D71 Planning Grant for Emerging Virus Research Training in Sierra Leone

在西非最近爆发埃博拉疫情之后，塞拉利昂医学和联合健康科学学院（COMAHS）和杜克大学（Duke University）寻求制定一项培训计划，以提高对病毒性新发传染病的研究能力。在与塞拉利昂调查人员和领导人现有关系的基础上，以及从埃博拉疫情中吸取的经验教训，杜克大学将与COMAHS的同事密切合作，利用传染病方面的专业知识、医疗和研究培训、广泛的临床研究专业知识以及对全球卫生公平的坚定承诺。收到这一规划奖后，我们将在塞拉利昂制定并开展临床研究需求评估；确定COMAHS的具体临床研究培训机会，这些机会将受益于杜克大学的支持、经验和培训资源；并对研究人员进行初步可行性评估，其长期目标是提高整个塞拉利昂的研究能力。我们将汇集塞拉利昂医疗保健社区的经验，以及杜克大学和医学中心的多种可用资源，与合作实体一起创建在线和基于课堂的教学培训机会，“现实世界”实习机会，以观察临床研究如何在各种环境中进行，以及临床研究中的新颖试验模拟。这种类型的合作和准备将有助于将塞拉利昂的卫生保健界聚集在一起并做好准备，最终使他们能够在未来爆发期间迅速实施治疗或疫苗试验。我们认为，这一项目对于增强西非社区的权能，使其能够更充分地参与应对新出现的病毒流行病至关重要。

Following the recent Ebola outbreak in West Africa, Sierra Leone College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences (COMAHS) and Duke University seek to develop a training program to advance research capacity for viral emerging infectious diseases. Building upon existing relationships with Sierra Leone investigators and leaders, as well as lessons learned from the Ebola outbreak, Duke University will work closely with colleagues at COMAHS to leverage expertise in infectious disease, medical and research training, extensive clinical research expertise and a strong commitment to global health equity in this effort. With receipt of this planning award, we will develop and perform a clinical research needs assessment in Sierra Leone; identify specific clinical research training opportunities at COMAHS that would benefit from Duke's support, experience, and training resources; and conduct a preliminary feasibility assessment of investigators, with the long term goal of increasing the research capacity throughout Sierra Leone. We will bring together the experience of the healthcare community in Sierra Leone and the multiple resources available throughout Duke University and Medical Center together with collaborating entities to create a combination of online and classroom-based didactic training opportunities, “real-world' internship opportunities to observe how clinical research is conducted in various settings, and novel trial simulations in clinical research. This type of collaboration and preparation would help bring together and prepare the healthcare community in Sierra Leone, ultimately enabling their capacity to rapidly implement therapeutic or vaccine trials during a future outbreak. We believe this program is critical to empower West African communities to be able to participate more fully in responses to emerging viral epidemics.