The new multi-disciplinary program brings together a network of 40 investigators who are committed to careers in cardiovascular epidemiology research in the developing country.

NYU Collaborative Program Draws $1.2 M Grant to Train Next Generation of Cardiovascular Researchers in Ghana

Olugbenga Ogedegbe, MD, MS, MPH, was recently awarded a five-year $1.2 million training grant from the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) Fogarty International Center as part of the Chronic, Non-Communicable Diseases and Disorders Across the Lifespan (NCD-Lifespan) grants program. Dr. Ogedegbe’s training program, “NYU/UG Cardiovascular Research Training Institute Program” (CaRT), will train the next generation of researchers committed to careers in cardiovascular epidemiology in Ghana. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cardiovascular diseases are the leading causes of death and disability in the world.

“A world-wide epidemic, cardiovascular disease is particularly prevalent among developing countries where preventative measures are non-existent and unhealthy lifestyles are rampant,” said Dafna Bar-Sagi, PhD, senior vice president and vice dean for science, chief scientific officer at NYU Langone Medical Center. “Not only will this grant support the CaRT program in its mission to train the next generation of experts in cardiovascular research, but it also has the potential to greatly improve the cardiovascular health of those living in developing, Sub-Saharan African countries.”

CaRT was designed to train the next generation of researchers with expertise in cardiovascular epidemiology, and brings together a network of 40 investigators who are committed to cardiovascular research in Ghana. The multidisciplinary team consists of experts in CVD research, social science, decision-making, health economics and behavioral interventions and come from a broad base of specialists focused on CVD research spanning internal medicine, pediatrics, emergency medicine and public health. The trainees will be exposed to a broad-based model of chronic disease burden reduction.

CaRT is a collaborative program between NYU School of Medicine, the College of Nursing and Dentistry, the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, and the Global Public Health Program at New York University, in partnership the College of Health Sciences, the Noguchi Medical Research Institute and the School of Public Health at the University of Ghana.

The goal of the NCD-Lifespan program is to establish research training programs for clinicians and researchers in more than a dozen low-and middle-income countries and to reduce the global impact of non-communicable diseases in developing countries. Fogarty has awarded $14.4 million to 14 research institutions through NCD-Lifespan grants. For more information about this award and the NCD-Lifespan initiative visit the NIH Fogarty International Center’s website.

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