The Developmental Core (DC) aims to enhance capacity for cancer research through fostering the career development of junior investigators in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and the United States who have a demonstrated interest in infection-related cancer research among people living with HIV. This goal involves two broad strategies: 1) implementing a program that generates and supports rigorous pilot research projects and 2) providing other training and educational resources to enhance skills necessary for long term career success. The momentum created by this strategy would allow junior investigators at these sites to take advantage of pilot research funding opportunities and pursue career development. The supportive environment and highly experienced mentors will help ensure their long-term success as independent researchers. Moreover, this pipeline of highly trained researchers with interest in infection-related cancers among PLWH will meet the critical need for transdisciplinary, multi-institutional, and international partnerships to understand and potentially mitigate the rapidly growing cancer burden in Africa, where the prevalence of HIV infection remains high. The PAVILION DC program will help address this growing public health crisis by supporting junior investigators who can lead future research focused on cancers occurring among people living with HIV and ensure sustainability of research capacity, strength, and commitment.
The three DC Co-Leaders bring transdisciplinary expertise and mentoring experience across medicine, behavioral and population sciences, and cancer epidemiology.
Margaret Borok, MBChB, FRCP (University of Zimbabwe) is a Professor of Internal Medicine at the UZFMHS, with 20 years of experience in clinical research and research management, and manages the only referral clinic for patients with AIDS and Kaposi Sarcoma (KS). She is a member of the international committee and KS working group of the AIDS Malignancy Consortium (AMC) under the National Cancer Institute. Dr. Borok has a long history of mentoring clinician-scientists, especially those with a focus on AIDS-related malignancies.
Clement Gwede, PhD (Moffitt Cancer Center) is a Senior Member (Professor) in the Department of Health Outcomes & Behavior at Moffitt Cancer Center. is a community-minded, NIH-funded behavioral scientist who brings experience in mentoring students and junior investigators across multiple disciplines. At Moffitt, he has mentored 18 pre-doctoral trainees, nine post-doctoral fellows, and nine junior faculty as primary or associate mentor. In addition, Dr. Gwede participates as a grant writing and career development mentor in several national programs including the National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN)-Utah; Geographic Management of Cancer Health Disparities, Region 2; and the NCI’s 2022 Multi-level Training Institute (MLTI).
Taryn Young, MBChB, MMED, FCHPM, PhD (Stellenbosch University) is a Distinguished Professor, Head of the Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, and Director of the Centre for Evidence-based Health Care. She is a member of the Academy of Science of South Africa and the National Health Research Council, and is involved in the curriculum development, implementation and evaluation of training programs for under‐ and post-graduate students in public health and clinical epidemiology, biostatistics, evidence‐based healthcare and research synthesis. Professor Young is MPI of the Fogarty International Center funded D43 Africa Center for Biostatistical Excellence: Expanding biostatistical leadership for HIV/AIDS and TB Research..