2/2 – Regional GEOHealth Hub Centered in Peru-U.S.

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Project Summary/Abstract Our goal with this research training renewal application and the linked research proposal, submitted by our partners at the Cayetano Heredia University in Peru (UPCH), is to continue our activities as a research and training center for environmental health based in Lima, Peru, with links to Ecuador, Bolivia, and Chile. This application builds on a successful six-year NIH/Fogarty funded grant where we conducted environmental health research in Peru and built collaborative ties with academic and governmental partners. Our work in Peru has resulted in more than 20 publications and 200 trainees. We have maintained an exceptionally strong team of environmental health researchers from UPCH, Emory U, Johns Hopkins U, and Universidad de Chile (U. Chile). We have strengthened our collaborations with government agencies as the General Directorate of Environmental Health and Food Safety – DIGESA, the National Service of Meteorology and Hydrology - SENAHMI, The Ministry of the Environmental - MINAM, and the Ministry of Health – MINSA (see letters of support) We have developed a new relationship with a major Lima neurology clinic focused on Alzheimer’s disease and fronto-temporal dementia. Our multiple PI group, Drs. Gonzales and Hartinger at UPCH and Dr. William Checkley at JHU will take primarily responsibility for the research projects with the support of Dr. Steenland and others at Emory. Dr. Steenland will provide primary support for the work on Alzheimer’s disease and fronto-temporal dementia. We will include former and trainees as research assistants on the new U01 grant, working on the main projects of that grant, including the association of air pollution with cardiorespiratory disease, COVID-19, and Alzheimer’s disease and fronto-temporal dementia. The UPCH will coordinate all training activities in this proposal with the support of the team at U.Chile, who are well positioned leaders in the South American region. The training activities proposed will build on our prior work and will include: 1) funding for graduate programs (at the master and PhD levels) at the UPCH and with thesis mentors from Peru, US, and Chile 2) one-on-one mentoring to Peruvian investigators, and 3) short term courses in Peru, Chile, and the US focused on developing research skills relevant to our research activities, including our Alzheimer’s disease research project. Over the project period we anticipate short-term training for a minimum of 167 trainees, one-on-one training opportunities every year for 25 Peruvian investigators, master level training to 6 students, and PhD training for 3 students. All our training activities will include responsible conduct of research training adapted to the scientific context in Peru, and will include Peruvian faculty. We will evaluate our programs by determining whether our goals have been fulfilled during the grant period. We will coordinate our activities during annual hub meetings, and via email and virtual rooms as needed for the management of the activities.