Regional Centre for Vector Borne Diseases in West Africa (RCVBD) - Vector-borne diseases, particularly malaria and arboviral diseases, remain a major public health burden across West Africa. Disease control and elimination are increasingly challenged by antimalarial drug resistance, widespread insecticide resistance, environmental and climate change, and the spread of invasive mosquito species such as Anopheles stephensi and Aedes albopictus. These threats are of global concern because international travel and commerce facilitate the movement of infected individuals and invasive vectors, contributing to imported infections and increasing the risk of local transmission in the United States. Despite this burden, research capacity in West Africa remains limited. Although our previous D43 program successfully trained PhD students and junior faculty, important gaps persist in advanced technologies, quantitative and bioinformatics skills, scientific writing, grant development, scientific leadership, and institutional research infrastructure. The primary objective of this D43 renewal is to advance the careers of early-stage investigators while strengthening the University of Ghana as a regional center of excellence for vector-borne disease research and training. To achieve this goal, we have assembled a multidisciplinary team of mentors from the University of Ghana and U.S. partner institutions, including the University of California, Irvine, the University of New Mexico and Northwestern University, with expertise in medical entomology, epidemiology, biostatistics, mathematical modeling, genomics, and bioinformatics. The program includes three integrated training tracks: Track 1 will support seven PhD students and four postdoctoral fellows; Track 2 will provide advanced short-term training for seven junior faculty members; and Track 3 will offer specialized training for Ministry of Health personnel and junior scientists. Trainees will conduct research on vector biology, disease epidemiology, pathogen transmission, genomics, and translational approaches for malaria and arboviral disease control. The program combines rigorous scientific training with mentorship in scientific communication, grant writing, leadership, and research management to prepare independent investigators and future research leaders. The proposed foreign component in Ghana is scientifically essential because it provides access to endemic transmission, diverse vector populations, and epidemiologic settings unavailable in the United States. These conditions enable hands-on training in vector surveillance, molecular diagnostics, epidemiology, genomics, and evaluation of vector control interventions. The proposed research training will also benefit American public health by improving understanding of invasive mosquito vectors, insecticide resistance, pathogen evolution, and intervention strategies relevant to preventing imported and locally transmitted vector-borne diseases in the United States. Strengthening research capacity in Ghana will enhance early detection and response to emerging threats, promote rapid sharing of surveillance data and scientific advances between African and U.S. investigators, and strengthen global health security.
