Tulane Xavier Minority Training in International Health

描述（由申请人提供）：公共卫生和热带医学（SPHTM）的杜兰大学学院，与路易斯安那州泽维尔大学合作，正在申请继续非常成功的杜兰-泽维尔MHIRT培训计划，开始于2005年，并于2008年更新。四个海外研究中心（包括秘鲁的一个研究中心，在不同的研究领域提供三个不同的机会）提供与美国人口健康差异有关的培训，包括心血管疾病、结核病、围产期孕产妇和婴儿死亡率以及新出现的感染。该计划为合格的本科生，研究生和健康专业的学生提供国际研究培训机会，这些学生来自基础科学，生物医学，临床或行为健康研究职业领域代表性不足的健康差距人群。杜兰/泽维尔合作建立在两个机构的优势和传统，即，杜兰公共卫生和热带医学学院作为国际公共卫生和热带疾病研究领导者的调查能力，以及泽维尔大学作为健康差异群体少数民族学生先进科学教育领导者的传统。每年，两所大学的项目主任和研究导师都会从两所大学挑选10名学生，包括7名本科生和3名研究生或医学生，参加海外研究体验。海外网站与参与杜兰大学教师导师领导的正在进行的合作研究项目有关。研究机会包括儿童结核病，登革热控制的行为方面的研究，以及秘鲁的大流行性流感监测，阿根廷降低孕产妇和围产期发病率和死亡率的干预措施，墨西哥的恰加斯病和中国的心血管疾病。参加者在旅行前接受研究方法、道德和生物安全方面的强化培训，该项目提供旅行前医疗服务和基本语言培训。受训人员在美国和外国教师导师的联合指导下工作，他们的研究结果将在返回美国时进行口头和书面陈述，鼓励学生探索疾病对海外人口的影响之间的相似性和差异，我们以前的经验表明，这些机会将刺激学生看到健康在美国的差距问题在更广泛的角度作为全球性问题，并能够应用从一组到另一组的经验教训。该计划克服了重大的初始障碍，在2005年由于卡特里娜飓风，但我们现在已经完成了8年的成功计划，并开始我们的第九批学生的培训。80%的早期计划学员（到2010年）已经进入生物医学专业职业或高级培训计划。Tulane-Xavier MHIRT计划为来自服务不足的健康差距人群的学生提供了一个独特的机会，让他们参加一个完全资助的国际研究体验，这可能会鼓励和促进全球健康研究和服务的专业运营商。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine (SPHTM), in collaboration with Xavier University of Louisiana, is applying to continue the highly successful Tulane-Xavier MHIRT Training Program that began in 2005 and was renewed in 2008. Four overseas sites (including a site in Peru with 3 distinct opportunities in different research areas) provide training relevant to health disparities populations in the United States, including cardiovascular diseases, tuberculosis, perinatal maternal and infant mortality, and emerging infections. The program provides international research training opportunities for qualified undergraduate, graduate and health professions students from health disparities populations who are underrepresented in basic science, biomedical, clinical or behavioral health research career fields. The Tulane/Xavier collaboration builds on the strengths and traditions of both institutions, i.e., the investigative capacity of the Tulane School of Publi Health and Tropical Medicine as a leader in international public health and tropical disease research, and the tradition of Xavier University as a leader in advanced scientific education for minority students from health disparities groups. Each year, program directors and research mentors from both universities select 10 students from both universities, including 7 undergraduates and 3 graduate or medical students, to participate in overseas research experiences. The overseas sites are linked to ongoing collaborative research projects led by participating Tulane faculty mentors. Research opportunities include studies of pediatric tuberculosis, behavioral aspects of dengue control, and pandemic influenza surveillance in Peru, interventions to reduce maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality in Argentina, Chagas disease in Mexico, and cardiovascular diseases in China. Participants receive intensive training in research methodology, ethics, and biosafety prior to travel, and the project provides pre-travel medical services and basic language training. Trainees work under the joint tutelage of U.S. and foreign faculty mentors, and their research findings are organized for oral and written presentation on return to the U.S. Students are encouraged to explore similarities and differences between the disease impact on the overseas population, and its impact on health disparities populations in the U.S. Our prior experiences suggest that these opportunities will stimulate students to see health disparity issues in the U.S. in a broader perspective as global problems, and be able to apply lessons learned from one group to the other. The program overcame significant initial obstacles in 2005 due to Hurricane Katrina, but we have now completed 8 successful years of the program and are beginning to train of our ninth student cohort. Eighty percent of early program trainees (through 2010) have entered biomedical professional careers or advanced training programs. The Tulane-Xavier MHIRT program provides a unique opportunity for students from underserved health disparities populations to participate in a fully funded international research experience that is likely to encourage and facilitate professional carriers in global health research and service.