Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital-Bayero University Kano-Vanderbilt: Developing Future Leaders in Child Neurology and Epilepsy Research (ABV)

摘要：针对癫痫和儿童神经系统疾病的病因、诊断和治疗的研究 非洲迫切需要应对疾病以及提供诊断和治疗服务。的 非洲癫痫和儿童神经系统疾病的负担非常高。特有的神经系统综合症 撒哈拉以南非洲地区已被描述，还有更多可能等待发现。目前大多数孩子 撒哈拉以南非洲地区患有可治疗的神经系统疾病（例如癫痫）的患者既没有得到诊断也没有得到治疗。 大多数儿童神经系统疾病知识库都是基于北美的研究， 欧洲和环太平洋地区，人口基因组学和环境因果因素与欧洲和环太平洋地区不同 非洲。大规模流行病学研究、临床试验、诊断技术的开发以及 需要在非洲进行实施科学研究来缩小这一知识差距。没有井- 与儿童神经病学和癫痫研究人员建立了合作关系，涵盖了相对同质的大范围 非洲儿童人口。该项目，阿米努卡诺教学医院（AKTH）-卡诺巴耶罗大学 （BUK）-范德比尔特：培养儿童神经病学和癫痫研究（ABV）的未来领导者，将建立在 为 NIH 资助的范德比尔特大学、BUK 和 AKTH 在儿童领域的成功合作奠定了坚实的基础 神经病学和癫痫病学，在尼日利亚北部（人口众多的地区）培养一支医师科学家队伍 超过 1 亿人，其中一半是儿童。 ABV 总部位于尼日利亚北部的中心卡诺 五年内为尼日利亚北部的三组未来研究领导者提供研究培训和指导： (1) 选拔五名 ABV 教员在 BUK 开发和教授针对未来需求的新课程 在范德比尔特大学教师的指导下，儿童神经病学和癫痫病的研究领导者； (2)八个ABV 将在 BUK 完成 MScPH 学位的学者，启动他们自己的研究项目，由 范德比尔特大学和 AKTH/BUK 教员，并就读于范德比尔特研究发展与伦理研究所， 他们将在这里学习撰写、提交和管理自己的资助金； (3) 八名 ABV 执行学者， 职业生涯中期的医生研究员将投入长达两年的业余时间来提高他们在某个领域的技能 儿童神经病学或癫痫研究，在导师的指导下工作并在 BUK 选修课程。酒精度 学者和 ABV 执行学者不仅会从卡诺招募，还会从卡诺的姊妹机构招募 尼日利亚北部的其他主要城市——扎里亚、卡杜纳、迈杜古里、卡齐纳和索科托。一年一度的孩子 神经病学和癫痫大会将于第三年启动，作为区域会议，重点强调神经病学和癫痫病学和癫痫病学的工作 ABV 研究员、学者和高管学者，计划按年扩大到非洲范围的会议 5. ABV 校友将在尼日利亚北部建立一个协作网络，以满足关键的研究需求 在儿童神经病学和癫痫方面。在 ABV 计划的前五年中，未来的主要研究者 ABV 的团队将在准备与所有尼日利亚主要研究人员续签 ABV D43 资金时接受指导。

Abstract: Research addressing the causes, diagnosis, and treatment of epilepsy and childhood neurological disorders, as well as implementation of diagnostic and treatment services, is urgently needed in Africa. The burden of epilepsy and child neurological disorders in Africa is very high. Neurological syndromes unique to sub-Saharan Africa have been described, with many more likely awaiting discovery. Currently most children with treatable neurological disorders in sub-Saharan Africa (e.g., epilepsy) are neither diagnosed nor treated. Most of the knowledge base childhood neurological disorders is based upon research from North America, Europe and the Pacific Rim, where the population genomics and environmental causal factors are different from Africa. Large-scale epidemiology studies, clinical trials, development of diagnostic technologies, and implementation science research in Africa are required to close this knowledge gap. There are no well- developed collaboratives of child neurology and epilepsy researchers that cover a large relatively homogenous population of children in Africa. This project, Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH)-Bayero University Kano (BUK)-Vanderbilt: Developing Future Leaders in Child Neurology and Epilepsy Research (ABV), will build upon a solid foundation of successful NIH-funded collaborations between Vanderbilt, BUK and AKTH in child neurology and epilepsy to develop a cadre of physician-scientists in northern Nigeria- a region with a population of over 100 million people, half of whom are children. Based in Kano, the hub of northern Nigeria, ABV will over five years provide research training and mentoring for three groups of future research leaders in northern Nigeria: (1) five ABV Faculty Fellows selected to develop and teach new courses at BUK targeting the needs of future research leaders in child neurology and epilepsy, under the mentorship of Vanderbilt faculty; (2) eight ABV Scholars who will complete the MScPH degree at BUK, launching their own research projects co-mentored by Vanderbilt and AKTH/BUK faculty, and attending the Vanderbilt Institute for Research Development and Ethics, where they will learn to write, submit and administer their own grants; and, (3) eight ABV Executive Scholars, mid-career physician-investigators who will devote half-time for up to two years to enhance their skills in an area of child neurology or epilepsy research, working under a mentor and taking selected courses at BUK . ABV Scholars and ABV Executive Scholars will be recruited from not only Kano, but also from sister institutions in the other major cities within northern Nigeria – Zaria, Kaduna, Maiduguri, Katsina, and Sokoto. A yearly Child Neurology and Epilepsy Congress will be launched in Year 3 as a regional conference highlighting the work of the ABV Fellows, Scholars, and Executive Scholars, with plans to expand to an Africa-wide conference by Year 5. The ABV alumni will form a collaborative network across northern Nigeria to address critical research needs in child neurology and epilepsy. Throughout the first five years of the ABV program future principal investigators of ABV will be mentored as they prepare to renew the ABV D43 funding with all Nigerian principal investigators.