
We are delighted to share the exciting news that our application for a NIHR Cohort Academic Development Award (GHR CADA) award has been successful.
The CADA application was led by DiaDeM‘s Prof Richard Holt and Dr Faiza Aslam, in collaboration with the training leads of the Centre for IMPACT (Prof. Sameen Siddiqi) and the CONTROL programme (Prof. Saeed Farooq). It proposed an interactive, in-person training programme “Implementation Science Summer School: Addressing Mental and Physical Health Together” for a cohort of 10-12 Early/Mid Career Researchers (EMCRs), bookended by online sessions.
Wider local teams in South Asia (SA) will be invited to online/hybrid sessions and EMCRs attending in person will be coached to relay the training to their local teams, further expanding the impact and establishing a network of EMCRs working in SA implementation science.
To maximise networking opportunities, this summer school will overlap with the annual meetings of DiaDeM and Centre for IMPACT and the dissemination event of the previous NIHR Global Health Research Group IMPACT in South Asia and MRC-funded IMPASS and TBMM projects, to be hosted at the University of York’s Ron Cooke Hub in July 2023.
We warmly congratulate and thank all our collaborating CADA applicants for their support in achieving this success.
The CONTROL programme
The CONTROL (COgNitive Therapy for depRessiOn in tubercuLosis treatment) programme of research to improve outcomes for depression and TB in Pakistan and Afghanistan is led by Prof Saeed Farooq (Keele University) and Dr Zohaib Khan (Khyber Medical University, Pakistan).
The programme focuses on research into TB and mental health within Pakistan, particularly among its population of refugees from neighbouring Afghanistan. Both countries have a high burden of TB. Almost half of patients receiving TB medication may also have depression, which can increase the chances of a relapse or the disease progressing. Mental health issues can also reduce how closely a patient follows their course of treatment, leading to drug-resistant TB, a public health crisis and health security threat.
Prof Farooq and Dr Khan’s CONTROL study explores the use of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to improve the mental health of people on TB treatment and test if this intervention helps more patients stick to their medication. If successful, the research team will see how the CONTROL could be modified for other chronic conditions such as Hepatitis C.
NIHR Global Health Research Cohort Academic Development Awards (GHR CADA)
The NIHR Academy is responsible for the development and coordination of NIHR academic training, career development and research capacity development. It plays an important role in strengthening capacity in global health research, providing opportunities and funding initiatives to develop and advance global health research career pathways and supporting the next generation of future leaders.
The NIHR GHR Cohort Academic Development Award (GHR CADA) scheme offers NIHR GHR Programme Training Leads (or Directors/Principle investigators (PIs) where there is no training lead in place) an opportunity to tailor a programme of activities to meet the academic training and career development needs of the cohort of NIHR GHR Academy members in their NIHR GHR Programme awards (primarily focussed on those who are LMIC based) and, where training needs align, with other NIHR GHR Programme awards.
Individuals can apply to the GHR CADA scheme for funding to undertake a programme of activities. Applications are light-touch and will be assessed in an open competition.
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