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Global Health Matters

September - October, 2009  |  Volume 8, Issue 5

 

Recovery Act supports five Fogarty Challenge Grants

Fogarty has awarded five NIH Challenge Grants in Health and Science Research with Recovery Act funds for diverse studies in chronic diseases, climate change, emerging technologies and the effect of cultural beliefs on health.

The projects will receive about $4.7 million over the next two years. The Challenge Grant program is intended to jumpstart studies addressing specific scientific and health research challenge areas in biomedical and behavioral research.

"We're extremely grateful for this stimulus funding and the boost it's providing to biomedical research, a critical component of the U.S. economy," said Fogarty Director Dr. Roger I. Glass. "These grants will help support cutting-edge research in priority areas and will enable scientists to explore new ways to leverage emerging technologies to improve human health."

The effect of climate change on cholera outbreaks is the subject of a study by Dr. Shafiqul Islam of Tufts University. Droughts, floods and cyclones have been associated with major cholera epidemics, and extreme climatic events are likely to bring about changes in the ecosystem that may impact cholera bacteria.

The project, in collaboration with the University of Maryland and the Institute of Water Modeling in Bangladesh, will examine how sea level increases and variations in precipitation might affect transmission of the disease, which has re-emerged as a significant cause of death.

Dr. Robert Boyd, at the University of California, Los Angeles, will lead a team conducting research on cultural variation at sites on Yasawa Island, Fiji, and in Huatasani, Peru. The funding will allow the team to develop a better understanding of people's cultural beliefs, which have an important impact on diet, exercise, lifestyle and other aspects of public health.

Long-distance communication and distance learning applications will be the focus for University of Alabama at Birmingham researcher Dr. Lynda Wilson.

The project will develop four courses, which will be offered over a two-year period to 150 study coordinators at various international sites.

The goal is to address the lack of adequate training for research coordinators across the globe by employing a mix of approaches, including Internet-based classes, courses on CD-ROM, podcasts and text messaging.

A study that analyzes how electronic protocols might improve adherence by health care providers and patients will be carried out by Dr. Marc Mitchell of Harvard University. Mitchell and his team have designed software that guides providers through protocols related to childhood illnesses.

The software can be operated on a PDA or cell phone and helps providers avoid skipping steps or arriving at an inaccurate diagnosis. The study will be carried out in Tanzania at Evangelical Lutheran Church clinics, all of which currently use paper based protocols for the treatment of children.

A University of Pennsylvania research team of Dr. John Danesh, Dr. Daniel Rader and Dr. Danish Saleheen will conduct a study on the poorly understood link between diabetes and cardiovascular disease in South Asia, where the number of people with type 2 diabetes is expected to approach 100 million by 2030.

The team will generate new data on this link by working with an already existing heart disease study in Pakistan.

Overall, the NIH will award a total of at least $200 million in Challenge Grants.

More Information

• Find out more about Fogarty and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)