Participating institutions

Drexel University

Institute of Central America and Panama (INCAP)

CIIPEC Researchers

Fernanda Kroker-Lobos, (PI) 

Manuel Ramírez-Zea

Summary 

Over the last several decades, cardiovascular disease (CVD) incidence and the prevalence of CVD risk factors have steadily increased in the Central American region, in contrast to other countries of the Americas where CVD is no longer increasing or on the decline. The rise of CVD in the region has occured in tandem with increases in urbanization and widening social inequities, and poses a growing, untenable burden for its limited public health and health care systems. While research in high income countries highlights interventions on social determinants of health as levers to prevent cardiovascular disease, less is known about the specific, intervenable social determinants that can help prevent CVD in Central America. Training and mentoring of the local workforce in identifying relevant research questions, in the use of appropriate research methods, and in the dissemintaion of results to the scientific community, the public; and policy makers is critical to identify and develop interventions to prevent CVD in the region. To this end, researchers from Drexel University and INCAP have partnered to establish a training program focused on developing the research capabilities of trainees and local capacity building in the conduct of policy relevant reserach on the influence of social determinants and place-based factors on CVD risk across the lifespan. Key elements include: (1) a focus on factors at multiple levels (from citites, to neighborhoods to persons) and over the lifecourse, (2) the use of rigorous state-of-the-art methods, (3) an emphasis on the value of interdisciplinary approaches; and (4) dissemination an translation of research findings into policy actions. As a result of the program we expect to see an increase in the numbre of researchers with Master or Doctoral degrees in the region; an increase in the number of publications and grant proposals submitted by local researchers; larger number of mentoring relationships, publications and grant proposals involving collaborations, between INCAP and other countries in the region; greater capacity for data management/analysis at INCAP, and greater engagement of local investigators in CVD research and disssemination activities, including policy translation in the region. 

Objectives

The overall goals of th eprogram are:

1. Train predoctoral students in research methods with a focus on social determinants of CVD and CVD risk factors.

2. To provide mentored research opportunities for postdoctoral scholars and faculty fellows through their engagement in mentored research on social determinants of CVD and CVD risk factors.

3. To assist in the development of local research capacity with a special focus on quantitative methods through the conduct of annual methods-oriented training workshops and through local analytical support for mentored local trainee research. 

4. To increase local capacity and infrastructure for research by increasing access to data, substantive and analytical expertise, mentors and opportunities for exchange and collaboration by leveraging data and collaborative opportunities available through the Drexel Urban Health Collaborative and the Urban Health Network of Latin America and the Caribbean.  

Methodology 

Financing 

This training program includes the following activities: 1) training of up to 3 PhD students or up to 5 Masters students; 2) Support for up to 4 postdoctoral fellows and 11 visiting faculty fellows promoting the development of junior and mid-career faculty; 3) annual workshops and periodic webinars and journal clubs on social determinants of health; CVD and lifecourse epidemiology, and research methods; 4) support for the development of data management and analytical capacity on site, and 5) enhanced south-south collaborations in mentorship and research. 

Fogarty International  Center (Federal award No. 1D43TW011971-01)

2021 - 2026

For more information about training opportunities visit. 

http://incap.int/index.php/es/noticias/348-oportunidades-de-maestria-doctorado-y-estancias-cortas-en-la-escuela-de-salud-publica-de-la-universidad-de-drexel-pensilvania