Nairobi Center PGIF Projects on Health Initiatives
PGIF Round 1 Projects (2013)
Project; Children’s Global Oral Health Initiatives (CGOHI)
Principal Investigator
Dr Shan Lal:
- Associate Professor of Dental Medicine (Pediatric Dentistry), Columbia University Medical Center
Other Participants
Columbia University Medical College Students:
- Brittany Roth,
- Stephany Liu,
- Heather Beaty,
- Joanna Walska,
- Christa Gianfrancesca,
- Ronit Sternberg,
- Kenrick Cato,
- Rob Ziliny,
- Richa Wahi
- Ministry of Health, Kenya
- Nairobi Medical Center
Columbia University Schools Involved
- College of Dental Medicine
- College of Physicians & Surgeons
- Mailman School of public Health
- School of Nursing
This project was a global outreach mission with a group of students for Columbia University Medical Center. In addition to screenings and comprehensive care for almost 200 children at orphanages and homes for destitute children. The students also collaborated on cross-disciplinary scholarly projects that included Telehealth training, HIV saliva testing and research, water fluoridation, remote early cancer detection, and exploring distance learning opportunities using google glass. The College of Dental Medicine also signed a university affiliation agreement with Nairobi Medical and Dental Center for further collaboration on the above educational activities.
Project; Sphingolipids in Pediatric Brain Cancers
Principal Investigator
Tilla S. Worgall:
- Assistant Professor, Columbia University Medical Center.
Co- principal Investigators
Stephen Nicholas
- Professor of Pediatrics and Population and Family Health, Columbia University Medical Center (College of Physicians and Surgeons and Mailman School of Public Health).
Bill Bower
- Special Lecturer in Population and Family Health.
Linda Cushman
- Professor of Population and Family Health, Columbia University Medical College; Associate Dean of Field Practice.
Local Collaborator
- Dr. Regina Mutave - Dean, School of Dental Sciences at University of Nairobi.
- Oral Health Unit, Ministry of Health, Kenya.
- Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC).
The main goal of this project was to evaluate if nuclear and or cytoplasmic sphingosine-1-phosphate is a marker for pediatric brain cancer subtypes with the potential to be used as a stratifying tool for the use of HDAC inhibitor therapy and treatment response as well as initiating a scientific pilot project. This project will have to be of interest to both the Department of Pathology and the pediatric translational and new drug development program with good potential for external funding.
PGIF Round 2 Projects (2014)
Project; Global Nursing Research Development Initiative
Principal Investigator
Jennifer Dohrn:
- Director, Office of Global Initiatives; Assistant Professor of Nursing, Columbia University Medical College.
Co- principal Investigators
Elaine Larson
- Professor Associate Dean for Research; Anna C. Maxwell Professor of Nursing Research, Columbia University School of Nursing,
- The University of Nairobi
This project sought to address the sizeable global health disparities and promote the development of a robust nursing profession in countries and regions with minimal human resources for health and a huge disease burden. In order to make this a reality, this project saw that it was essential to improve global health and primary care delivery and to understand current nursing care needs and practices as well as outcomes of nursing care provided. In order to achieve this, it was essential to research expertise to collect and critically analyze data and identify priorities and gaps.
Project; China’s Aid to Africa: Achievements, Challenges and Opportunities
Wafaa El-Sadr:
- Director ICAP; Professor of Epidemiology and Medicine, Mailman School of Public Health
Columbia University Schools Involved
- Mailman School of Public Health (MSPH)
- The Columbia Journalism School
- The School for International and Public Affairs (SIPA).
Co- principal Investigators
Howard French
The two-year project sought to further the understanding of the increased development assistance of China to African countries in the past decade, of which there has been limited attention and scholarship on the extent and impact of China’s health-related aid to Africa. The project majorly engaged faculty and students from Columbia University and Tsinghua University in Beijing in formative research and partnerships with key stakeholders in several African countries with diverse China health investments. This project's main objective was to establish a priority research agenda on China’s health aid to Africa and inform future policy decisions regarding China's health investment in Africa and create platforms for cross-national dialogue among stakeholders involved in China’s health aid to Africa.
Project; Children’s Global Oral Health Initiative: An Adaptable Interdisciplinary Model for Chronic Health Care Management and Health Promotion
Stephen W. Nicholas, M.D
- Director of the IFAP Global Health Program; Professor of Pediatrics in the College of Physicians & Surgeons and of population and family health in the Mailman School of Public Health.
Shantanu Lal, D.D.S.
- Director of Predoctoral Pediatric Dentistry; Associate Professor of Dental Medicine at Columbia University Medical Center.
Columbia University Schools Involved
- Mailman School of Public Health (MSPH)
- Linda Cushman- PhD, Associate Dean for Field Practice; Professor of Population and Family Health, Mailman School of Public Health.
- Marlyn Delva- Associate Dean; Dean of Students at the Mailman School of Public Health
- Jennifer Dohrn, DNP, CNM- Assistant Professor of Nursing; Director of Global Initiatives; Columbia University School of Nursing and Mailman School of Public Health. Director, World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Advanced Practice Nursing
- Carol Kunzel, PhD, MA- Associate Professor of Dental Community Health and Sociomedical Sciences at CUMC; Director of the College of Dental Medicine Office of Research Administration. College of Dental Medicine and the Mailman School of Public Health.
- Elaine Larson, PhD,RN, FAAN, CIC- Associate Dean for Research and Professor of Therapeutic and Pharmaceutical Research, School of Nursing and Mailman School of Public Health.
- The University of Nairobi Dental School
- Nyumbani Home
Children with AIDS are one of the world’s most vulnerable populations. They live in poverty and suffer from preventable or treatable oral disease, with high dental caries and periodontal disease rates. They rarely receive oral health care due to expense, complexity, and a shortage of dentists willing (due to fear) or able (due to lack of training) to care for patients with HIV. This project sought to address this by having an oral health initiative created at the Nyumbani Home, an orphanage in Nairobi that cares for about 120 children with AIDS and provides outpatient care for over 3,000 HIV-infected children. Dental practitioners from the Kenya Dental School received on-site training to perform standardized oral examinations using an intraoral digital camera and a laptop computer, securely storing and forwarding images to Columbia University Medical College for review and discussion. The oral health and HIV care program was supported remotely through telehealth patient management video conferences, education seminars, and research support seminars.
Project; Global Expertise to Feed the World: Planning a CGC Network on Sustainable Agricultural Intensification
Principal Investigator
Pedro Sanchez:
- Director and Senior Research Scholar, Agriculture and Food Security Center, Columbia University Earth Institute.
- Cheryl Palm- Senior Research Scientist, Earth Institute Columbia University.
- Markus Walsh- Senior Research Scientist in Landscape Ecology, Ag Center, Columbia University.
- Vijay Modi- Professor of Mechanical Engineering and of Earth and Environmental Engineering, Columbia Engineering.
- Glenn Denning- Professor of Professional Practice in the Faculty of International and Public Affairs, School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University.
- Bashir Jama- AGRA Kenya
- Patrick Mutuo- Vital Signs Africa
By 2050, the global population is expected to reach nine billion people. Agricultural intensification is required to meet current and future food requirements across the globe. Due to these statistics, this project sought to plan a grant to create a CGC Network on Sustainable Agricultural Intensification. Through this project, the center aimed to build a global network of expertise to investigate, develop, and promote strategies for sustainable agricultural intensification through setting of guidelines and teaching materials. These would later provide clear and accessible information on sustainable agricultural intensification for faculty and students and policymakers as they address the pressing challenge of feeding the growing world population.
PGIF Round 3 Projects (2015)
Project; Should I Stay or Should I Go? A Longitudinal and Cross-national Study of the Effects of Retirement Timing on Health.
Ursula M. Staudinger:
- Director, Columbia Aging Center at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.
Other Participants
- Sebastiana Kalula - International Longevity Center South Africa.
- Iva Holmerova- Vice- Dean of international affairs, Charles University in Prague.
- Alexandre Kalache- International Longevity Center Brazil.
- Du Peng- International Longevity Center China.
- R.A. Mashelkar- International Longevity Center India.
- Kunio Mizuta- International Longevity Center Japan.
- Françoise Forette- International Longevity Center France.
- Iva Holmerova- International Longevity Center Czech Republic.
- Axel Börsch-Supan- International Longevity Center Germany.
- Sara Carmel- International Longevity Center Israel.
- Marieke van der Waal- International Longevity Center Netherlands.
- Sally Greengross- International Longevity Center United Kingdom.
This project sought to explore the health effects of retirement timing throughout the world. This project entailed: the building of a cross-national dataset to continuously test comparative hypotheses about the effects of work-related activity on health in different socio-cultural settings and strengthening interdisciplinary connections between academics interested in aging, work, and health through research and exchange activities involving at least: co-authorship of three journal articles, participation in three research visits, and dissemination of findings to a broader audience through seminars and media outlets. The results from this project helped determine how variation in retirement timing affects the health of older adults in the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Europe.
PGIF Round 4 Projects (2016)
Project; Laboratory-based PhD Training in Nutritional and Agricultural Sciences in East Africa
- Professor of Genetics and Development (in Obstetrics and Gynecology and in the Institute of Human Nutrition) College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University.
This project sought to bring together academic and research institutions across the East African region to develop a model multi-institutional, Africa-based Ph.D. level training program in basic nutritional and agricultural sciences. This model aimed to promote intra-Africa collaborations, enhanced sustainability, and meaningful interactions with Columbia faculty and graduate students. The project sought to achieve this by building a Ph.D. program in basic laboratory research that will significantly expand training opportunities and facilities beyond that available at any single institution. The project sought to not only offer laboratory-based training for academic's sake. However, it will link graduate students’ training to a “path to action,” wherein students will be conducting primary research relating to public health problems in East Africa.
PGIF Round 5 Projects (2017)
Project; A Global Learning Laboratory for Oral Health Step 1: A Planning Grant to Create a KenyaBrazil CrossNational Collaboration in Support of Research, Education and Policy
Kavita P. Ahluwalia:
- Professor of Genetics and Development; Associate Professor of Dental Medicine at Columbia University Medical College; Director of Dental Public Health Postdoctoral Training Program.
Stephen Nicholas
- Professor of Pediatrics and Population and Family Health, Columbia University Medical Center; Founder and Director, IFAP Global Health Program
- Rafael E. Perez Figueroa - Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Population and Family Health at Columbia University Medical Center
- Dr. Regina Mutave James, Dean, School of Dental Sciences, University of Nairobi
This project was built on an existing collaborative established through the “Children’s Global Oral Health Initiative.” The project sought to work with the Global Centers in Nairobi and Rio de Janeiro to bring together academic, research, policy, and clinical partners to develop a cross-national learning laboratory that will be used to leverage expertise, develop collaborative oral health policy, planning, and funding targets, and bring visibility to oral health needs. The project aimed to inform oral health policy and programming in other low- and middle-income countries and explore the possibility of expansion to other Global Centers.
Project; Men Matter: Male Engagement in HIV Services – Kenya and Brazil
Tanya Ellman:
- Associate Research Scientist and Instructor in Clinical Medicine, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.
- Wafaa ElSadr - University Professor; Dr. Mathilde KrimamfAR Professor of Global Health (in Epidemiology) ; Director, ICAP Mailman School of Public Health.
- Mark Hawken - Associate Research Scientist, Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health
- Joanne Mantell- Research Scientist and Professor of Clinical Psychology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University.
- Mamadou Diouf - Leitner Family Professor of African Studies; Director, Institute for African Studies, Columbia University.
While men have more power, privilege, and influence in many societies, men’s health outcomes are substantially worse than those of women, and this disparity manifests in the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Though tremendous strides have been made globally in access to life-saving HIV treatment, men have lower HIV testing rates than women, and treatment coverage among men lags behind that of women. “Men Matter: Male Engagement in HIV Services in Kenya” sought to utilize an interdisciplinary team to conduct formative research with men living with HIV and health care workers who provide care to this population in order to garner their perceptions on barriers and facilitators to engaging men in HIV care.
Project; African Nutritional Sciences Research Consortium: Laboratorybased PhD Training in Nutritional and Agricultural Sciences inEast Africa
Debra Wolgemuth:
- Professor of Genetics and Development (in Obstetrics and Gynecology and in the Institute of Human Nutrition) College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University.
- Robert R. Williams Professor of Nutrition; Professor of Pediatrics Professor of Epidemiology and Director, Institute of Human Nutrition
- Glenn Denning - Professor of Professional Practice, Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs.
- Bonnie S. Dunbar, PhD - Adjunct Professor, Department of Biochemistry, University of Nairobi and Managing Director, Omega Farms, Ltd.
- Dr. Gordon Nguka - Chairman, Nutrition Sciences, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology.
- Dr. Appolinaire Djikeng - Director, Biosciences Eastern and Central Africa International Livestock Research Institute.
- Prof. Francis Mulaa - Professor of Biochemistry & Biotechnology, Department of Biochemistry, University of Nairobi.
- Maimouna Diop Ly - Principal Health Analyst, Health Division, African Development Bank.
Description
The African Nutritional Sciences Research Consortium (ANSRC) was formed to bring together academic and research institutions across the East African region to develop a model multi-institutional, Africa-based Ph.D. level training program in basic nutritional and agricultural sciences. This model will promote intra-Africa collaborations, enhance sustainability, and meaningful interactions with Columbia faculty and graduate students. As a continuation to the previous year’s project, it sought to build a Ph.D. program in basic laboratory research that would greatly expand training opportunities and facilities beyond that available at any single institution. This project sought to not only offer laboratory-based training for academic’s sake but also link graduate students’ training to a “path to action” wherein students were expected to conduct primary research in relation to public health problems in East Africa as well as establish private-public interactions, to ensure that their research projects enhance local economic development.
PGIF Round 6 Projects (2018)
Project; Implementation Science and Global Health: Taking Knowledge to Action.
Andrea Howard:
- Associate Professor; Director, Clinical and Training Unit, ICAP Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University.
Julie Kornfeld:
- Vice Dean for Education, Department of Epidemiology Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.
- Mark Hawken – Country Director - ICAP Kenya, Mailman School of Public Health.
- Patricia Culligan – Professor, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Columbia University.
Description
Effective translation and uptake of research findings into practice is a significant impediment in advancing global health. Implementation science (IS), or the study of methods to promote the adoption and integration of evidence-based practices, interventions, and policies into routine health care and public health settings, is posited as a pathway to achieving impact. Thus, building capacity to conduct IS research is a critical global priority. This project sought to advance the health of populations by training public health professionals in IS research, enabling them to translate evidence-based interventions into policy and practice effectively.
Project; Proposal to convene a Meeting of key Sub-Saharan African pediatrics health care leaders and related governmental officials at the Columbia University Global Center in Nairobi, Kenya.
Philip LaRussa, M.D:
- Professor of Pediatrics; College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University.
Lawrence Stanberry, M.D. Ph. D:
- Professor of Pediatrics; College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University.
Wilmot James, Ph. D:
- Visiting Professor of Pediatrics; College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University.
- Stephen Nicholas, M.D. – Professor of Pediatrics; College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University.
- Murugi Ndirangu – Director, Columbia Global Centers | Nairobi
- Dr. Carlos Navarro Colorado, MD MSc PhD – Principal Adviser for Public Health Emergencies at UNICEF.
- The ELMA foundation.
Description
This project sought to host a meeting of critical pediatrics health care leaders and related governmental officials from Sub-Saharan at the Columbia University Global Center in Nairobi, Kenya, in August of 2018. This meeting was the first step in developing a Sub-Saharan Children’s Hospitals Mapping Survey which would then be used to identify sites of care, develop a practical working definition of a children’s hospital, and subsequently develop a pediatric-specific Global Health Security Agenda evaluation tool. The purpose of this tool was to evaluate the capabilities of children’s hospitals to respond to biological, chemical, and nuclear threats that can endanger the lives of children in sub-Saharan Africa.
Project; Addressing Gender-Based Violence: A Public Health and Law School Partnership in Kisumu, Kenya
Terry McGovern:
- Harriet and Robert H. Heilbrunn Professor; Chair, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University.
Wafaa El-Sadr:
- Kristen Underhill – Associate Professor of Law and Population and Family Health, Columbia University, School of Law.
- Gender Based Violence Recovery Center (GBVRC) at Jaramogi Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH).
- Doris Odera, MSc, MPH - Director of Strategies and Partnership for ICAP in Kenya.
Description
This project aimed to strengthen collaborations between the Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia Law School, ICAP at Columbia University and in Kenya, Columbia Global Centers in Nairobi, and the local health system in Kisumu, Kenya. The project created new practicum opportunities for Mailman and Law School students. These practicum opportunities involved programming through the Columbia Global Centers Nairobi and the Kisumu-based Gender-Based Violence Recovery Center (GBVRC) at Jaramogi Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH). The program majorly aimed to develop innovative, field-based practicum programming in areas of sexual and reproductive health and rights in Kenya.
PGIF Round 7 Projects (2019)
Project; Oral Health Program Planning and Evaluation: Training for Action with New Partners
Kavita Ahluwalia:
- Associate Professor of Dental Medicine at Columbia University Medical College.
- Special Lecturer, Helibrunn Department of Population and Family Health, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.
Linda Cushman:
- Associate Dean for Field Practice; Professor of Population and Family Health at Columbia University Medical College.
- Regina Mutave James, BDS, PhD - Dean School of Dental Sciences, University of Nairobi
- Oral Health Unit, Ministry of Health, Kenya
- Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC)
Description
This project sought to build on the previous project that brought together key stakeholders to begin the dialogue needed to assess oral health needs and gaps in Kenya and the East African region. This project relied heavily on addressing a vital issue in prior works on oral health workforce training and retention. Given the small number of dentists practicing in Kenya and the growing oral health burden, the project sought to address the need to integrate oral health programming with existing health services delivery systems in a system where program planning and evaluation were lacking.
Project; Improving Capacity to Address Gender-Based Violence: A Public Health and Law Evaluation of a GBV Clinic in Kisumu, Kenya
Terry McGovern:
- Harriet and Robert H. Heilbrunn Professor; Chair, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University.
Wafaa El-Sadr:
- University Professor and Director of ICAP at Columbia University.
- Kristen Underhill – Associate Professor of Law and Population and Family Health, Columbia University, School of Law.
- Strathmore University, Kenya
Description
This project was built on the work of an existing PGIF project. This part of the project developed, piloted, and disseminated an approach to evaluating the impact of paralegal services provided to survivors of gender-based violence. This project entailed collaboration across the university, specifically from; the Program on Global Health Justice and Governance in the Department of Population and Family Health, ICAP in Department of Epidemiology, the Law School, the Columbia University Global Center in Nairobi, the Kisumu-based Gender-Based Violence Recovery Center (GBVRC) at Jaramogi Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH), and, Strathmore University in Nairobi. Furthermore, the project sought to build on the programmatic learning and relationships established during the previous PGIF planning process to co-design and co-implement a mixed-method evaluation of the legal services provided at the GBVRC of which will deepen intellectual exchange within multi-disciplinary, multi-institution teams and result in a product that can improve services in the GBVRC and in GBV clinics in medical settings more globally.
PGIF Round 8 Projects (2020)
Project; The Impact of Extreme Heat on Children’s Health in Africa Project
Lawrence R. Stanberry:
- Professor of Pediatrics/Associate Dean for International Programs, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University
Lisa Saiman:
- Professor of Pediatrics, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University
- Jane W. Baldwin – Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University.
- Robbie M Parks - Earth Institute Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Columbia University.
- Wilmot G. James - Visiting Professor of Political Science (and Pediatrics), Department of Political Science, Columbia University.
- Philip S. LaRussa - Special Lecturer in Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University.
- Shannon Marquez - Dean of Undergraduate Global Engagement, Center for Undergraduate Global Engagement, Columbia University.
- Irene Merete - Moi University Referral Hospital.
- Ra’ana Husain - Aga Khan University Hospital.
- Ruth Nduati - University of Nairobi Hospital.
Description
Children are vulnerable to illness and death from extreme heat, but data on the magnitude of this public health problem and potential solutions are lacking, particularly in developing countries. This project proposed a 2- year project to investigate the impact of extreme heat on children’s health in three sub-Saharan African countries. The project leveraged the Columbia University Children’s Hospitals in Africa Mapping Project (CHAMP) which assessed resources and capabilities of 24 hospitals in 16 sub-Saharan African nations. This project was considered the first prospective study to assess the impact of extreme heat on children’s health in sub-Saharan Africa and laid the groundwork for practical solutions to meet the medical needs of children impacted by extreme heat.