EMORY UNIVERSITY
Grant: $172,186 - National Institutes of Health - Sep. 3, 2009
40% voted satisfied - 60% voted not satisfied - 5 vote(s) cast
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Award Description: Tuberculosis (TB) is an enormous global public health problem including in the independent country of Georgia, a former Soviet republic, which has high rates of TB including drug-resistant TB (MDR- and XDR-TB). This ARRA award is a supplement (U.S. Global Health Postdoctoral Scientist Support) to our current NIH FIC Global Infectious Diseases (GID) grant, entitled ?Emory-Georgia TB Research Training Program (EGTB-RTP)?. The award is supporting TB-related clinical and translational research and research training for Russell Kempker, M.D. who was hired to serve as a U.S. postdoctoral scientist. Dr. Kempker is committed to a career as a physician-scientist focused on international research and global health which includes TB. Dr. Kempker has completed his infectious diseases (ID) clinical training and the didactic (course work) portion of the Emory Master of Science in Clinical Research program. This ARRA award will allow him to focus the next 2 years on international research training and will greatly facilitate the attainment of his goal to become a successful and independent international clinical investigator. Dr. Kempker will take advantage of substantial resources at Emory and opportunities in the country of Georgia. He has an outstanding multidisciplinary mentoring team at the intersection of infectious diseases (ID) and nutrition. His project will leverage work being carried out in collaboration with the parent grant in teh country of Georgia and is focused on the impact of vitamin D (vit D) on host immunity and response to TB treatment. Dr. Kempker is collaborating with Georgian and U.S. investigators on a trial in Tbilisi, Georgia, to determine if vit D supplementation enhances response to anti-TB drug therapy. His translational research project will focus on determining whether vit D supplementation increases levels of LL-37 (an antimicrobial peptide upregulated by vit D) in plasma and skin compared to treated patients with TB randomized to no supplemental vit D therapy. He will plan to spend 6 months each year in Tbilisi and 6 months in Atlanta. He will also collaborate with, train and help mentor Fogarty fellows supported through the parent grant which will greatly benefit the EGTB-RTP as the focus of training transitions to predominantly an in-country research training model. Relevance: TB is an enormous global public health problem causing >9 million cases and nearly 2 million deaths each year. This ARRA supplement will provide support for clinical and translational research and research training for a U.S. postdoctoral scientist who will focus his career development on international research in the field of TB. He will also help provide training and mentoring to Fogarty fellows supported through our NIH FIC GID grant.
Project Description: The Specific Aims of this Supplement are: AIM 1: Perform a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled trial of adjunctive oral Vitamin D3 supplementation in Georgian patients with newly diagnosed pulmonary TB. AIM 2: Compare changes in the antimicrobial peptide LL-37 levels in plasma and cathelicidin/LL-37 mRNA and protein expression in skin in Vitamin D and placebo treated subjects in Aim 1. AIM 3: To facilitate achievement of the goals of the parent grant (NIH FIC-funded Emory-Georgia TB Research Training Program (EGTB-RTP) in building TB-related research infrastructure and capacity in Georgia including translational research and Internationally significant research in nutrition and infectious diseases. To meet the goals of the ARRA by hiring and supporting a U.S. Global Health Postdoctoral Scientist (Dr. Kempker). Progress to date--project began September 1, 2009: ? Dr Russell Kempker (US Postdoctorals scientist) began the project on September 1 and has spent the first month of the award in the Republic of Georgia. He has been instrumental in the successful start up of the to the project. IRB approval for the clinical trial from Emory and Georgian IRBs were received prior to project initiation. Dr. Kempker has assisted in the enrollment of ten patients into the trial for specific aim 1. Additionally, he performed skin biopsies on 2 of the 10 patients who were enrolled for specific aim 2. ? Dr Kempker has spent much time on working out logistical problems during the first month of the study. He has worked with Georgian Investigators to identify issues in the protocol and web based questionnaire that need clarification. His presence in Georgia has enhanced communication with the Georgian Study team and allowed for all study issues to be quickly identified and resolved. ? Dr Kempker is also working with and mentoring Georgian trainees. He has initiated skin biopsy training for Georgian Investigators and will soon complete the
Infrastructure Description: N/A
Jobs Summary: The award has allowed us to hire a full time US postdoctoral global health scientist, Dr Russell Kempker. Dr Kempker has completed the clinical portion of an Infectious Diseases fellowship (ie. two years of training). This U.S. postdoctoral global health scientist position which is supported through ARRA funding, will allow Dr. Kempker to obtain a job as a research postdoctoral fellow and provide support for him over the the next two years. During this time he will be focused on research and research training in Global health. The position will be critical to his career development as a clinical investigator in Global Health. He will be engaged in carrying out important international research in the field of nutrition and tuberculosis research and he will help us focus on the goals of the parent grant in expanding the TB-related research capacity in the country of Georgia. Dr Kempker has spent the first month of the award in Georgia and has had a tremendous impact on carrying out the specific aims of this project. He has worked with Fogarty fellows in Georgia to carry out the project goals and also has trained Fogarty fellows in the development and use of web based data study forms. (Total jobs reported: 0)
Project Status: Less Than 50% Completed
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