Tuberculosis Research Training Program in Kenya

Despite the discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis over 100 years ago and the availability of effective drugs for over 60 years, there remain formidable hurdles for controlling tuberculosis (TB) disease including long drug treatment regimens, an inadequate vaccine, and the lack of effective modalities for prevention of infection and public health intervention strategies.

Novel research and public health strategies need to be developed and coupled with enhanced training and local capacity building in high TB endemic countries. Kenya is one of 30 TB high burden countries which together constitute over 80% of global TB cases.

To address the persistent problem of TB as a leading cause of death worldwide, Drs. Sylvia LaCourse, associate professor, and Thomas Hawn, professor and interim head (Allergy and Infectious Diseases) are PIs on a new grant to develop a TB Research Training Program (TBRTP) at the University of Nairobi and the Kenya Medical Research Institute, in collaboration with the University of Washington. Co-investigator is Dr. David Horne, professor (Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine).

TBRTP will enhance training and local capacity in a high TB endemic country and train the next generation of leaders who will discover novel research and public health strategies to combat the TB epidemic. The program also benefits the US population by generating pathogenesis, treatment, and prevention insight for TB which continues to affect US residents and also has relevance for other respiratory infections and causes of chronic lung disease.