East Africa faces unprecedented growth in cancer burden and is inadequately prepared to meet this population health crisis. In the context of limited resources, it is imperative that policies are evidence-based and target cancers with highest incidence, morbidity, and mortality rates in the local region. Confronting the growing burden of cancer in the region requires competent, well-trained African scientists with supportive infrastructure to generate context-specific evidence to inform cancer control planning. While substantial research infrastructure already exists in Tanzania, it is predominantly focused on communicable diseases, while cancer research is nascent. As a regional training hub, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) is uniquely positioned to play a major role in building capacity for cancer research in Tanzania and the East Africa region at large. Building upon a shared commitment to improving health outcomes through education and mentoring, MUHAS and UCSF are poised to expand our ongoing cancer research and training collaborations to formally establish a Cancer Research Training Program in Tanzania (CRTP-TZ). Our overarching goal is to train and mentor a cadre of investigators in Tanzania who are capable of conceptualizing, achieving funding for, implementing, analyzing and publishing original research focused on cancer. Our hypothesis is that Tanzanian principal investigators can operate effectively and productively if proper attention is given to selection, provision of high-quality foundational didactic training to learn the theory and implementation of research, and to the development of a conducive, mentoring environment. The objectives of the CRTP-TZ will be: (1) to recruit a group of research scholars originating from Tanzania and other countries in East Africa who are diverse in discipline and who are likely to build successful academic research careers related to the cancer control science; (2) to provide outstanding, interdisciplinary training in research methodology in collaboration with faculty from MUHAS, Ocean Road Cancer Institute, and UCSF; and (3) to provide each scholar with sustained mentorship that fosters scientific advances and career development. We propose a training model which leverages existing resources in Tanzania and supplements with rigorous, high-quality coursework and sustained mentorship from UCSF. Specifically, we propose a training program with three unique pathways, which avail flexibility to build upon pre-existing competencies and the need to align training opportunities with individual career goals. We will provide sustained mentorship for scholars in each of the three training pathways as well as training in the principles and practice of good mentorship for both mentors and mentees. We intend to train a cadre of cancer researchers who are also future mentors capable of supporting broader initiatives to foster the upward mobility of scholars in Tanzania, to promote scientific advancement, and to inform cancer control planning in East Africa.
East Africa is one of the fastest growing regions of the world, with an increasing burden of non-communicable diseases, including cancer. Cancer research in the region is nascent; however, the rising disease burden urgently demands development of research skills and capacity to establish context-specific cancer control plans. The overarching goal of our proposed Cancer Research Training Program in Tanzania (CRTP-TZ) is to train and mentor a cadre of investigators in East Africa who are capable of conceptualizing, achieving funding for, implementing, analyzing, and publishing original research focused on cancer.
