Current Research Projects
To investigate whether adjuvant treatment with azithromycin results in improvement in lung function in HIV-infected children with chronic lung disease, who are stable on antiretroviral therapy. In addition, the trial will investigate the intervention effect on mortality, exacerbations of lung disease, morbidity and adverse events related to azithromycin treatment .
Objectives
- To investigate the intervention effect on exacerbations of lung disease and morbidity
- To investigate adverse events related to azithromycin treatment
- To determine the effect of azithromycin therapy on antimicrobial resistance in bacteria colonizing the respiratory tract
- To investigate the diversity and composition of the respiratory and gut microbiome in HIV-infected children with and without CLD, and by trial arm.
HIV- Drug Resistance Genotypic Testing Services
Despite ART scale-up in low and middle-income countries (LMIC), HIV drug resistance testing by genotyping is often not available due to infrastructure requirements and cost. We developed local, lower cost sequencing “in house” in Harare with a Southern African Treatment and Resistance Network (SATuRN) protocol and compared the results to sequencing in California.
The goal of theproposal is to improve the Information Communication and Technology (ICT) infrastructure and provide capacity training for a cadre of ICT professionals to sustain and enhance programs within the College of Health Sciences at the University of Zimbabwe (UZCHS) and the Biomedical Research & Training Institute (BRTI). The program is a collaboration between the Stanford University Medical Center, the BRTI and the Research Support Center (RSC), and the Department of Health Professions Education (DHPE) at the UZCHS.
ICEMR
Despite the intensified use of Insecticide Residual Spraying (IRS) and Insecticide Treated Nets, parts of Zimbabwe have been experiencing a dramatic rise in numbers of malaria cases, with Manicaland experiencing one of the worst outbreaks. The BRTI, in collaboration with Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the National Institute for Health Research and the University of the Witwatersrand have established a field site in Mutasa to study different aspects of malaria and the mosquitoes responsible for its
transmission.
Zimbabwe Infection and Prevention Project – ZIPCOP
WHO has prioritized infection control as one of the essential components of HIV/TB prevention, care and treatment services. However in the last ten years it has been difficult to maintain an effective IPC program due to lack of funding, loss of experienced staff, lack of training and multi-tasking of available staff, s and deterioration of infrastructure. The project, working closely with CDC-Zimbabwe, aims to support the Ministry of Health and Child welfare in strengthening training, management and administrative controls of IPC programs in health institutions around Zimbabwe. In addition a refurbishment exercise will be conducted in selected health facilities with the guidance of MOHCW with the goal of reducing the risk of transmission of infections including TB in health care facilities.
Zimbabwe TB Prevelence Survey
News Updates
Molecular Diagnostics Training Course in the Field of HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis: 25-28 July 2017
Training workshop designed to prepare researchers, laboratory scientists and postgraduate students with the practical knowledge for undertaking molecular diagnostics for HIV and TB.
The Biomedical Research and Training Institute (BRTI) in collaboration with the African Institute of Biomedical Science and Technology (AiBST) and Stanford University are delighted to announcethe Molecular Diagnostics Training Course (MDTC) from the 25-28 July 2017. The course will be held at the National Institute of Health Research (former Blair Research Labs), Harare.
ON OFFER: The following topics will be covered in the final programme depending on participants’ needs and interests:
- Regulatory Issues in Molecular Diagnostics
- Development and Evaluation of new molecular diagnostics
- Point of care molecular diagnostics
- TB Molecular Diagnostics
- Diagnostics of Arboviruses
- HIV drug resistance.
- Biobanking and Databases
- Sequence Analysis using Geneous
- Nanotechnology in Diagnostics
There will be opportunities for networking with other postgraduate students and researchers in implementation of projects.
TEACHING METHODOLOGY: The Molecular Diagnostics of Infectious Diseases Workshop (MDIDW) is planned for 15 researchers and trainees intending to embark on postgraduate studies in the field of HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis. Teaching will be done by experienced local facilitators who will be complimented by some international experts from Europe and the US.
FELLOWSHIPS and TUITION FEES
A limited number of Fellowships are available for participants to be awarded to qualifying applicants. The additional places will be available at a fee of USD 100 to cover course materials, lunch and tea for the 4 days.
LIMITED REGISTRATION: 15 places are available and these will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis. The course is being advertised far and wide, so hurry and get your registration forms in NOW!
Apply directly, preferably by e-mail, with a short description (1 page) of your current professional qualifications and motivation to participate to:
Course Secretariat, Attn: Farirai Mutenherwa or Rita Pike
Tel: +263-11 735000 or 263-4-735002 or mobile 011445907(Molly) or 011608849 (Rita)
Fax: +263-4-735033, email: fmutenherwa@brti.co.zw or rpike@brti.co.zw
Q and A with Dr. Peter Mason: Training Researchers in Zimbabwe
Dr. Peter Mason recently retired after 21 years as Director General of the Biomedical Research and Training Institute (BRTI), an independent institution he cofounded in Zimbabwe in 1995 to develop research skills in southern Africa. In 2005, Fogarty awarded BRTI the first of two, 5-year International Clinical, Operational and Health Services Research and Training Award (ICOHRTA) AIDS/TB Research Training Program grants. BRTI used this funding to develop a Zimbabwean postgraduate training program in HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis research.
How has Fogarty built research capacity in Zimbabwe?
Without Fogarty, postgraduate clinical training in Zimbabwe would have collapsed. When we started the ICOHRTA in 2005, Zimbabwe had billion-percent inflation and no access to foreign currency to bring anything into the country, including materials you need to do science. Doctors, nurses, lecturers, teachers were going abroad. People couldn’t afford to go to hospital, so the wards in many teaching hospitals were empty and clinical teaching was affected.
ICOHRTA allowed us to pay postgraduate students U.S. dollar stipends to complete projects in AIDS, TB and opportunistic infections, and to pay their internet charges – which in Zimbabwe are among the most expensive in Africa. In 10 years, we’ve supported 54 postgraduate students conducting research in areas including the interactions between antiretrovirals and traditional herbs, prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, and TB diagnosis in HIV patients, to name a few. Thirty-three of the students published at least one paper by the time the program ended in 2015. It’s thanks to Fogarty that we were able to keep them going.
