International Core

University Of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PA

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

PROJECT SUIVIMARY (See instructions): The activities of the International Core (Core I) are centered in Botswana, a country that serves as a remarkable success story for confronting the HIV/AIDS epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa. Core I has made impressive advances in performing HIV/AIDS research that is relevant to the people of Botswana and that has advanced knowledge of the global epidemic. Markers of our accomplishments include the large number of NIH and Foundation grants in HIV/AIDS that Core I investigators have secured for their research in Botswana during the current funding cycle, the substantial growth in number and quality of publications, and the success at attaining national and international recognition for their research by junior faculty located at Penn and by junior faculty who are residing fulltime in Botswana as part of the Botswana-UPenn Partnership (BUP) program (an extension of Penn's campus in Botswana). The BUP has robust clinical and educational programs focused on providing care and technical assistance related to HIV and its complications, HIV-TB co-infection, multidrug resistant TB, cervical cancer screening in HIV infected women using the See and Treat approach, and the use of cell phone technology to improve health care delivery. This rich clinical material serves as a remarkable resource for patient-oriented research in Botswana. Core I functions as the research arm of BUP and links investigators from Penn with collaborators in Botswana, including those in the recently formed University of Botswana (UB) School of Medicine. Our Aims for the next grant cycle are to facilitate high quality epidemiologic and patient-oriented research in HIV/AIDS and its complications in Botswana, and to mentor trainees from Botswana and Penn interested in HIV/AIDS Global Health research. We have outstanding Penn Institutional support for the research programs in Botswana as evidenced by a 2013 agreement between Penn and UB to jointly staff, eguip and operate a new research lab located in the new Faculty of Health Sciences Building at UB, the recruitment of a PhD molecular biologist supported in part by Penn to direct the joint lab, and the recruitment of several young investigators supported in part by Penn who are Penn faculty living in Botswana. Based on the outstanding infrastructure of the Penn CFAR in Botswana, strong collaborations among CFAR Cores, and excellent ties that Core I leadership has with UB and the Botswana Ministry of Health, Penn HIV/AIDS investigators are superbly positioned to perform cutting edge research that will help build capacity in Botswana and have a major impact on HIV/AIDS research globally.