Developing research leaders at the intersection of malnutrition and tuberculosis in Tanzania

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ABSTRACT/ SUMMARY In non-pandemic periods, tuberculosis (TB) is the leading killer worldwide from a curable infectious disease. Malnutrition related immunosuppression is the most important driver of conversion from latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection to active TB disease. Yet TB disease itself worsens malnutrition, while the physical, social and economic consequences of TB treatment all predispose to sequelae of persistent malnutrition. The United Nations and World Health Organization’s End TB Strategy recommends scaling-up of research training of scientists in TB endemic settings skilled in the End TB research goals. Given that researchers and educators from the University of Virginia (UVA) and Tanzania are currently working in collaborative research in multiple domains of malnutrition and TB, we performed a countrywide needs assessment to map the competencies of successful research leaders identified in the Path to Research Leadership Report in Africa 2020. We then designed the current Global Infectious Diseases Research Training Program (GIDRTP- D43 TW012247, now grant year 2), to train 6 postdoctoral Tanzanian scientists in research leadership excellence at the intersection of malnutrition and TB, and within the components of research team management, communication, grant writing, professionalism and career trajectory. Tanzanian postdoctoral scientists receive 3 years of salary support, mentorship with UVA and Tanzanian faculty at strategic institutes, and lead a team of staff scientists, Tanzanian Master’s students, and undergraduate students from UVA (2 per postdoctoral scientist led team) utilizing the eGlobal program of virtual/online engagement. While interest is high for undergraduates across varied schools at UVA for participation in the GIDRTP and eGlobal program, the majority have prior global travel experience and do not identify as underrepresented in health sciences. Furthermore, the current eGlobal program does not provide a summative travel experience to Tanzania. This supplement will 1) recruit and retain 8 new undergraduate students that are underrepresented in health sciences for a year’s longitudinal internship in global research engagement and a summative hands- on research experience in Tanzania with their Tanzanian postdoctoral scientist-led team; 2) do so through equitable compensation of stipend during the internship; 3) provide UVA faculty led training for undergraduates in global health career tracks, methods of cross-cultural research collaboration, and pre/post travel counseling; and 4) advance the research team leadership skills of the Tanzanian postdoctoral scientists following the integration of undergraduates with diverse lived backgrounds. We expect this adaptation of the eGlobal program for underrepresented minorities in global health sciences can be scaled to other training programs and scientific foci.