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Training and Education Activities in South Africa

Clinicians affiliated with both of our international partners, the U. of Witwatersrand and the U. of Cape Town, are in need of training in the fundamentals of biostatistics and HIV/AIDS-specific clinical trial design.  In addition, training in biostatistical methods and HIV/AIDS is needed for the mostly MS-level mathematicians currently serving as statisticians for our international partners.  We have devised efficient training programs tailored specifically to each of these audiences.

UR faculty will visit South Africa for two weeks each year, to deliver two distinct courses/training opportunities:

• Training in biostatistics and clinical trials design. A one-week short course will be delivered once per year, on site in South Africa (either in Johannesburg or Cape Town, with investigators from the two sites coming together at a single location to be selected in advance by the South Africa teams).  The course will be directed and delivered by Dr. Mike McDermott (who will focus on biostatistics), with assistance from one or more UR clinical faculty (who will focus on HIV-1 clinical trial design).  To maximize instructional benefit, the annual class size will be capped at 10-12 clinicians/fellows plus 4-5 statisticians.
  
  Three months prior to the course, a detailed syllabus of the proposed course will be circulated, along with a needs survey that will include questions relating to knowledge about basic concepts in HIV/AIDS (virology, immunology), interest in mathematical modeling, and need for training/mentoring in biostatistics/clinical trial design. Based on the feedback received, we will construct a structured series of presentations on the fundamentals of HIV/AIDS, including both virology and immunology.  The course will also initiate mentoring relationships between UR and South African statistical personnel, with initial leadership from Dr. McDermott.
• Mentored collaborative research incubator: The second course will be led by Dr. Keefer, and will take the form of a combined “Mentored Collaborative Research Incubator” and a “HIV Education Workshop”.  The goal of this week-long visit will be two-fold.  The Mentored Collaborative Research Incubator will involve South African investigators presenting their developing research projects and needs to a UR faculty group comprising Dr. Keefer plus one or more faculty colleagues in adolescent medicine, plus at least one UR fellow. The goal will be to develop collaborative plans to advance this work using the resources of the D-CFAR and the UR HIV/AIDS research community.  The HIV Education Workshop will have as its goal the identification of opportunities for “cross-fertilization” in the area of adolescent medicine and HIV education.  Best practises and novel approaches developed by the UR and South African teams will be compared and discussed, and opportunities for novel collaborations/exchanges will be defined.