GhREAT: Global health Research Expanding Advanced Training

Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland OH

Investigators

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The aims of this project are to accelerate the development of post-doctoral trainees in global health research, taking advantage of existing research programs and the Framework program at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) and expanding existing relationships and collaborations. There are three Schools/Colleges participating (School of Medicine: Center for Global Health and Disease and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Arts &Sciences: Department of Anthropology and School of Nursing.) These three schools have been collaborating since 2007 on a FIC-funded Framework project. As a result of that project, there have been successful collaborative course offerings, development of an interdisciplinary educational certificate program in global health, and mentored international study projects with investigators from each of the three units. The current proposal leverages these successes into post- doctoral training opportunities where the partners have not been able to secure funding. The unique aspect of the present proposal is that we are using newly funded RCTs in lymphatic filariasis (LF) elimination and adding behavioral science components from the science of patient self-management to better understand how RCT study participants respond holistically to treatment for filariasis in low income countries/regions (Papua New Guinea and Sub-Saharan Africa). The RCTs are testing different doses and combinations of medications in order to achieve endpoints for elimination. What we propose here is an interdisciplinary post- doctoral training program so that trainees from three disciplines with distinct approaches to care will better understand the participant experience of treatment with the long term goal of identifying factors that enable and inhibit treatment effectiveness. These factors go beyond side effects but also may include participant perceptions of the effectiveness of the drugs, whether there are social impacts from therapy, how participants perform self-management when they have filariasis, and social and community impacts from LF. In addition, the trainees will have longer-term field experiences (9 months) in global health in a research- supportive environment and with the support of the CWRU investigators in Cleveland and global health sites PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Lymphatic filariasis (LF) is a neglected tropical disease that has substantial impact on the lives of those affected, including stigma, limitations in jobs and social roles and social impacts. The proposed project intends to provide post-doctoral training providing research training for LF with the science of self- management to expand post-doctoral global health training at Case Western Reserve University.