Faculty associated with the university-wide Harvard AIDS Institute (HAI) and especially the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) have developed strong programs for AIDS research training in collaboration with 6 developing countries: Senegal, Tanzania, Botswana, Thailand, Nigeria, and China. The research training is linked to active research programs in selected sites in each of the partner countries. Much of the supporting research is based on prevention issues, including mother-to-child chemo prevention, vaccine design and trial design, and behavioral studies. Stable funded research programs and large HIV-related cohort studies are under way in all of the partner countries. Research based on therapy designed for developing country settings has also begun in 4 sites and the training in these sites also includes development of clinical skills for the use of anti-retroviral drugs. The educational focus is on pre and postdoctoral training in AIDS research, as well as shorter term training in both Boston and the foreign sites. In the latter case, selected earlier AITRP trainees will be involved in south-to-south training in the developing country sites. The large number of foreign health professionals who have trained at HSPH serve, along with developing country collaborators, as a network for applicant referrals. The faculty advisors for the program have expertise in epidemiology (6), infectious diseases (6), immunology or virology (6), behavioral sciences (5), bio-statistics (2), ethics (1) and international policy and economics (1). The faculty members listed have active collaborations in one or more of the developing countries cited as partner countries, and all but 2 of the faculty advisors have mentored trainees in the past. These two are new junior faculty who also do have new research grants in one of the foreign sites. Numerous AIDS related courses, seminars, and workshops are available for trainees. Each trainee will have a principal advisor and a faculty advisory committee. Selection of trainees under a selection committee is based on previous academic performance, references, experience, and assurance that the candidates will return to participate in AIDS research in a developing country.
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