Data-driven, cross-disciplinary collaboration: lessons learned at the largest academic health center in Latin America during the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted global research efforts to reduce infection impact, highlighting the potential of cross-disciplinary collaboration to enhance research quality and efficiency.

Methods

At the FMUSP-HC academic health system, we implemented innovative flow management routines for collecting, organizing and analyzing demographic data, COVID-related data and biological materials from over 4,500 patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection hospitalized from 2020 to 2022. This strategy was mainly planned in three areas: organizing a database with data from the hospitalizations; setting-up a multidisciplinary taskforce to conduct follow-up assessments after discharge; and organizing a biobank. Additionally, a COVID-19 curated collection was created within the institutional digital library of academic papers to map the research output.

Results

Over the course of the experience, the possible benefits and challenges of this type of research support approach were identified and discussed, leading to a set of recommended strategies to enhance collaboration within the research institution. Demographic and clinical data from COVID-19 hospitalizations were compiled in a database including adults and a minority of children and adolescents with laboratory confirmed COVID-19, covering 2020-2022, with approximately 350 fields per patient. To date, this database has been used in 16 published studies. Additionally, we assessed 700 adults 6 to 11 months after hospitalization through comprehensive, multidisciplinary in-person evaluations; this database, comprising around 2000 fields per subject, was used in 15 publications. Furthermore, thousands of blood samples collected during the acute phase and follow-up assessments remain stored for future investigations. To date, more than 3,700 aliquots have been used in ongoing research investigating various aspects of COVID-19. Lastly, the mapping of the overall research output revealed that between 2020 and 2022 our academic system produced 1,394 scientific articles on COVID-19.

Discussion

Research is a crucial component of an effective epidemic response, and the preparation process should include a well-defined plan for organizing and sharing resources. The initiatives described in the present paper were successful in our aim to foster large-scale research in our institution. Although a single model may not be appropriate for all contexts, cross-disciplinary collaboration and open data sharing should make health research systems more efficient to generate the best evidence.

Evolving academic and research partnerships in global health: a capacity-building partnership to assess primary healthcare in the Philippines

Building fair, equitable, and beneficial partnerships between institutions collaborating in research in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) and high-income countries (HIC) has become an integral part of research capacity building in global health in recent years. In this paper, we offer an example of an academic collaboration between the University of California Los Angeles, Center for Health Policy and Research (UCLA CHPR) and the University of Philippines, Manila, College of Public Health (UPM CPH) that sought to build an equitable partnership between research institutions. The partnership was built on a project to build capacity for research and produce data for policy action for the prevention and care of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) through primary healthcare in the Philippines. The specific objectives of the project were to: (1) locally adapt the Primary Care Assessment Tool for the Philippines and use the adapted tool to measure facility-level primary care delivery, (2) conduct focus group discussions (FGDs) to gather qualitative observations regarding primary care readiness and capacity, and (3) conduct a comprehensive population-based health survey among adults on NCDs and prior healthcare experience. We describe here the progression of the partnership between these institutions to carry out the project and the elements that helped build a stronger connection between the institutions, such as mutual goal setting, cultural bridging, collaborative teams, and capacity building. This example, which can be used as a model depicting new directionality and opportunities for LMIC-HIC academic partnerships, was written based on the review of shared project documents, including study protocols, and written and oral communications with the project team members, including the primary investigators. The innovation of this partnership includes: LMIC-initiated project need identification, LMIC-based funding allocation, a capacity-building role of the HIC institution, and the expansion of scope through jointly offered courses on global health.

Power and respect in global health research collaboration: Perspectives from research partners in the United States and the Dominican Republic

Research partnerships between institutions in the Global North and institutions in the Global South have many potential benefits, including sharing of knowledge and resources. However, such partnerships are traditionally exploitative to varying degrees. In order to promote equity in South-North research partnerships, it is necessary to learn from the experiences of researchers collaborating internationally. This study analyzed transcripts from eleven semi-structured qualitative interviews with researchers working at Clínica de Familia La Romana, an institution in the Dominican Republic with decades of experience with research and research partnerships with institutions from the Global North. The findings of this study suggest that respect for resources invested in research, as well as for the researchers and institutions themselves, are vital components to a successful global health research partnership. These findings have implications for individual research partnerships, as well as the policies of journals and institutions providing funding that affect these partnerships.

Doing science together: Gaining momentum from long-term explorative university-industry research programs

'Doing science together' collaborations are a more intense form of university-industry interactions and are characterized by a mutual involvement and active participation of academic and company scientists in scientific research. Here, we examine the successful approach that AstraZeneca and its internationally renowned academic partners, Karolinska Institutet and Uppsala University, implemented to fully unlock the potential of all parties in long-term, explorative, truly collaborative research programs. The underlying premises of these successful research programs are three collaborative governance mechanisms (3MCs) that are required that leverage the strengths of each organization: mutual collaboration; mutually beneficial science; and a mutual governance model with senior management involvement.

Revamping Medical Education in India: New Guidelines for Eligibility Qualifications of Medical Faculty

The National Medical Commission (NMC) in India has introduced new guidelines for the eligibility qualifications of faculty in medical institutions in 2022, aimed at enhancing the quality of medical education and healthcare in the country. The guidelines include an increased minimum publication requirement for promotion to professorship, the consideration of various types of publications, and mandatory courses in biomedical research and medical education technology. The guidelines also recommend reputable indexing databases and journals to improve the quality of research work. The NMC's efforts are expected to promote research collaboration, evidence-based clinical practice, and consistent teaching standards. However, it is essential to ensure that the recommended databases and journals are legitimate and credible. Overall, the NMC's initiatives to improve medical education in India are commendable, and it is hoped that they will lead to significant improvements in the quality of healthcare in the country.

How do researchers perceive problems in research collaboration? Results from a large-scale study of German scientists

In recent years, collaboration has become the norm in scientific knowledge production. Like other forms of collaboration, research collaborations (RCs) face specific problems that can jeopardize success. Against this background, the present study sought to gain a deeper understanding of the relevance of different collaboration problems and the interconnections among these problems. Building on previous insights into the most current problems, we addressed four major issues: (1) researchers' perceived relative relevance of collaboration problems in their projects (in terms of their occurrence), (2) differences in these perceptions based on the type of RC (e.g., number of subprojects and collaboration mode) and (3) on the characteristics of researchers, and (4) the co-occurrence of collaboration problems. Based on a representative survey of leading participants of RCs funded by the German Research Foundation (n = 5,326), we found that researchers experienced collaboration problems (e.g., fairness and communication problem) only to a small degree, and there were almost no differences regarding their perceived relevance. Furthermore, there were almost no significant differences concerning the perceived relevance of these problems depending on the type of RC or the individual researchers. However, the findings did reveal specific patterns of co-occurrence (e.g., relationship and difference problem). The results suggest that previous research may have overstated the relevance of collaboration problems in RCs. Instead, it seems that at least in Germany, collaborative research works better than one might assume.

Lessons Learned From Research Collaboration Among People With and Without Developmental Disabilities

Research related to the developmental disability (DD) community should include collaboration with individuals with DD. Unfortunately, people with DD are infrequently involved in research projects in meaningful ways, and there is little guidance about how to collaborate equitably with researchers with DD. The purpose of this article is to share lessons learned from a collaborative research study among researchers with and without DD using both qualitative and quantitative methods to develop and examine the effectiveness of a civic engagement intervention for transition-aged youth with disabilities. It includes how our research team compensated researchers with DD, clarified team member roles, leveraged the expertise of researchers with DD in using both qualitative and quantitative methods, and integrated technology throughout the research process.

Student research collaboration as conservation education: A case study from the primate field school at Maderas Rainforest Conservancy

Maderas Rainforest Conservancy (MRC) is a conservation-focused non-profit organization that is devoted to protecting the tropical forests they manage in Costa Rica and Nicaragua and to providing conservation education for international university students through biological field schools. The MRC Primate Behavior and Ecology course is their most frequent course offering and is aimed at developing students to be independent field researchers. This course involves classroom lectures, training in primate identification and field methods, and the execution of independent research projects that students design, collect data for, and write up as scientific papers. Student development as conservationists is facilitated through the research experience provided by this field course as well as through co- and extracurricular research opportunities available to students at the sites that MRC manages: La Suerte Biological Research Station in Costa Rica, and Ometepe Biological Research Station in Nicaragua. In tandem with their participation in the MRC primate field course, we (Laura M. Bolt and Amy L. Schreier) consistently offer students research opportunities in our ongoing project examining the impact of forest fragmentation on primate behavioral ecology. MRC student course evaluations indicate that this co- and extracurricular research participation substantially contributes to student academic development and conservation awareness. Student research collaboration, therefore, greatly benefits students as well as furthers MRC's conservation goals as a non-profit organization. In future MRC primate field school sessions, we will continue to offer research collaboration opportunities to students and will also endeavor to improve conservation education at MRC by involving more local community members in MRC's academic programs.

Sketching the Landscape of Speech Perception Research (2000-2020): A Bibliometric Study

Based on 6,407 speech perception research articles published between 2000 and 2020, a bibliometric analysis was conducted to identify leading countries, research institutes, researchers, research collaboration networks, high impact research articles, central research themes and trends in speech perception research. Analysis of highly cited articles and researchers indicated three foundational theoretical approaches to speech perception, that is the motor theory, the direct realism and the computational approach as well as four non-native speech perception models, that is the Speech Learning Model, the Perceptual Assimilation Model, the Native Language Magnet model, and the Second Language Linguistic Perception model. Citation networks, term frequency analysis and co-word networks revealed several central research topics: audio-visual speech perception, spoken word recognition, bilingual and infant/child speech perception and learning. Two directions for future research were also identified: (1) speech perception by clinical populations, such as hearing loss children with cochlear implants and speech perception across lifespan, including infants and aged population; (2) application of neurocognitive techniques in investigating activation of different brain regions during speech perception. Our bibliometric analysis can facilitate research advancements and future collaborations among linguists, psychologists and brain scientists by offering a bird view of this interdisciplinary field.

seqr: A web-based analysis and collaboration tool for rare disease genomics

Exome and genome sequencing have become the tools of choice for rare disease diagnosis, leading to large amounts of data available for analyses. To identify causal variants in these datasets, powerful filtering and decision support tools that can be efficiently used by clinicians and researchers are required. To address this need, we developed seqr - an open-source, web-based tool for family-based monogenic disease analysis that allows researchers to work collaboratively to search and annotate genomic callsets. To date, seqr is being used in several research pipelines and one clinical diagnostic lab. In our own experience through the Broad Institute Center for Mendelian Genomics, seqr has enabled analyses of over 10,000 families, supporting the diagnosis of more than 3,800 individuals with rare disease and discovery of over 300 novel disease genes. Here, we describe a framework for genomic analysis in rare disease that leverages seqr's capabilities for variant filtration, annotation, and causal variant identification, as well as support for research collaboration and data sharing. The seqr platform is available as open source software, allowing low-cost participation in rare disease research, and a community effort to support diagnosis and gene discovery in rare disease.

Understanding the Research Landscape of Deep Learning in Biomedical Science: Scientometric Analysis

BACKGROUND

Advances in biomedical research using deep learning techniques have generated a large volume of related literature. However, there is a lack of scientometric studies that provide a bird's-eye view of them. This absence has led to a partial and fragmented understanding of the field and its progress.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to gain a quantitative and qualitative understanding of the scientific domain by analyzing diverse bibliographic entities that represent the research landscape from multiple perspectives and levels of granularity.

METHODS

We searched and retrieved 978 deep learning studies in biomedicine from the PubMed database. A scientometric analysis was performed by analyzing the metadata, content of influential works, and cited references.

RESULTS

In the process, we identified the current leading fields, major research topics and techniques, knowledge diffusion, and research collaboration. There was a predominant focus on applying deep learning, especially convolutional neural networks, to radiology and medical imaging, whereas a few studies focused on protein or genome analysis. Radiology and medical imaging also appeared to be the most significant knowledge sources and an important field in knowledge diffusion, followed by computer science and electrical engineering. A coauthorship analysis revealed various collaborations among engineering-oriented and biomedicine-oriented clusters of disciplines.

CONCLUSIONS

This study investigated the landscape of deep learning research in biomedicine and confirmed its interdisciplinary nature. Although it has been successful, we believe that there is a need for diverse applications in certain areas to further boost the contributions of deep learning in addressing biomedical research problems. We expect the results of this study to help researchers and communities better align their present and future work.

Bridging the Gap Between Science and Practice: Research Collaboration and the Perception of Research Findings

Research collaboration promises a useful approach to bridging the gap between research and practice and thus promoting evidence-informed education. This study examines whether information on research collaboration can influence the reception of research knowledge. We assume that the composition of experts from the field and scientists in a research team sends out signals that influence trust in as well as the relevance and applicability of the finding. In a survey experiment with practitioners from the field of adult education the influence of different research team compositions around an identical finding is tested. The results show overall high trust, relevance and applicability ratings with regard to the finding, regardless of the composition of the research team. We discuss the potential importance of additional information about research collaborations for effective knowledge translation and point out the need for more empirical research.

Facilitators of and barriers to collaboration between universities and the food industry in nutrition research: a qualitative study

Background

Unhealthy food is one of the main risk factors for non-communicable diseases. Improved knowledge about healthy and sustainable food products requires nutrition research in collaboration between universities and the food industry.

Objective

To investigate the facilitators of and barriers to university-industry collaborations in nutrition research.

Design

Semi-structured, individual interviews with five researchers in universities and five employees in the food industry were conducted in the Oslo region, Norway. Interviews were thematically analysed and guided by Braun and Clark.

Results

This study showed positive experiences and attitudes towards a university-industry collaboration within nutrition research aiming for healthier food products. The main facilitators of good collaboration were common goals, the exchange of knowledge and the opportunity for research funding. Barriers to good collaboration were prejudices related to the food industry's goals and previous experiences of time-consuming projects. Interestingly, collaboration agreements were identified as both facilitators of and barriers to good collaboration.

Conclusion

Stimulating university-food industry collaboration requires increased juridical assistance, provided that the lawyers involved understand the parties' interests and the need to balance those interests and safeguard mutual trust. In addition, the food industry must take a clearer role in their engagement in public health to improve their trustworthiness in relation to research results.

A public and patient consultation process as an aid to design a person-centred randomized clinical trial

BACKGROUND

Involving patients and members of the public, together with researchers, in decisions about how studies are designed and conducted can create a study that is more person-centred. The aim of this consultation process was to explore ways of designing a study which takes the person into consideration for the randomized clinical study entitled 'Biomechanical Effects of Manual Therapy-A Feasibility Study' using the novel approach of usability testing.

DESIGN

Patient and public volunteers were sought with experience of low back pain. Volunteers were invited to participate in usability testing (a physical walkthrough) of the proposed study method. This was followed by a discussion of areas where usability testing could not be used, such as recruitment strategies, continuity of participant care and dissemination of results. Resulting feedback was considered by the research team and alterations to the original study method were incorporated, provided the research questions could be answered and were practical within the resources available.

RESULTS

Additional recruitment strategies were proposed. Alterations to the study included reduction in study time burden; completion of study paperwork in a quieter location; continuity of participant care after the study; and methods of dissemination of overall study results to participants.

CONCLUSION

The consultation process used the unique method of usability testing, together with a post-usability discussion, and resulted in alterations to the future study which may facilitate making it more person-centred.

PATIENT AND PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

Patients and public developed the future study design but did not participate in manuscript preparation.

Supporting the vital role of boundary-spanning physician researchers in the advancement of medical innovation

A wide range of stakeholders recognise that physicians play a vital role in medical innovation and, in particular, the importance of boundary-spanning engagement between physicians and industry in clinical research. While UK physicians are keen to take part in research, this article draws on a range of literature to identify apparent and anticipated challenges that discourage or prevent cross-sector engagement by physician researchers. To encourage greater interaction and exploration of associated support mechanisms, we present a full spectrum of engagement modes, funding opportunities and illustrative initiatives, showing how different stakeholders (from government institutions, charities, professional bodies and industry) can contribute to improving the engagement of physicians in boundary spanning research. We emphasise the importance of mutual understanding, trust and commonly shared practices, as well as adequate resources, to encourage these vital interactions.

Characteristics of systematic reviews evaluating treatments for COVID-19 registered in PROSPERO

Characteristics and research collaboration of registered systematic reviews (SRs) on treatment modalities for coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) remain unclear. This study analysed research collaboration, interventions and outcome measures in registered SRs on COVID-19 treatments and pointed out the relevant problems. PROSPERO (international prospective register of systematic reviews) was searched for SRs on COVID-19 treatments as of 2 June 2020. Excel 2016 was used for descriptive analyses of the extracted data. VOSviewer 1.6.14 software was used to generate network maps for collaborations between countries and institutions. A total of 189 SRs were included, which were registered by 301 institutions from 39 countries. China (69, 36.50%) exhibited the highest output. Cooperation between countries was not close enough. As an institution, the Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (7, 3.70%) had the highest output. There was close cooperation between institutions. Interventions included antiviral therapy (81, 42.86%), respiratory support (16, 8.47%), circulatory support (11, 5.82%), plasma therapy for convalescent patients (11, 5.82%), immunotherapy (9, 4.76%), TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) treatment (9, 4.76%), rehabilitation treatment (5, 2.65%), anti-inflammatory treatment (16, 8.47%) and other treatments (31, 16.40%). Concerning antiviral therapy (81, 42.86%), the most commonly used antiviral agents were chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine (26, 13.76%), followed by remdesivir (12, 6.35%), lobinavir/ritonavir (11, 5.82%), favipiravir (5, 2.65%), ribavirin (5, 2.65%), interferon (5, 2.65%), abiron (4, 2.12%) and abidor (4, 2.12%). The most frequently used primary and secondary outcomes were the mortality rate (92, 48.68%) and hospital stay length (48, 25.40%), respectively. The expression of the outcomes was not standardised. Many COVID-19 SRs on treatment modalities have been registered, with a low completion rate. Although there was some collaboration between countries and institutions in the currently registered SRs on treatment modalities for COVID-19 on PROSPERO, cooperation between countries should be further enhanced. More attention should be directed towards identifying deficiencies of outcome measures, and the standardisation of results should be maximised.

Collaborative Processes in Science and Literature: an In-Depth Look at the Cases of CERN and SIC

In this paper we examine how the process of collaboration works in science and literature. In the first part, we discuss the features of scientific collaboration and literary collaboration and the differences between them. In the second part, we analyze two processes of collaboration, each from a different field: the case of CERN and high-energy physics and the case of Scrittura Industriale Collettiva and its Great Open Novel. Lastly, we try to compare those two processes and deduce the common traits of a successful collaboration.

Whither geographic proximity? Bypassing local R&D units in foreign university collaboration

MNCs often engage in international research collaborations with foreign universities through one of their central R&D laboratories (at headquarters or elsewhere) even though they operate a local R&D unit close to that university, and hence forego the benefits of geographic proximity and local collaboration. Drawing on the knowledge-based theory of the firm, we hypothesize that the choice between distant and local collaboration systematically relates to the knowledge capabilities of the firms' R&D units, the characteristics of the focal knowledge, and local knowledge leakage risks. Analysis of close to 13,000 research collaborations with foreign universities by the world's major biopharmaceutical firms (1995-2015) confirms that collaboration at distance occurs if this allows the firm to benefit from scale and knowledge diversity advantages, if the central unit has strong basic research capabilities, and if collaboration is in a core research domain of the MNC while rival firms are locally present. Maturity of the focal research domain is associated with local collaboration. Our findings qualify the common arguments in favor of collaboration in proximity and suggest that (distant) central R&D units are important orchestrators of research collaboration with universities around the globe.

Collaboration Network and Trends of Global Coronavirus Disease Research: A Scientometric Analysis

As a global pandemic threatens health and livelihoods, finding effective treatments has become a vital issue that requires worldwide collaboration. This study examines research collaboration and network profiles through a case study of coronavirus diseases, including both the extinct severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and the emerging species (SARS-CoV-2). A scientometric process was designed to apply quantitative tools and a qualitative approach employing technological expertise to accomplish a three-level collaboration analysis. The text mining software, VantagePoint, was used to analyze research articles from the Web of Science database to identify the key national, organizational, and individual players in the coronavirus research field combined with indicators, namely, the breadth and depth of collaboration. The results show that China and the United States are at the center of coronavirus research networks at all three levels, including many endeavors involving single or joint entities. This study demonstrates how governments, public sectors, and private sectors, such as the pharmaceutical industry, can use scientometric analysis to gain insight into the holistic research trends and networks of players in this field, leading to the formulation of strategies to strengthen research and development programs. Furthermore, this approach can be utilized as a visualization and decision support tool for further policy planning, identification and execution of collaboration, and research exchange opportunities. This scientometric process should be directly applicable to other fields.

"Add-my-name" as a parody of research collaboration among Nigerian researchers

This article examines the issue of research collaboration as understood and practiced among most Nigerian researchers. With the increasing demand for publications as a criteria for promotion in many academic institutions, the research behavior of most academics have been influenced by the desire to meet up with the publication requirements set by various institutional authorities. This has resulted in a situation where research collaboration, which in itself is a much desired approach in research, has been misconstrued, howbeit deliberately, by most Nigerian researchers. This article explores the causes and practice of "add-my-name" as a form of collaboration. The article posited that the practice where researchers only strive to get their names on an article where they have no intellectual contribution is counterproductive to research emanating from Africa, especially Nigeria. This article, therefore, investigated the negative effects of the "add-my-name" collaboration system, as well as made useful recommendations on proper collaboration. The article equally used the Universe collaborative Model to demonstrate the proper approach to collaboration as against the practice of "add-my-name."

The Weight of Words: Co-Analysis of Thick Ethnographic Description and "Friction" as Methodological Strategies in a Health Policy Research Partnership

Co-production partnerships between policymakers, practitioners, and researchers are designed to facilitate production of relevant and readily usable research in health policy and practice contexts. We describe methodological strategies for in-depth collaborative analysis based on a co-produced ethnography of health promotion practice, involving ethnographic researchers and government-based research partners. We draw on a co-production dialogue to reflect critically on the role and value of co-analyzing research findings using thick ethnographic descriptions. The ambiguity of ethnographic imagery allowed flexibility in interpretation of findings and also generated friction. Specific ethnographic images became focal points for productive friction that crystallized ethical and analytical imperatives underpinning the diverse expertise in the team. To make the most of co-analysis of thick ethnographic descriptions, we assert that friction points must be reflexively considered as key learning opportunities for (a) higher order analysis informed by diverse analytical perspectives and (b) more cohesive and useful interpretations of research findings.

Research Collaboration and Outcome Measures of Interventional Clinical Trial Protocols for COVID-19 in China

Background: Research collaboration of registered clinical trials for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) remains unclear. This study aimed to analyze research collaboration and distribution of outcome measures in registered interventional clinical trials (ICTs) of COVID-19 conducted in China. Methods: The International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, China Clinical Trials Registry, and Clinicaltrials.gov were searched to obtain COVID-19-registered ICTs up to May 25, 2020. Excel 2016 was used to perform a descriptive statistical analysis of the extracted information. VOSviewer 1.6.14 software was used to generate network maps for provinces and institutions and create density maps for outcomes. Results: A total of 390 ICTs were included, and the number of daily registrations fluctuated greatly. From 29 provinces in China, 430 institutions contributed to the registration of ICTs. The top three productive provinces were Hubei (160/390, 41.03%), Shanghai (60/390, 15.38%), and Beijing (59/390, 15.13%). The top three productive institutions were Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (30/390, 7.69%), Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University (18/390, 4.62%), and Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital (18/390, 4.62%). Collaborations between provinces and institutions were not close enough. There were many interventions, but many trials did not provide specific drugs and their dosage and treatment duration. The most frequently used primary outcome was Chest/lung CT (53/390, 13.59%), and the most frequently used secondary outcome was hospital stay (33/390, 8.46%). There was a large difference in the number of outcomes, the expression of some outcomes was not standardized, the measurement time and tools for some outcomes were not clear, and there was a lack of special outcomes for trials of traditional Chinese medicine. Conclusions: Although there were some collaborations between provinces and institutions of the current COVID-19 ICT protocols in China, cooperation between regions should be further strengthened. The identified deficiencies in interventions and outcome measures should be given more attention by future researchers of COVID-19.

Biomedical research in Nigeria: realities and misconceptions

Investment in biomedical research is believed to drive economic growth and increase human capital, leading to increased productivity and sustainability. Unfortunately, such positive impacts are not palpable among the resource-poor countries. This can be attributed to the poor quality of research findings and the reliability of findings, which often are rarely translated to impactful products or decisions. While the Nigerian governments are making considerable efforts to improve the quality of research through increased funding, as well as sponsorship and training of scholars in technologically advanced institutions. This is in order for the transfer of knowledge to improve the livelihood of its citizens. However, there is still need for the private multinational organizations to support this course.

Lack of quality research constitutes an impediment to the growth and development in Nigeria. Despite the enormous human resources Nigeria has, only a fraction of its research outputs is palpable. This is despite the challenges facing the country, many of which are manageable via robust and efficient research. Notably, among these barriers are lack of funding, equipment and mentoring. Addressing these barriers is a step toward improving research capacity and output. This paper represents a perspective on ways to tackle the challenges as well as the success stories recorded.

Conceptualising the initiation of researcher and research user partnerships: a meta-narrative review

Background

Integrated knowledge translation refers to researcher and research user partnerships to co-generate and implement knowledge. This type of partnership may be critical to success in increasing knowledge use and impact, but the conceptualisation of its initiation has not been fully developed. Initiating this type of partnership has proven to be challenging but crucial to its success. The purpose of this study was to conduct a meta-narrative review of partnership initiation concepts, processes, enablers, barriers and outcomes in the disciplines of healthcare and social sciences where examples of researcher and research user partnerships were found.

Methods

Seven research traditions were identified. Three were in the discipline of social sciences (including psychology, education and business) and five were in the discipline of healthcare (including medicine, nursing, public health, health services research). Searches were conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, ABI Inform, ERIC, PsychInfo and the Cochrane Library on June 9, 2017. Fifty titles and abstracts were screened in triplicate; data were extracted from three records in duplicate. Narratives comprised of study characteristics and conceptual and empirical findings across traditions were tabulated, summarised and compared.

Results

A total of 7779 unique results were identified and 17 reviews published from 1998 to 2017 were eligible. All reviews identified a partnership initiation phase referred to as ‘early’ or ‘developmental’, or more vaguely as ‘fuzzy’, across six traditions – integrated knowledge translation, action research, stakeholder engagement, knowledge transfer, team initiation and shared mental models. The partnership initiation processes, enablers, barriers and outcomes were common to multiple narratives and summarised in a Partnership Initiation Conceptual Framework. Our review revealed limited use or generation of theory in most included reviews, and little empirical evidence testing the links between partnership initiation processes, enablers or barriers, and outcomes for the purpose of describing successful researcher and research user partnership initiation.

Conclusions

Narratives across multiple research traditions revealed similar integrated knowledge translation initiation processes, enablers, barriers and outcomes, which were captured in a conceptual framework that can be employed by researchers and research users to study and launch partnerships. While partnership initiation was recognised, it remains vaguely conceptualised despite lengthy research in several fields of study. Ongoing research of partnership initiation is needed to identify or generate relevant theory, and to empirically establish outcomes and the determinants of those outcomes.

Is Performance of Scholars Correlated to Their Research Collaboration Patterns?

This study aims to validate whether the research performance of scholars correlates with how the scholars work together. Although the most straightforward approaches are centrality measurements or community detection, scholars mostly participate in multiple research groups and have different roles in each group. Thus, we concentrate on the subgraphs of co-authorship networks rooted in each scholar that cover (i) overlapping of the research groups on the scholar and (ii) roles of the scholar in the groups. This study calls the subgraphs “collaboration patterns” and applies subgraph embedding methods to discover and represent the collaboration patterns. Based on embedding the collaboration patterns, we have clustered scholars according to their collaboration styles. Then, we have examined whether scholars in each cluster have similar research performance, using the quantitative indicators. The coherence of the indicators cannot be solid proofs for validating the correlation between collaboration and performance. Nevertheless, the examination for clusters has exhibited that the collaboration patterns can reflect research styles of scholars. This information will enable us to predict the research performance more accurately since the research styles are more consistent and sustainable features of scholars than a few high-impact publications.

Measuring quality and outcomes of research collaborations: An integrative review

INTRODUCTION

Although the science of team science is no longer a new field, the measurement of team science and its standardization remain in relatively early stages of development. To describe the current state of team science assessment, we conducted an integrative review of measures of research collaboration quality and outcomes.

METHODS

Collaboration measures were identified using both a literature review based on specific keywords and an environmental scan. Raters abstracted details about the measures using a standard tool. Measures related to collaborations with clinical care, education, and program delivery were excluded from this review.

RESULTS

We identified 44 measures of research collaboration quality, which included 35 measures with reliability and some form of statistical validity reported. Most scales focused on group dynamics. We identified 89 measures of research collaboration outcomes; 16 had reliability and 15 had a validity statistic. Outcome measures often only included simple counts of products; publications rarely defined how counts were delimited, obtained, or assessed for reliability. Most measures were tested in only one venue.

CONCLUSIONS

Although models of collaboration have been developed, in general, strong, reliable, and valid measurements of such collaborations have not been conducted or accepted into practice. This limitation makes it difficult to compare the characteristics and impacts of research teams across studies or to identify the most important areas for intervention. To advance the science of team science, we provide recommendations regarding the development and psychometric testing of measures of collaboration quality and outcomes that can be replicated and broadly applied across studies.

Evidence of commitment to research partnerships? Results of two web reviews

BACKGROUND

Partnerships between academic researchers and health system leadership are often promoted by health research funding agencies as an important strategy in helping ensure that funded research is relevant and the results used. While potential benefits of such partnerships have been identified, there is limited guidance in the scientific literature for either healthcare organisations or researchers on how to select, build and manage effective research partnerships. Our main research objective was to explore the health system perspective on partnerships with researchers with a focus on issues related to the design and organisation of the health system and services. Two structured web reviews were conducted as one component of this larger study.

METHODS

Two separate structured web reviews were conducted using structured data extraction tools. The first review focused on sites of health research bodies and those providing information on health system management and knowledge translation (n = 38) to identify what guidance to support partnerships might be available on websites commonly accessed by health leaders and researchers. The second reviewed sites from all health 'regions' in Canada (n = 64) to determine what criteria and standards were currently used in guiding decisions to engage in research partnerships; phone follow-up ensured all relevant information was collected.

RESULTS

Absence of guidance on partnerships between research institutions and health system leaders was found. In the first review, absence of guidance on research partnerships and knowledge coproduction was striking and in contrast with coverage of other forms of collaboration such as patient/community engagement. In the second review, little evidence of criteria and standards regarding research partnerships was found. Difficulties in finding appropriate contact information for those responsible for research and obtaining a response were commonly experienced.

CONCLUSION

Guidance related to health system partnerships with academic researchers is lacking on websites that should promote and support such collaborations. Health region websites provide little evidence of partnership criteria and often do not make contact information to research leaders within health systems readily available; this may hinder partnership development between health systems and academia.

Knowledge Management for Fostering Biostatistical Collaboration within a Research Network: The RTRN Case Study

Purpose: While the intellectual and scientific rationale for research collaboration has been articulated, a paucity of information is available on a strategic approach to facilitate the collaboration within a research network designed to reduce health disparities. This study aimed to (1) develop a conceptual model to facilitate collaboration among biostatisticians in a research network; (2) describe collaborative engagement performed by the Network’s Data Coordinating Center (DCC); and (3) discuss potential challenges and opportunities in engaging the collaboration. Methods: Key components of the strategic approach will be developed through a systematic literature review. The Network’s initiatives for the biostatistical collaboration will be described in the areas of infrastructure, expertise and knowledge management and experiential lessons will be discussed. Results: Components of the strategic approach model included three Ps (people, processes and programs) which were integrated into expert management, infrastructure management and knowledge management, respectively. Ongoing initiatives for collaboration with non-DCC biostatisticians included both web-based and face-to-face interaction approaches: Network’s biostatistical capacities and needs assessment, webinar statistical seminars, mobile statistical workshop and clinics, adjunct appointment program, one-on-one consulting, and on-site workshop. The outreach program, as a face-to-face interaction approach, especially resulted in a useful tool for expertise management and needs assessment as well as knowledge exchange. Conclusions: Although fostering a partnered research culture, sustaining senior management commitment and ongoing monitoring are a challenge for this collaborative engagement, the proposed strategies centrally performed by the DCC may be useful in accelerating the pace and enhancing the quality of the scientific outcomes within a multidisciplinary clinical and translational research network.

Aligning the AACP Strategic Engagement Agenda with Key Federal Priorities in Health: Report of the 2016-17 Argus Commission

The Argus Commission identified three major federal priorities related to health care, including the precision medicine initiative, the Cancer Moonshot and the opioid abuse epidemic. Current activities at the federal level were summarized and an analysis of activities within the profession, and academic pharmacy specifically, was prepared. The implications for pharmacy education, research and practice are compelling in all three areas. Recommendations, suggestions and two policy statements aim to optimize the attention to these priorities by the academy. Further, aligning the AACP Strategic Engagement agenda with the opportunities and threats acknowledged in the analysis is essential.

Sharing individual patient and parasite-level data through the WorldWide Antimalarial Resistance Network platform: A qualitative case study

Background: Increasingly, biomedical researchers are encouraged or required by research funders and journals to share their data, but there's very little guidance on how to do that equitably and usefully, especially in resource-constrained settings. We performed an in-depth case study of one data sharing pioneer: the WorldWide Antimalarial Resistance Network (WWARN).

Methods: The case study included a records review, a quantitative analysis of WAARN-related publications, in-depth interviews with 47 people familiar with WWARN, and a witness seminar involving a sub-set of 11 interviewees.

Results: WWARN originally aimed to collate clinical, in vitro, pharmacological and molecular data into linked, open-access databases intended to serve as a public resource to guide antimalarial drug treatment policies. Our study describes how WWARN navigated challenging institutional and academic incentive structures, alongside funders' reluctance to invest in capacity building in malaria-endemic countries, which impeded data sharing. The network increased data contributions by focusing on providing free, online tools to improve the quality and efficiency of data collection, and by inviting collaborative authorship on papers addressing policy-relevant questions that could only be answered through pooled analyses. By July 1, 2016, the database included standardised data from 103 molecular studies and 186 clinical trials, representing 135,000 individual patients. Developing the database took longer and cost more than anticipated, and efforts to increase equity for data contributors are on-going. However, analyses of the pooled data have generated new methods and influenced malaria treatment recommendations globally. Despite not achieving the initial goal of real-time surveillance, WWARN has developed strong data governance and curation tools, which are now being adapted relatively quickly for other diseases.

Conclusions: To be useful, data sharing requires investment in long-term infrastructure. To be feasible, it requires new incentive structures that favour the generation of reusable knowledge.

'This is what we got, what would you like?': Aligning and unaligning academic-industry relations

This paper explores academic-industry relations from the perspective of research managers in the pharmaceutical industry. While current policy discourse on academic-industry relations has emphasized the potential of creating stronger alignment between academic research and industrial R&D, scholars have also drawn attention to the fundamental misalignment of the two domains and the inherently problematic aspects of over-close ties. In this paper, we address the articulation of alignment and 'unalignment' in academic-industry relations and explore how industrial participants reflect on their relationship with academic research. The paper draws on a longitudinal study of academic-industry collaboration in a Danish pharmaceutical company, carried out from 2009 to 2011. Focusing on one specific case of collaboration, we show that these industry research managers make sense of academic-industry relations by both aligning and unaligning themselves with academic research. Indeed, at critical stages, and rather than simply serving as an impediment, the process of aligning and unaligning can be an important driver to collaboration. Generally, we propose that focusing on participants' aligning and unaligning stances and efforts holds the promise of developing more nuanced, empirically-based accounts of academic-industry relations.

Global scientific collaboration in COPD research

PURPOSE

This study aimed to investigate the multiple collaboration types, quantitatively evaluate the publication trends and review the performance of institutions or countries (regions) across the world in COPD research.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Scientometric methods and social network analysis were used to survey the development of publication trends and understand current collaboration in the field of COPD research based on the Web of Science publications during the past 18 years.

RESULTS

The number of publications developed through different collaboration types has increased. Growth trends indicate that the percentage of papers authored through multinational and domestic multi-institutional collaboration (DMIC) have also increased. However, the percentage of intra-institutional collaboration and single-authored (SA) studies has reduced. The papers that produced the highest academic impact result from international collaboration. The second highest academic impact papers are produced by DMIC. Out of the three, the papers that are produced by SA studies have the least amount of impact upon the scientific community. A handful of internationally renowned institutions not only take the leading role in the development of the research within their country (region) but also play a crucial role in international research collaboration in COPD. Both the amount of papers produced and the amount of cooperation that occurs in each study are disproportionally distributed between high-income countries (regions) and low-income countries (regions). Growing attention has been generated toward research on COPD from more and more different academic domains.

CONCLUSION

Despite the rapid development in COPD research, collaboration in the field of COPD research still has room to grow, especially between different institutions or countries (regions), which would promote the progress of global COPD research.

Governance of Transnational Global Health Research Consortia and Health Equity

Global health research partnerships are increasingly taking the form of consortia of institutions from high-income countries and low- and middle-income countries that undertake programs of research. These partnerships differ from collaborations that carry out single projects in the multiplicity of their goals, scope of their activities, and nature of their management. Although such consortia typically aim to reduce health disparities between and within countries, what is required for them to do so has not been clearly defined. This article takes a conceptual approach to explore how the governance of transnational global health research consortia should be structured to advance health equity. To do so, it applies an account called shared health governance to derive procedural and substantive guidance. A checklist based on this guidance is proposed to assist research consortia determine where their governance practices strongly promote equity and where they may fall short.

Traceability in stem cell research: from participant sample to induced pluripotent stem cell and back

This paper describes a traceability system developed for the Stem cells for Biological Assays of Novel drugs and prediCtive toxiCology consortium. The system combines records and labels that to biological material across geographical locations and scientific processes from sample donation to induced pluripotent stem cell line. The labeling system uses a unique identification number to link every aliquot of sample at every stage of the reprogramming pathway back to the original donor. Only staff at the clinical recruitment site can reconnect the unique identification number to the identifying details of a specific donor. This ensures the system meets ethical and legal requirements for protecting privacy while allowing full traceability of biological material. The system can be adapted to other projects and for use with different primary sample types.

A Generic Data Harmonization Process for Cross-linked Research and Network Interaction. Construction and Application for the Lung Cancer Phenotype Database of the German Center for Lung Research

OBJECTIVE

Joint data analysis is a key requirement in medical research networks. Data are available in heterogeneous formats at each network partner and their harmonization is often rather complex. The objective of our paper is to provide a generic approach for the harmonization process in research networks. We applied the process when harmonizing data from three sites for the Lung Cancer Phenotype Database within the German Center for Lung Research.

METHODS

We developed a spreadsheet-based solution as tool to support the harmonization process for lung cancer data and a data integration procedure based on Talend Open Studio.

RESULTS

The harmonization process consists of eight steps describing a systematic approach for defining and reviewing source data elements and standardizing common data elements. The steps for defining common data elements and harmonizing them with local data definitions are repeated until consensus is reached. Application of this process for building the phenotype database led to a common basic data set on lung cancer with 285 structured parameters. The Lung Cancer Phenotype Database was realized as an i2b2 research data warehouse.

CONCLUSION

Data harmonization is a challenging task requiring informatics skills as well as domain knowledge. Our approach facilitates data harmonization by providing guidance through a uniform process that can be applied in a wide range of projects.

Nordic School of Public Health NHV and its legacy in global health

This article describes the legacy of the Nordic School of Public Health NHV (NHV) in global health. We delineate how this field developed at NHV and describe selected research and research training endeavours with examples from Vietnam and Nepal as well as long-term teaching collaborations such as BRIMHEALTH (Baltic RIM Partnership for Public HEALTH) in the Baltic countries and Arkhangelsk International School of Public Health in Russia.

Integrating Human Factors Engineering and Information Processing Approaches to Facilitate Evaluations in Criminal Justice Technology Research

BACKGROUND

Evaluations are routinely conducted by government agencies and research organizations to assess the effectiveness of technology in criminal justice. Interdisciplinary research methods are salient to this effort. Technology evaluations are faced with a number of challenges including (1) the need to facilitate effective communication between social science researchers, technology specialists, and practitioners, (2) the need to better understand procedural and contextual aspects of a given technology, and (3) the need to generate findings that can be readily used for decision making and policy recommendations.

OBJECTIVES

Process and outcome evaluations of technology can be enhanced by integrating concepts from human factors engineering and information processing. This systemic approach, which focuses on the interaction between humans, technology, and information, enables researchers to better assess how a given technology is used in practice.

SUBJECTS

Examples are drawn from complex technologies currently deployed within the criminal justice system where traditional evaluations have primarily focused on outcome metrics. Although this evidence-based approach has significant value, it is vulnerable to fully account for human and structural complexities that compose technology operations.

CONCLUSIONS

Guiding principles for technology evaluations are described for identifying and defining key study metrics, facilitating communication within an interdisciplinary research team, and for understanding the interaction between users, technology, and information. The approach posited here can also enable researchers to better assess factors that may facilitate or degrade the operational impact of the technology and answer fundamental questions concerning whether the technology works as intended, at what level, and cost.

Networks of trainees: examining the effects of attending an interdisciplinary research training camp on the careers of new obesity scholars

Students training in obesity research, prevention, and management face the challenge of developing expertise in their chosen academic field while at the same time recognizing that obesity is a complex issue that requires a multidisciplinary and multisectoral approach. In appreciation of this challenge, the Canadian Obesity Network (CON) has run an interdisciplinary summer training camp for graduate students, new career researchers, and clinicians for the past 8 years. This paper evaluates the effects of attending this training camp on trainees’ early careers. We use social network analysis to examine the professional connections developed among trainee Canadian obesity researchers who attended this camp over its first 5 years of operation (2006–2010). We examine four relationships (knowing, contacting, and meeting each other, and working together) among previous trainees. We assess the presence and diversity of these relationships among trainees across different years and disciplines and find that interdisciplinary contact and working relationships established at the training camp have been maintained over time. In addition, we evaluate the qualitative data on trainees’ career trajectories and their assessments of the impact that the camp had on their careers. Many trainees report that camp attendance had a positive impact on their career development, particularly in terms of establishing contacts and professional relationships. Both the quantitative and the qualitative results demonstrate the importance of interdisciplinary training and relationships for career development in the health sciences.

Interdisciplinary approaches to the phenomenology of auditory verbal hallucinations

Despite the recent proliferation of scientific, clinical, and narrative accounts of auditory verbal hallucinations (AVHs), the phenomenology of voice hearing remains opaque and undertheorized. In this article, we outline an interdisciplinary approach to understanding hallucinatory experiences which seeks to demonstrate the value of the humanities and social sciences to advancing knowledge in clinical research and practice. We argue that an interdisciplinary approach to the phenomenology of AVH utilizes rigorous and context-appropriate methodologies to analyze a wider range of first-person accounts of AVH at 3 contextual levels: (1) cultural, social, and historical; (2) experiential; and (3) biographical. We go on to show that there are significant potential benefits for voice hearers, clinicians, and researchers. These include (1) informing the development and refinement of subtypes of hallucinations within and across diagnostic categories; (2) "front-loading" research in cognitive neuroscience; and (3) suggesting new possibilities for therapeutic intervention. In conclusion, we argue that an interdisciplinary approach to the phenomenology of AVH can nourish the ethical core of scientific enquiry by challenging its interpretive paradigms, and offer voice hearers richer, potentially more empowering ways to make sense of their experiences.

An evaluation of a community-academic-clinical partnership to reduce prostate cancer disparities in the South

Engaging partners in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of cancer education programs is critical for improving the health of our communities. A 2-year pilot education intervention on prostate cancer decision making and participation in medical research was funded by the National Cancer Institute. The partnership involving community members and clinical staff at a cancer center was used to develop recruitment strategies and plan for the implementation of the intervention with African-American middle-age and older men and female family members. We assessed partners' perceptions of this community-academic-clinical research collaboration. In year 2, eight project advisory council members were selected among existing partners and year 1 participants to serve as a formal committee. Council members were required to participate in telephone and in person meetings and actively support recruitment/implementation efforts. At the conclusion of the project, 20 individuals (all clinical and community partners, including the eight advisory council members) were invited to complete a survey to assess their perceived impact of the collaboration on the community and provide suggestions for future collaborations. Most partners agreed that their organization benefitted from the collaboration and that various aspects of the advisory council process (e.g., both formal and informal communication) worked well. The most noted accomplishment of the partnership related to leveraging the collaboration to make men more knowledgeable about prostate cancer decision making. Suggested improvements for future collaborations included distributing more frequent updates regarding project successes. Evaluating partners' perceptions of this collaboration provided important recommendations for future planning, implementation, and evaluation of community-based cancer education programs.

Identifying emerging research collaborations and networks: method development

Clinical and translational research is a multidisciplinary, collaborative team process. To evaluate this process, we developed a method to document emerging research networks and collaborations in our medical center to describe their productivity and viability over time. Using an e-mail survey, sent to 1,620 clinical and basic science full- and part-time faculty members, respondents identified their research collaborators. Initial analyses, using Pajek software, assessed the feasibility of using social network analysis (SNA) methods with these data. Nearly 400 respondents identified 1,594 collaborators across 28 medical center departments resulting in 309 networks with 5 or more collaborators. This low-burden approach yielded a rich data set useful for evaluation using SNA to: (a) assess networks at several levels of the organization, including intrapersonal (individuals), interpersonal (social), organizational/institutional leadership (tenure and promotion), and physical/environmental (spatial proximity) and (b) link with other data to assess the evolution of these networks.

Maintaining respect and fairness in the usage of stored shared specimens

BACKGROUND

Every year, research specimens are shipped from one institution to another as well as across national boundaries. A significant proportion of specimens move from poor to rich countries. Concerns are always raised on the future usage of the stored specimens shipped to research institutions from developing countries. Creating awareness of the processes is required in all sectors involved in biomedical research. To maintain fairness and respect in sharing biomedical specimens and research products requires safeguarding by Ethics Review Committees in both provider and recipient institutions. Training in basic ethical principles in research is required to all sectors involved in biomedical research so as to level up the research playing field.

DISCUSSION

By agreeing to provide specimens, individuals and communities from whom samples are collected would have placed their trust and all ensuing up-keep of the specimens to the researchers. In most collaborative set-up, laid down material transfer agreements are negotiated and signed before the shipment of specimens. Researchers, research ethics committees (RECs) and institutions in the countries of origin are supposed to serve as overseers of the specimens. There is need to advocate for honesty in sample handling and sharing, and also need to oversee any written commitments by researchers, RECs and institutions at source as well as in recipient institution. Commitments from source RECs and Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) and in the receiving institution on overseeing the future usage of stored specimens are required; including the ultimate confirmation abiding by the agreement. Training in ethical issues pertaining to sample handling and biomedical research in general is essential at all levels of academic pursuit. While sharing of biological specimens and research data demands honesty and oversight by ethical regulatory agents from both institutions in developing country and recipient institutions in developed countries.

CONCLUDING SUMMARY

Archiving of biological specimens requires reconsideration for the future of biomedical findings and scientific break-throughs. Biomedical ethical regulations still need to established clear viable regulations that have vision for the future of science through shared and archived samples. This discussion covers and proposes essential points that need to be considered in view of future generations and scientific break-throughs. The discussion is based on the experience of working in resource-limited settings, the local regulatory laws and the need to refine research regulations governing sharing and storage of specimens for the future of science.

What makes or breaks provider-researcher collaborations in HIV research? A mixed method analysis of providers' willingness to partner

Research is lacking about what makes or breaks collaboration between researchers and HIV services providers. This study identified factors that influence providers' levels of willingness to collaborate in HIV prevention scientific research. Survey measures were grounded in in-depth interview data and included providers' "willingness to collaborate," and providers' attitudes toward researchers' availability, benefits of research, and agency preparedness. This survey was administered to 141 providers in New York City. A hierarchical regression model showed that providers' perceptions of researchers' availability (p < .05), research benefits (p < .001), and agency preparedness (p < .05) were associated with providers' willingness to engage with researchers to purse HIV prevention research. Findings indicate that researchers need to be socially and professionally available, future HIV research should benefit providers and consumers, and policy makers should help agency settings develop human and financial resources in preparation for research.

Experience in international clinical research: the HIV Prevention Trials Network

The HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN) is supported by the NIH to conduct randomized clinical trials to assess the efficacy of HIV prevention strategies and technologies to reduce HIV transmission between adults. A special focus of attention is on the use of antiretroviral drugs to prevent HIV transmission, both by reducing infectiousness among HIV-infected persons taking combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) and also by reducing susceptibility among HIV-uninfected persons taking antiretrovirals for pre-exposure prophylaxis. Studies may be developmental in nature to assess novel ideas for interventions or for assessing trial feasibility. However, pivotal efficacy trials to test HIV-specific prevention strategies and technologies are the main HPTN priority. Examples include a major protocol investigating the impact of expanded testing and linkage to care on HIV surveillance indicators in the USA (HPTN 065). Another protocol is addressing similar issues while also investigating how combinations of prevention approaches are best deployed to make a community-level impact in southern Africa (HPTN 071). HPTN 068 is evaluating a novel conditional cash transfer structural intervention to increase school completion rates in young girls and thereby reduce their HIV risk. Studies outside the US address the epidemic in most at-risk populations and include an assessment of opiate agonist therapy to reduce risk of HIV seroconversion among injection drug users (HTPN 058), methods to increase HIV testing rates (HTPN 043), as well as methods for reducing high-risk behaviors, and increasing adherence to cART in HIV-infected individuals (HPTN 062 and HPTN 063, respectively). The recent HPTN 052 study demonstrated that a 96% reduction in HIV transmission could be achieved between serodiscordant sexual partners by providing the infected partners with cART at a CD4(+) cell count (350-550/µl) above the level that would usually qualify them for therapy in low- and middle-income countries. The immediate relevance to public health policy showcased in these trials is a paradigm for the HPTN: design and conduct of clinical trials using available licensed tools that can be rapidly translated for implementation ('Prevention NOW!').

Developing nanotechnology in Latin America

This article investigates the development of nanotechnology in Latin America with a particular focus on Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay. Based on data for nanotechnology research publications and patents and suggesting a framework for analyzing the development of R&D networks, we identify three potential strategies of nanotechnology research collaboration. Then, we seek to identify the balance of emphasis upon each of the three strategies by mapping the current research profile of those four countries. In general, we find that they are implementing policies and programs to develop nanotechnologies but differ in their collaboration strategies, institutional involvement, and level of development. On the other hand, we find that they coincide in having a modest industry participation in research and a low level of commercialization of nanotechnologies.