between the University of Zambia School of Medicine/University Teaching Hospital (UNZA/UTH), Vanderbilt University (VU) and the Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health (VIGH).

Childhood Status Epilepticus and Epilepsy Determinants of Outcome (SEED)

Status epilepticus (SE) is the most common serious neurological emergency among children worldwide. In the low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) of sub-Saharan Africa, the burden of childhood SE-associated mortality and morbidity appears to be especially high. However, the phenotypes of childhood SE, clinical predictors of SE-associated mortality and of SE-associated neurodevelopmental morbidity, and genomic predictors of SE, SE-associated mortality and neurodevelopmental morbidity have not been well-characterized in this region.

Traditional Healer-initiated HIV Counseling and Testing in Rural South Africa

In South Africa, HIV testing has been undermined by HIV stigma, distrust in the allopathic health system, a preference for traditional medicine, and distance to the health facility. South Africa has made progress towards their 90-90-90 goals, yet a substantial proportion of the population do not test regularly; only 33.9% of adults in rural Mpumalanga (our study site) underwent HIV testing in the past year.

Liberia IRB Practicum and Workshop Series: Ethics Supplement

Building on the partnership with University of Liberia, College of Health Sciences (ULCHS), the Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health (VIGH) will develop a develop a one-year research ethics education program for members of four institutional review boards (IRBs) in Monrovia, Liberia. Research education and training activities will adapt to the Liberian context from the well-established Collaborative Research Ethics Education (Formação Colaborativa em Etica na Pesquisa, FoCEP) Program for Mozambique.