University of Pittsburgh – Mozambique HIV Research Training Program
About
About Pitt-MozHRTP
University of Pittsburgh (Pitt)-Mozambique HIV Research Training Program
HIV infection continues to take a severe toll on Mozambique, which underscores the need for investments in building research capacity to help combat the epidemic. To address this need, we have established the University of Pittsburgh-Mozambique HIV Research Training Program (Pitt-MozHRTP).
The purpose of the program is to build research capacity at the Polana Caniço Health Research Center (CISPOC) in Maputo, the capital city, with the focus on the areas of COVID-19, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes in people with HIV. CISPOC has growing HIV research portfolio and a commensurate need for increased research capacity.
This will be accomplished by an expert, multidisciplinary team of research mentors and excellent training opportunities at the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA, the University of Stellenbosch, Cape Town, South Africa, and Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Maputo, Mozambique. A broad array of degree (both PhD and Master’s) training opportunities will be available in epidemiology and biostatistics, and laboratory sciences. In addition, we will offer post-doctoral fellowships for exceptional candidates who have recently completed their doctoral training.
PITT-MOZHRTP Leadership
Program Leadership
Lee Harrison, MD
Dr. Harrison is Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology and Head of the Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Research Unit in the University of Pittsburgh. He is board certified in internal medicine and infectious diseases and received three years of training in infectious diseases epidemiology as Epidemic Intelligence Service officer at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Harrison served as the faculty advisor for six doctoral students and multiple other trainees from Brazil and Mozambique under previous Fogarty HIV research training programs that he directed. Dr. Harrison has experience in epidemiologic studies of HIV infection, including studies of noncommunicable diseases in PWH. He is priniciple investigator of the Microbial Genomic Epidemiology Laboratory, which performs whole genome sequencing of bacterial and viral pathogens, including SARS-CoV-2.
Dr. Harrison will be responsible for the overall management of the Pitt-MozHRTP in close collaboration with Dr. Viegas and Dr. Nachega. He will serve as a mentor in the areas of clinical epidemiology and genomic epidemiology for post-doctoral trainees at Pitt and for other trainees as needed.
Jean Nachega, MD, PhD
Dr. Nachega is Associate Professor of Epidemiology at Pitt and Director of the Centre for Infectious Diseases at SU. He is an infectious diseases internist trained in epidemiology, health economics, tropical public health, and medicine. His research, teaching, and professional activities include planning, design, monitoring, and evaluating clinical trials, cohort studies and programs for prevention treatment of HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis. He is currently the co-PI of an NIH R21 grant on cardiometabolic outcomes and approaches to prevention of dolutegravir-associated weight gain in South African PWH and is Co-PD of a D43 program in South Africa on HIV comorbidities research. He has experience in coordinating the degree training of investigators from Mozambique at SU. Dr. Nachega will oversee training of CISPOC investigators at SU and will serve as research mentor for selected candidates who pursue training in clinical epidemiology.
