Associated organisationsLondon School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine · University of Cambridge · University of Ghana · University of OxfordEurope PMC affiliations are not treated as award recipients or mapped locations.
Funding£5.1M
PeriodSept 2015 — Oct 2021
In plain English
AI plain-English summary
Ghana is training its first generation of human geneticists to tackle diseases that kill millions across West Africa. The West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP) at the University of Ghana already trains researchers in the molecular biology of malaria, tuberculosis, and other tropical diseases. But the region lacks a formal human genetics programme—a gap that leaves scientists unable to study why some people are more susceptible to infections or non-communicable diseases like diabetes. This grant will create that programme, alongside a postdoctoral scheme to keep newly qualified PhDs in Africa and attract diaspora scientists back home. If successful, the programme will build a self-sustaining research community that can identify genetic risk factors for both infectious and non-communicable diseases in African populations. That knowledge could eventually guide new diagnostics, vaccines, or treatments tailored to the region. The project also includes a research ethics course, a student exchange programme with UK and US labs, and a mentoring system—infrastructure that will quietly strengthen the continent’s ability to produce its own health solutions rather than importing them.
View original technical description
The proposed DELTAS Programme seeks to strengthen and extend the scope of the mission of the West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP: www.waccbip.org), which was established at the University of Ghana (UG) in 2013. We believe that the vision of the DELTAS initiative aligns perfectly with our own aspirations at WACCBIP, where our mission is to improve diagnosis, prevention and control of tropical diseases by providing advanced level training and research on the cell and molecular biology of infectious pathogens. WACCBIP faculty are drawn from the Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology (BCMB), and the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) at UG as well as seven partnerinstitutions within Africa. International faculty include several leading scientists from UK institutions, and members of the American Society for Cell Biology. WACCBIP was selected by the World Bank as one of the African Centres of Excellence for Higher Education, and received funding to build capacity for training of PhD and Masters students in Biochemistry and Molecular Cell Biology. This application seeks support from the DELTAS scheme for increased impact and long-term sustainability in the following ways: 1. Develop the first graduate and professional Human Genetics programme in Ghana, which will complement our existing pathogen biology research training. This programme will provide a structured research training platform to synergize with existing genetics training programmes led by the H3Africa network. 2. Develop a post-doctoral programme to help keep newly qualified PhDs in Africa and attract African scientists who have completed their PhDs abroad to return home. These postdoctoral fellows will conduct supervised research at WACCBIP and its regional partner institutions. 3. Strengthen our co-supervisor system through a Student Visitor programme, sothat PhD students and postdocs will be funded for six-month visits to the laboratories of cosupervisors in the UK or USA to hone their research skills. 4. Strengthen the mentoring system so each postdoctoral and PhD trainee will have a local mentor and access to advice from a UK or US scientist. 5. Develop a short course in research ethics that will be run annually to train young African scientists on responsible conduct. The goal of the proposed programme is to provide advanced training of health professionals and increase research and innovation to guide development of new approaches to disease diagnosis, prevention, and control. Effective training programs must be anchored by a strong, well-structured, and focused research portfolio. Therefore, this application seeks to build on our strength in pathogen biology research by incorporating a genetics curriculum and research platform, which is critical for a complete understanding of disease mechanisms for both communicable and noncommunicable diseases. Thus, the proposed research training will incorporate genetics into the study of host-pathogen interactions, as well as in investigating the molecularmechanisms that predispose individuals to the development of non-communicable diseases. This application builds a coalition of local, regional and international partners who have advanced resources and expertise in human genetics and pathogen biology research to support the proposed training programmes.
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