Research Training and Capacity Building for Thailand: Life-cOurse oCcupational, environmentAl, and Lifestyle contribution to CardioMetabolic Diseases (LOCAL-CMD)

About This Grant

ABSTRACT In many low- and middle-income countries, including Thailand, morbidity and mortality rates from cardiometabolic diseases (CMD) have been rising notably over the past few decades, affecting younger individuals who are at working age. However, CMD research in these countries are rather weak. In response to PAR-22-104, the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) proposes to provide research training and capacity building at Mahidol University (MU) in Thailand, focusing on Life-cOurse oCcupational, environmentAl, and Lifestyle contribution to CardioMetabolic Diseases (LOCAL-CMD). The partnership is built upon the two universities’ prior and ongoing research and training collaborations and will leverage the existing research and mentoring infrastructures at UCLA, including the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health (FSPH), David Geffen School of Medicine (DGSOM), School of Nursing (SON), UCLA Center for Occupational and Environmental Health (COEH), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Southern California Education and Research Center (SCERC), and University of California Global Health Institute (UCGHI) GloCal Health Fellowship Program. The proposed LOCAL-CMD project will support (i) a 5-year PhD program for one trainee, (ii) a 6-month program for eight PhD students, and (iii) a 9-month program for eight junior faculty, followed by one-year intensive in-country training and support when they return to their home institutes. Specifically, three training components are offered, including (1) research (develop research agenda and apply for independent research funding), (2) mentoring (improve skills and curriculum to teach and mentor the next generation of public health professionals), and (3) leadership (nurture leadership skills and ascend into leadership positions in an Education and Research Center for LOCAL-CMD (ERC-LOCAL-CMD) as an output of this program). Each trainee will develop individualized training objectives based on their academic qualification, research interest, relevant manuscripts, conference presentations, career advancement or research proposals, participation in cross-border projects, mentorship in CMD research, and leadership roles. The training activities will include workshops, seminars, courses, and collaborations at UCLA, as well as in- country training at UM in Thailand and exercise of leadership skills within ERC-LOCAL-CMD. A highly comprehensive mentorship system, featuring a primary mentor, in-country mentor, transnational mentor, and peer mentor, will ensure that trainees receive holistic guidance in subject expertise, understanding of local culture and resources, and forging global collaborations. This program will cultivate ERC-LOCAL-CMD with a cadre of multidisciplinary faculty and researchers in Thailand, positioning them to lead the subsequent cycle of Fogarty training program application as leaders in CMD research and training in Southeast Asia.