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Please place here any news items or new links that will be of use to other clinical research staff. Thank you!

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  • Jmahal jmahal 3 May 2012

    Essential Obstetric and Newborn Care Meeting in Dhaka, Bangladesh - WEBCAST!

    The meeting took place on May 4-6 in Dhakar. It focussed on postpartum hemorrhage (PPH), pre-eclampsia / eclampsia (PE/E) and other aspects of maternal and newborn health. The meeting brought together maternal and newborn health leaders, and experienced clinicians and program managers. The event is sponsored by the Government of Bangladesh, USAID’s flagship Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Integrated Program (MCHIP), and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation-supported Oxytocin Initiative, in collaboration with Women Deliver, VSI, FIGO, and ICM.

    To view the webcast of the event, please go to the link below:
    http://www.jhpiego.org/live-mchip-meeting-in-dhaka.html

    And the agenda is here:

    http://mchip-usaid.atop-organizer.com/downloads/Asia%20Mtg%20GoalsObjs%20+%20Overview%20Agenda%20v14%202.pdf

  • Jmahal jmahal 26 Jan 2012

    Just thought others might be interested in this article about mass malaria vaccines being the way forward for malaria prevention: http://www.scidev.net/en/health/news/areas-with-low-malaria-rates-need-mass-vaccination-.html

  • Jmahal jmahal 17 Jan 2012

    Hi all

    there's an interesting news article here about a new TB strain in India that is resistant to treatment. Has anyone heard about this?

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-16592199

    Thanks!

  • fridao Frida OYAKHIROMEN 1 Dec 2011

    Vac-4-All and MRTC

    Launch multi-centre Malaria Vaccine Efficacy Trial in Mali

    Vac-4-All, a new vaccine development initiative, and the Malaria Research and Training Centre (MRTC), a public research and training facility of the University of Bamako in the Republic of Mali, have completed the immunizations of Malian children with MSP3, a malaria vaccine prototype which recently produced promising results in a small scale trial in Burkina Faso 1.

    Malaria is one of the most prominent public health problem affecting children and pregnant women in developing countries, with nearly 2.5 Billion individuals exposed, a few hundred Millions infected, and close to 1 Million deaths per year.

    The trial capitalizes on the knowledge of host-parasite immune interactions and the clinical expertise accumulated by the two groups. The partnership forged between the groups intends to develop affordable vaccines against malaria and this trial is the first of a series of trials being planned to investigate several novel malaria vaccine candidates.

    800 children aged 12 – 42 months are enrolled in the multi-centre double-blind, randomised, controlled Phase IIb efficacy trial. It is designed to provide a clear-cut demonstration of the efficacy of the target antigen, MSP3, in preventing clinical malaria episodes, and the underlying immunological mechanism. With an average incidence of 3 malaria attacks per person per year in the study areas, 2,400 malaria episodes are expected in the study population each year. The children are distributed across 8 villages, which are located in 2 regions which differ by their exposure to malaria, one with seasonal transmission and the other with perennial transmission, both at very high level.

    Cases will be actively followed-up over 2 years post-vaccination by a large Medical team, headed by M.Sissoko and I.Sagara, with staff stationed in dispensaries in each hamlet. Particular attention has been given to the conditions of community-based and individual informed consent and participation2, to the design and organisation of the trial, to the definition criteria for clinical malaria, and to the identification of surrogate markers of protection.

    About Vac4All: Vac-4-All is a private venture dedicated to malaria vaccine development, created in 2010 by P. Druilhe, formerly Head of the Malaria Vaccine Development Laboratory at the Institut Pasteur in Paris. Its mission is address urgent public health needs by developing vaccines that can be produced in a straightforward manner and that will be affordable to the populations in under-developed countries that need it most. The Vac-4-All approach follows a rationale that capatilizes on the analysis of immunological interactions between P.falciparum (the microbe that causes Malaria) and human beings which has led to the identification of several vaccine candidate molecules, explore potential surrogate markers of protection identified by clinical investigations in humans, and uses state-of–the–art research tools to analyse results from clinical trials to rationally guide product development.

    About MRTC: the Malaria Research and Training Center, at the University of Bamako, in the Republic of Mali, is one of the widest malaria research facilities on the African continent and one with long-standing experience in conducting malaria clinical trials. Headed by Professor Ogobara Doumbo, its mission is to train and promote promising Malian and African doctors and scientists to work on state-of-the-art human malaria research projects and to conduct GCP/ICH-standard clinical trials with promising prophylactic and therapeutic novel compounds which could contribute to solving the problem of malaria in Africa. It is a partnership initiative, created by the MoE and MoH of Mali with technical and funding support from diverse partners including the US NIAID/NIH, TDR/WHO, the Rockfeller Foundation, and different universities (France, Italy, USA). MRTC works in close collaboration with Mali’s National Malaria Control Program and other national public institutions and with a large number of research groups over the world. Its past contributions in this field have gained international recognition.

    Further information-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Prof. Ogobara Doumbo, Malaria Research and Training Center (MRTC), University of Bamako, BP 1805, Point G, Bamako, Republic of Mali. Mail : okd@icermali.org Phone : +223-222-8109 Fax: +223-222-8109

    Dr Pierre Druilhe, Vac-4-All: 26, rue Lecourbe, 75015 Paris, France. Mail : druilhe@vac4all.org Phone : 33 6 24807594 Fax : 33 1 42733541

    Ref 1. Evidence of protection against malaria by MSP3 candidate vaccine, NEJM, 365,1062, 2011

    Ref 2. : Community permission for medical research in developing countries. Clin Infect Dis. 2005 Jul 15;41(2):255-9.

  • sdalessa Scott Dalessandro 29 Nov 2011

    Thanks for posting, C Magata! SHARE aims to cover HIV and related health information across Southern Africa and anybody is welcome to submit links to information and resources, as well as start "SHARE groups" for private or public collaboration. Groups can even use the free online meetings feature (similar to commercial applications).

    Sign up for the mailing list to learn about new eToolkits, eLearning courses and more: www.hivsharespace.net/mailing_list/ You're equally welcome to submit a link on SHARE to Global Health Trials. (Just create your account first.)

  • cmagata C Magata 28 Nov 2011

    Dear all

    I wanted to share this website that I've found http://www.hivsharespace.net/ - which is a partnership in Southern Africa (aimed at RSA, Uganda, Botswana and Swaziland) but contains information that may be of use to many researchers working on HIV, for example a toolkit of resources for working with adolescents with HIV. I hope that others can make use of it!

    Thank you!

  • aolamba aolamba 10 Nov 2011

    Three new antimalarials found safe and efficacious in treating children with uncomplicated malaria

    The results of a large study comparing safety and efficacy of four new artemisinin-based therapy drugs have been published in PLoS Medicine on 8 November 2011. This EDCTP funded study was successfully conducted in seven sub-Saharan African countries at twelve trial centres. The Four Artemisinin-Based Combinations (4ABC) study group screened more than 10,000 children between 6 and 59 months old; a total of 4,116 children were included in the study and treated. Three novel artemisinin-based combination drugs were found to be safe and efficacious in treating children with uncomplicated malaria. The study supports the WHO recommendation of dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DHAPQ) as a third treatment drug for uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria.

    http://www.edctp.org/Announcement.403+M58e249f800b.0.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+EDCTP%2FAnnouncements+%28EDCTP%3A+Announcements%29

  • Jmahal jmahal 31 Oct 2011

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15491228

    really interesting study here about genetically modifying mosquitos to help in overcoming disease burdens.

  • onyango Christine Onyango 25 Oct 2011

    ASTMH have a call for case studies highlighting the delivery of quality care in the developing world: The Alliance for Case Studies for Global Health is seeking case studies for the second edition of Case Studies for Global Health (2009), a publication that highlights a range of situations in which governments, public and private sector organizations and individuals work together to address global health challenges. Also included are steps for developing programs that fight worldwide diseases including HIV/AIDS, malaria and dengue fever.
    Submit your case study by Nov. 18, 2011. Get more information and instructions for submitting a case study at:http://www.astmh.org/Global_Health_Case_Studies.htm?utm_source=ASTMH%2DInformz&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=default The second edition, scheduled for release in 2012, will include updates on approximately 20 studies published in the first edition.

  • cdiaz cdiaz 19 Oct 2011

    Really interesting article here on SciDevNet about Unregulated drug trials on the rise in South America - I'd be interested to hear what my south American colleagues think about this, hvae you seen this going on too? And have people seen this in other areas of the world?
    http://www.scidev.net/en/health/clinical-ethics/features/unregulated-drug-trials-on-the-rise-in-south-america.html?utm_source=link&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=en_features

  • pdiaz Dr P Diaz 18 Oct 2011

    EDCTP have some interesting new grants calls, one for capacity building of ethics review committees, and one senior fellowship, see here for details: http://www.edctp.org/Current-Calls.405.0.html

  • aawasthi amina awasthi 12 Sep 2011

    Thanks Frida! that's really helpful, looks like a really interesting opportunity.

    I also found this recently: The Wellcome Trust offer advanced training courses and scientific conferences. For these they provide limited bursaries for non-commercial applicants to cover up to 100% of the course fee. Funding is also available to assist with travel costs.
    http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/Education-resources/Courses-and-conferences/index.htm

  • fridao Frida OYAKHIROMEN 7 Sep 2011

    Post-doctoral Training Programme at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon
    Deadline: 30 September 2011 (18.00 GMT)

    Legon, Ghana with funding support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has instituted a Post-doctoral Fellowship Programme, to train future research leaders who will contribute to infectious diseases control efforts. The program seeks to train young African scientists towards building a critical mass for control of poverty-related diseases, equip them to compete effectively for international funding for research work in Africa, offer them international exposure, and facilitate their networking and collaboration with other institutions. Successful applicants will conduct research for a two-year period (renewable up to three years based on satisfactory performance) in a strong interdisciplinary environment at the NMIMR in one of the following thematic areas:

    *
    Innovative methods for assessing/monitoring transmission intensity in support of malaria elimination programme
    *
    Development of simple rapid diagnostic methods for mycobacterial infections particularly tuberculosis (TB) and Buruli ulcer (BU))
    *
    Innovations for monitoring and surveillance of resistance to antiretroviral therapy in HIV patients in resource-limited developing countries.

    Eligibility criteria

    Young African scientists planning academic or research career paths in African institutions. Applicant should have a Ph.D., MD/Ph.D. or equivalent degree in relevant biomedical sciences (biochemistry, biological sciences, molecular biology etc.).

    Individuals who have submitted their Ph.D dissertations are also eligible to apply. Applicants must be highly motivated, have strong research and conceptual skills and be interested in developing novel research directions.

    Applicants must have strong written and oral communication skills in English. This application is open to all English, French, Spanish and Portuguese speaking African nationals. Working knowledge of English would be an advantage.

    How to apply

    Prospective candidates should contact postdoc@noguchi.mimcom.org or visit www.noguchimedres.org for further details on the thematic areas and mode of application.

    Electronic copies should be sent to postdoc@noguchi.mimcom.org or mail hardcopies to:

    The Coordinator
    Post-Doctoral Office
    Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research
    University of Ghana
    P.O. Box LG 581
    Legon, Accra
    GHANA .
    Deadline of Application Submission

    Applicants should send their applications to The Coordinator, of the Post-Doctoral Office by 30 September 2011 (18.00 GMT) .

    Notification

    Successful applicants will be notified by 15 November 2011. Selected candidates will commence the fellowship in 1 January 2012 .

  • fridao Frida OYAKHIROMEN 30 Aug 2011

    Joint UNICEF-TDR Implementation Research Project to strengthen the equity strategy in Africa‏

    Deadline for submission of letter of intent: 19 September 2011

    Background

    Over the past decades considerable progress has been made to reduce maternal and child mortality. In spite of this, numerous mothers and children continue to suffer from preventable and treatable conditions and illnesses and die despite the introduction of life saving high impact interventions. New efforts are needed to enhance understanding of the drivers of under-five mortality decline, where progress has varied widely between countries. Even in countries with the fastest declines, evidence has shown that these improvements are not shared across all population groups and geographical areas, with the most deprived still lagging behind. These patterns raise many new challenges and questions for research and evaluation which deserve careful examination.

    UNICEF has refocused its work on equity to help meet these challenges and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Implementation research (IR) has been identified as critical for filling knowledge gaps and supporting rapid assessment of progress. Relevant methods and strategies are needed to improve the supply and quality of services and address financial, behavioural and social bottlenecks, which are part of UNICEF's level 3 of key strategic results areas (SRAs).

    The recent UNICEF study, Narrowing the Gaps to meet the Goals, modelled a number of different equity-focused strategies in the area of young child survival and development (YCSD). Various delivery strategies and approaches that address these inequities require testing and evaluation through targeted and focused implementation research (IR) that targets key knowledge gaps and addresses questions such as:

    * Which strategies are most feasible and cost-effective for achieving health impact with equity?
    * How can we most effectively overcome the key implementation bottlenecks for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH)?

    Answers to these questions need to be generated rapidly and feed back into operations in “real time”, which requires concerted and collaborative efforts by researchers and programme managers.

    The Strategic Results areas selected by UNICEF for YCSD include:

    * Focus on where the burden of disease is highest among the poorest and hardest to reach children;
    * Combating the main causes of child deaths: malaria , pneumonia, diarrhoea, and neonatal mortality;
    * Reducing under-nutrition.

    UNICEF headquarters, its Eastern and Southern African Regional Office (ESARO) and West and Central African Regional Office (WCARO), in collaboration with TDR, intend to develop regional implementation research platforms and support a number of research activities in targeted African countries.

    For more informations, please visit:
    http://apps.who.int/tdr/svc/grants/calls/loi-unicef-tdr-ir

    The letters of intent should be submitted by Email with attached documents to: tdrgrant@who.int

    Feedback to all applicants will be provided by 10 October 2011. The proposal finalization workshop to be organized in November 2011.

    For further details, please contact: Dr Jane Kengeya-Kayondo

  • fridao Frida OYAKHIROMEN 30 Aug 2011

    Implementation science research call from PEPFAR (the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief)‏

    Deadline for submission of concept papers: 15 September 2011

    Concept papers from qualified applicants are being sought by the United
    States Government, represented by the United States Agency for
    International Development (USAID), for funding a limited number of
    awards to support implementation science research and evaluation of
    programs impelemented under PEPFAR. Awardees will be supported to
    address gaps in the evidence base for improved HIV/AIDS programming,
    including research on effective interventsion and models of effective,
    efficient implementations, as well as approaches for adopting and
    integrating programs, technologies and guidelines for optimal, timely
    effect and impact.

    USAID anticipates awarding up to forty (40) cooperative agreements and
    obligating a maximum total ceiling of US$ 30 million over three years.

    Short-listed proposal writers will be invited to TDR grant writing
    workshops to further develop proposals.

    For more details go to http://www.grants.gov/search/basic.do and search
    for Funding Opportunity Number: APS-OAA-11-000002

  • jagarwal jagarwal 22 Aug 2011

    EDCTP launches new calls for proposals: Senior Fellowships, Ethics and Member States Initiated projects

    The European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) welcomes project proposals as a response to the following calls:

    Senior Fellowships

    Available funds: € 1,200,000
    Number of projects to fund: 6 projects
    Open to applications: 15 August 2011
    Deadline for applications: 15 December 2011

    The aim of this grant is to identify and support mid-career to senior researchers capable of building and leading research groups at sub-Saharan African institutions that will be internationally competitive and capable of winning grants from international funding bodies. This grant is available for both researchers already working in Africa as well as those looking to return to the continent (re-entry grant).

    Establishment and Strengthening of African National Ethics Committees and Institutional Review Boards

    Available funds: € 500,000
    Number of projects to fund: 10 projects
    Open to applications: 15 August 2011
    Deadline for applications: 15 December 2011

    The aim of this grant is to promote the establishment and strengthening of National Ethics Committees (NECs) and Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) that are competent and independent in sub-Saharan countries. The NECs and the IRBs are encouraged to establish themselves administratively and financially to ensure sustained optimal function beyond the EDCTP funding. Strengthening of NECs or IRBs aims at making them operational and gives support to their ongoing functions. Where neither NECs nor local IRBs exist, EDCTP will encourage nationally recognised institutions or scientists affiliated to an established in-country institution to be contacted, in order to initiate the formation of the NEC.

    Support of Member States Initiated (MSI) Projects within the scope of EDCTP activity areas

    Available funds: € 2,550,000
    Number of projects to fund: 4-5 projects Open to applications: 15 August 2011 Deadline for applications: 15 December 2011

    The aim of this grant is to provide funding for networking and cooperation between two or more projects/programmes within the scope of EDCTP that have been independently initiated and/or are funded separately by Member States. These proposed MSI projects must clearly demonstrate the added value and expected outcome of the networking and cooperation of the existing projects or programmes.

    For more details on these calls and how to apply, please consult the EDCTP website
    <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=sak6b6dab&et=1107132305666&s=1792&e=0011z2s9VUn3Cb1QbcsJYkL3uIfTDsHU-bHh206BXFv-6q7YfxLqam6cRlLfbwXYSCyZzgovzNVby9Xv3alB3gXgWuJ13uTrkzvFGiEWeBQuM4=>

  • sreedharsmail sreedharsmail 16 Aug 2011

    To build a successful, cost effective budget plan for your clinical trial!

    www.pti-global.co.uk/budgetmanagement

  • Tamzin Tamzin Furtado 16 Aug 2011

    Hi Sreedhar

    thanks for all your valuable input! this is really helpful. I also wanted to guide others to a fantastic link which has been put under bookmarks:

    I would Like to introduce you to GCP HelpDesk Website (www.gcphelpdesk.com)
    In this website you will find Good Clinical Practice (GCP) related information for the Clinical Research Industry professionals on request. The GCP HelpDesk is designed to provide information for clinical research professionals with questions regarding handling, conducting and managing clinical research as per GCP, FDA and other Regulations. This HelpDesk is aimed to provide transparency from resources and expertise in the field of Clinical Reasearch with the recent developments and changes in the guidelines for clinical research professionals. The GCP HelpDesk is a searchable website that will match the question with solution by industry experts and other dedicated sites to a specific area. Both simple and complicated questions are welcomed by the GCP HelpDesk and we will provide you the answer, if not hope to point you to the one who can. The GCP HelpDesk service is completely free and you can search for required information or by sending an email to GCP Help Desk by including your full name, email address, valid phone number, and a brief description of the problem.

  • sreedharsmail sreedharsmail 16 Aug 2011

    Here are 7 free eBooks and white papers that are very helpful. They have limited availability, so download them now before they are all taken. (This is a restriction from the companies offering them. I have no control over availability.)

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    And here is the entire list of free resources... http://changetheworld.tradepub.com/ - take a look, there are a ton of other great free eBooks, white papers and subscriptions!

  • sreedharsmail sreedharsmail 16 Aug 2011

    The Epilepsy Foundation has launched its newly revised website at www.EpilepsyFoundation.org.

    The site has a great new look, streamlined navigation and enhanced technologies – as well as a new eCommunities design to help grow our online epilepsy community of people. The site links to new Facebook pages and Twitter feeds, as well as the redesigned online store. The new research content, features and tools help us lead the fight to stop seizures, find a cure and overcome the challenges created by epilepsy. Please visit the site at www.EpilepsyFoundation.org

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