Next Generation Training in HIV Research: Immunity in the First 1000 days in mother-infant dyads (TIGRIS) - Project Summary We propose an innovative and unique HIV training program: NexT generation traininG in HIV Research: Immunity in the First 1000 days in mother-infant dyadS” (TIGRIS). The program will leverage existing NIH funding to investigate specific hypotheses related to how HIV infection in the pregnant woman leads to adverse birth outcomes and ensuing pediatric immune dysfunction through rigorous clinical and basic science laboratory training. TIGRIS is a multidisciplinary, international and intercontinental African HIV training program. The program will be implemented at Stellenbosch University (SU) in South Africa along with the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, USA. Mentorship will be provided by our extensive international Faculty in the US (Morehouse School of Medicine, Stanford University, Duke University, Weill Cornell Medical College, University of Cincinnati – Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Seattle Children’s Research Institute and Harvard University), Canada (University of Toronto) and in the UK (Universities of Cambridge and Surrey) to provide laboratory training for existing registered MMed, PhD and Post-Doctoral Fellows through short- and medium-term laboratory training in South Africa and in LMICs in west, east and southern Africa. This training will strengthen laboratory investigations and generate novel data by having access to state-of-the-art technologies and data analysis. By so doing, the over-arching aim of TIGRIS will be to strengthen HIV research by studying reproductive and neonatal immunology in Africa and specifically around mother-infant dyads during maternal HIV infection. TIGRIS has three specific aims: 1) Create and implement a short- and medium-term laboratory training program in reproductive immunology in the context of maternal HIV infection in pregnancy; 2) To launch and sustain a two-semester structured didactic post-graduate course in reproductive and neonatal Immunology that will supplement and enrich existing training for Clinician Scientists, graduate students working towards PhD degrees, and Post-doctoral Fellows; 3) To create bilateral engagement between Stellenbosch University and the Mayo Clinic with Benin, Kenya, Malawi and Uganda. We have successfully used a D71 planning grant to establish the Reproductive Immunology Research Consortium in Africa and to hold stakeholder meetings that has shaped this D43 application. We will continue to leverage existing funded projects to implement training in reproductive and neonatal immunology research, to enhance immunology knowledge capacity and use our extensive expertise of training in Africa for grant writing sessions that will equip young clinical and PhD-based researchers in the field of HIV research to be emerging global leaders.
