US-Cameroon Intenational Workshop: Collaborative Research and Education on E-medicine at University of Buea, Cameroon, Dec. 3-4, 2009

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Dr. Victor Mbarika of Southern University proposes to conduct an International Workshop in Buea, Cameroon, whose purpose is to establish an interdisciplinary collaborative international program that: 1) promotes integrated research in information technology and medicine, and 2) prepares future graduates with certifications and practical experience in e-medicine for jobs in related health and information technology professions. Intellectual Merit: This project lays the foundation for a systematic continuation of the PI?s prior NSF and NASA funded research in e-medicine (for sub-Saharan Africa) and multimedia instructional technologies. Using these funding sources, the PI and his team have implemented and assessed e-medicine technologies in developing nations in sub-Saharan Africa, and rural Louisiana. Further, they have been funded to develop multimedia instructional technologies to bring real world information technology issues to the classroom. The project completion depends on disciplines relying on one another, and the collaboration of US and Cameroonian universities and medical institutions. The two-day workshop will focus on two measurable objectives: (i) To bring together a suite of international collaborators who are engaged in student learning and research, and to use the dynamic of our interaction to develop the human capacity of all participants and that of participating institutions; (ii) To establish specific practical steps towards active research collaborations, in terms of journal and conference publications, collaborations between students and faculty from participating institutions.Broader Impacts: Cameroon demonstrates the relative resource poverty, and characteristic uncertainties as with all developing countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The need for affordable and accessible health care services in the country is critical. However, the primary challenge is lack of well-trained medical health professionals, and exodus of new graduates to richer countries. The projects to be discussed at the proposed workshop will lay the foundation for a several publications and certifications in e-medicine for participating institutions as well as broader dissemination of existing funded grants. There will also be discussion of collaboration to publish a textbook with multimedia cases on e-medicine.This project represents a collaboration between scientists in the US and Cameroon. The US team will be lead by the PI, Dr. Victor Mbarika. Dr. Mbarika has authored three books and his research on ICT diffusion in developing countries and on multimedia learning has appeared in numerous peer reviewed journals and book chapters. The Cameroon team will be lead by Dr. Enoh Tanjong (University of Buea, Cameroon) and Dr. Samuel Kingue (University of Yaoundé, Cameroon). Dr. Kingue is the head of the Cardiology Unit at the Yaoundé Reference Hospital. He has published numerous scientific papers, book chapters, and national and international conference abstracts.