Brazil-UVirginia; PI Richard Guerrant, MD
Fellowship Site: Brazil-Fortaleza
DetailsInternational Site: Federal University of Ceara Country: Brazil US Director: US Institution: International Director: |
The Federal University of Ceará (UFC) in Fortaleza is a center for tropical disease research in Brazil that has made major contributions to the understanding of endemic diseases including diarrhea, diarrheal diseases, malnutrition and leishmaniasis. It is a superior education institution part of the Brazilian Education Ministry, created in June, 25th 1955, being currently one of the top Universities in Northeast-Brazil, dedicated to education, research and extension, with links to the inner state. The Federal University of Ceara is the only federal institution in Ceara state. Three University campus are located in the city of Fortaleza (2.4 million inhabitants), capital of the state of Ceara (8.0 million inhabitants) (www.ibge.gov.br). The Porangabussu campus holds the Health Medical Center, which includes courses of Medicine, Pharmacy and Nursing. The University also has a Law School and Exact Sciences, including Physics, Chemistry, Architecture and Engineering schools. The Health Science Center includes a University Hospital, Health Science Library, clinics, and research medical buildings. The Institute of Biomedicine, which houses Dr. Aldo Lima’s laboratory, is located in the Porangabussu campus. The University rector ship is the administrative core of the University that includes an international office to deal with international affairs.
The University of Virginia Center for Global Health under the direction of Richard L. Guerrant has had an ongoing research and training program with UFC in Fortaleza since 1977, where bidirectional exchanges have included over 70 US medical students, residents and fellows as well as over 80 UFC post-doctoral fellows, residents, and faculty with research that is defining the causes, host and pathogen genetic determinants, novel therapies and long-term developmental impact of diarrhea and enteric infections with Cryptosporidium, Giardia and enteroaggregative E. coli.
Field and hospital-based opportunities in Fortaleza include work with Drs. Aldo Lima and Reinaldo Oria on ongoing, community-based studies of how ApoE4 (the "Alzheimer's gene") actually protects the cognitive development of children experiencing heavy diarrhea burdens. These studies include novel micronutrient interventions to improve absorption of nutrients and drugs in malnourished children and patients with AIDS respectively; hence repairing the absorptive "tennis court" of surface area and thus prevent the growth and cognitive impact of diarrhea and enteraggregative E. coli, cryptosporidial and giardial infections. The ideal person for the Fortaleza opportunity is hardworking and dedicated to research into mechanisms of pathogenesis, genetics and novel therapies for enteric infections and malnutrition.
The major strengths of the Fortaleza site for training fellows are:
- the longstanding collaboration between the U.S. and Brazilian institutions aimed at training and research in tropical diseases;
- the spectrum of clinical and field opportunities for training;
- established community-based field sites for the study of persistent diarrheal diseases and their long-term impact on growth and cognition, novel alanylglutamine, arginine and zinc therapies; several of these field sites in Fortaleza have been the home of ongoing research for more than 25 years;
- the School of Medicine at UFC and its network of teaching hospitals;
- the history of Brazilian and NIH-supported research projects at the site which currently includes the longstanding four-time ICIDR program, the International Training and Research in Emerging Infectious Diseases (ITREID) and Global Infectious Disease Research Training (GIDRT) program at U.Va.
Research Opportunities:
Below are examples of research ongoing at the site within the past three years:
- H. pylori
- HPV
- Long-term Impact and Intervention for Diarrhea in Brazil
Subtopics of interest within this study:
- Pedigree and genetics studies
- Micronutrient followup
- EAEC studies
- Intestinal barrier and inflammation studies
- Vitamin A supplementation improves intestinal barrier function and reduces total parasitic and specific Giardia spp. infections in Brazilian children.
- Impact of Glutamine, Zinc, and Retinol Supplementation on Cognitive Outcomes in a Brazilian Favela Children at High Risk for Chronic Childhood Diarrhea: A Prospective Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial
- Evaluation of primers to detect the virulence genes aggR, aap and aaiC from enteroaggregative E. coli using real time PCR
-
Distinct effects of early childhood diarrhea and stunting on cognitive performance in later childhood: a cohort prospective study in northeastern Brazilian children.
Housing/Meals/Transportation:
Lodging is available near the University in small lodging houses called “pousadas” and “albergues” within walking distance from the laboratory and hospital facilities. More specialized hostelry is available in distinct ranked hotels throughout the city. Estimated pousada costs with transportation, dining and laundry are around $800 monthly.
Health Issues:
Fellows must be prepared to avoid mosquitoes because of dengue (no malaria or yellow fever). Please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website and The Yellow Book: Health Information for International Travel for more information. NIH/ICRF trainees are required to see a physician before leaving for assignment abroad.
Safety Issues:
Fellows are advised to avoid display of flashy jewelry, cameras, or computers in favelas and in the city of Fortaleza. Unattended objects may be subject to robbery in public places. See the U.S. State Department we site for more information.
Language requirement other than English:
Fellows coming to this site must prepare to speak Portuguese. If they have no prior knowledge of Portuguese, having at least a background in Spanish is important. In Fortaleza, there are private schools and University public teaching houses (“Casas de Cultura”) for foreign students to develop Portuguese, Italian, and Spanish fluency. Discs, tapes, books, and tutors are available and daily exclusive speaking is key to becoming fluent in Portuguese, which is an integral part of this fellowship.
What is it like to live in Brazil?
Fortaleza is a beautiful coastal city in the heart of Brazil's culturally diverse Northeast.
