Tulane Xavier Minority Training in International Health

描述(由申请人提供)：杜兰大学公共卫生和热带医学院(SPHTM)与路易斯安那州泽维尔大学合作，正在申请继续于2005年开始并于2008年续签的非常成功的杜兰-泽维尔MHIRT培训计划。四个海外站点(包括秘鲁的一个站点，在不同的研究领域有3个不同的机会)提供与美国人口健康差距有关的培训，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。该计划为来自健康差距人群的合格本科生、研究生和卫生专业学生提供国际研究培训机会，这些学生在基础科学、生物医学、临床或行为卫生研究职业领域的代表性不足。杜兰/泽维尔的合作建立在两个机构的优势和传统的基础上，即杜兰公共卫生和热带医学院作为国际公共卫生和热带疾病研究的领导者的研究能力，以及泽维尔大学作为为健康差距群体的少数族裔学生提供高级科学教育的领导者的传统。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名学生参加海外研究体验，其中包括7名本科生和3名研究生或医学生。这些海外网站链接到由参与的杜兰大学教师导师领导的正在进行的合作研究项目。研究机会包括秘鲁的儿科结核病研究、登革热控制的行为方面研究和大流行性流感监测、阿根廷降低孕产妇和围产期发病率和死亡率的干预措施、墨西哥的查加斯病以及中国的心血管疾病。参与者在旅行前接受研究方法、伦理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。学员在美国和外国教师导师的共同指导下工作，他们的研究成果在回国后以口头和书面形式进行陈述。我们鼓励学生探索疾病对海外人口的影响及其对美国健康差距人群的影响之间的异同。我们以前的经验表明，这些机会将激励学生从更广泛的角度将美国的健康差距问题视为全球问题，并能够将从一个群体学到的经验应用到另一个群体中。该计划在2005年克服了由于卡特里娜飓风造成的重大障碍，但我们现在已经成功地完成了该计划的8年，并开始培训我们的第九个学生队列。80%的早期项目实习生(到2010年)已经进入了生物医学专业生涯或高级培训项目。杜兰-泽维尔MHIRT项目为来自健康差距较小人群的学生提供了一个独特的机会，让他们参与一个全额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载体。

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.