PRR Project

Summary

Job DescriptionWe aim to hire an independent investigator with extensive research experience in clinical epidemiology of tropical diseases, including (but not limited to) randomized clinical trials and/or population-based cohort studies in resource-poor settings. The principal investigator to be retained is expected: (a) to lead high-impact field and laboratory research that addresses tropical and neglected diseases in vulnerable populations from low- and middle-income countries and regions, (b) to secure external funding for her/his research activities, (c) to mentor graduate students and post-doctoral scientists in Tropical Medicine and Global/International Health, and (d) to create/develop new training opportunities in clinical investigation and Tropical Medicine targeted at researchers and health professionals from low- and middle-income countries. Scientific ProfileThe principal investigator to be retained is expected to hold a PhD degree for over 5 years and to have demonstrated scientific independence, with a strong track record of publication in high-impact peer-reviewed journals and experience with international cooperation, training, and capacity building at different levels, including graduate students and post-doctoral scientists. S/he is expected to obtain competitive external funding, from national and international sources, to support the clinical epidemiology research program and to expand existing partnerships and networks in this area. Previous clinical and research experience in Portuguese-speaking countries is highly desirable. RationaleThe principal investigator to be hired by is expected to lead the clinical epidemiology research program within the Clinical Tropical Medicine (CTM) group of GHTM at IHMT/NOVA. Created in 2018 as one of the four research groups of GHTM, CTM has the overall goal of performing translational and implementation research on malaria and neglected tropical diseases, travel medicine, and migrant health in Portugal, EU, African countries, and Brazil. Research on clinical epidemiology focuses on studying both infectious and non-infectious diseases prevalent in tropical regions, aiming at understanding their unique factors and improving outcome, as well as the diagnosis, treatment, prevention and control of malaria and other febrile illnesses in the tropics. Child and reproductive health of vulnerable populations, including migrants and residents in least developed countries and the prevention and clinical management of travel-associated health conditions is also one of the main focus of this profile, totally aligned with the objectives and mission of CTM in particular and co-related with other two research groups - Pathogen Resistance, Infection and Molecular Epidemiology (PRIME) and Vector Borne Diseases (VBD).The clinical epidemiology program plays a central role in the overall strategy of the CTM research group and the GHTM research center. Importantly, it links experienced field-based investigators and local partners within the CTM research group with well-trained clinical and laboratory investigators and data analysis specialists from all other GHTM research groups at IHMT/NOVA, paving the way for more ambitious and comprehensive multidisciplinary research projects. The principal investigator is expected to promote long-standing, fair and equitable research partnerships with investigators and Tropical Medicine specialists from disease-endemic countries in Africa and Latin America, with a focus on (but not limited to) PALOPs and other Portuguese-speaking countries, and with leading international research groups and global networks in the areas of Tropical Medicine and Global Health.In order to achieve these objectives, relevant quantitative research on cohort studies has been developed over the last 4 years. Currently, the GHTM hosts a unique cohort of 1000 immigrant and native children living in the Lisbon metropolitan area, who are followed over time together with their families. To extend this infrastructure further and to study additional aspects of health determinants, the principal researcher will, in coordination with other colleagues from the Population Health, Policies and Services Research Group (PPS) of GHTM, develop two further cohorts of children of the same age in Cape Verde and Brazil (the main countries of origin for the children´s cohort in Portugal). The collaboration with the University of São Paulo (through the coordinator of the MINA cohort of children in the Amazon region, who is a PPS member) started in 2022 and has been strengthened in 2024 with a CAPES internationalization project that brings together the coordinators of the Brazilian and Portuguese/Lisbon cohorts at IHMT-GHTM.The proposed scientific profile for the Principal Researcher in Clinical Epidemiology to be retained fits perfectly and allows the consolidation of this relevant and unique research topic in Portugal, recently developed at GHTM IHMT NOVA.